Public Safety Update

Finding the Right Angle on Park Space at the 14th/D St/KY Ave SE Triangle Park

DC's home to a lot of small triangle parks. You know the ones - the small parks between two or three streets, usually one of which is diagonal to the others. They may not have much square footage, but they can be a space that easily either adds to the welcoming nature of the community, or detracts from it.

These parcels can be tricky, as many of them are actually National Park Service land or they’re bordered by traffic intersections that don’t seem to have a natural use. Or they're forgotten and overgrown.

For a few years, residents have been bringing well-loved toys, benches, and a (very pink!) model car to a triangle park near Payne Elementary School at 14th Street / D Street / Kentucky Avenue SE. It's a space you walk by, not stop through, and frankly, it's just accumulating junk and weeds.

Wanting to build on that momentum, I secured a modest amount of funding in the FY27 budget to upgrade the triangle park and help it align more with neighbors' vision for the space. On Monday evening, I met with neighbors to talk about what that should look like. We’ve got other examples where the city was able to work with neighbors and turn a space that often felt neglected into something that feels good – the small park at 8th & Massachusetts NE that I identified funding for a few years ago jumps to mind. 

I loved one detail I heard from a neighbor: They just wanted something that could serve as a community backyard for neighbors in the area, which could include a swing, a fence so kids can play, and a general area to gather for neighbors. So what comes next? First, we’ll work with the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of General Services to design the space, and then we'll build it. This isn’t the biggest project we’ll do in the Ward, but it's a good example that not everything is a huge lift when we’re talking about investing in our shared spaces and making them welcoming for everyone. So keep an eye out for those forgotten spaces across Ward 6. We're always thinking about impactful investments come spring budget time.

The Office of Planning is Ready to Talk
About its H Street Study.

Earlier this year, I asked you to let the DC Office of Planning know what you wanted for the future of H Street NE as they started the process of a land use study. 

Whether that’s more arts and culture, an improved business corridor, or even robust public transportation, it’s important to know what residents want from their communities as the Office of Planning studies how we design H Street’s identity for the future. 

Now they're ready to share their final findings. Join them on Thursday, November 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. for an open house at Sherwood Recreation Center (the second floor). This plan will help shape policy and investment along the corridor for many years to come, so thank you to everyone who weighed in on previous iterations of the plan. You can RSVP using this link.

Speaking of H Street, Funding's Now Available to Hold More Events on the Corridor.

The window's now open to apply for the H Street Northeast Corridor Events Activation Grant – this is funding I identified in the budget through the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development to help invest in and activate H Street.

The annual H Street Festival is a great example of activating the corridor (despite the traffic headaches it can cause for neighbors). But it's just one day, and it's not entirely focused on driving business to local shops. I don’t expect events spurred through the grant to get nearly that large - the goal here is striving to make H Street a vibrant, desirable destination every day - and more regular events, programming, and activation help with that. Check out more details here, and the deadline to apply is November 25!

Hearing on the Audi Field Roof Proposal Draws Out Tension on Growth vs Existing Budget Challenges

I brought up Audi Field in the last newsletter, and I have an update. The Council held a hearing last week on a proposal by Chairman Mendelson for a $620 million renovation of Audi Field, which includes installing a roof. The case for the roof is that it will make the MLS’ switch to a fall through spring schedule more temperate and allow the venue to host more events. 

The hearing was productive, and we heard a lot of arguments in favor of and against the investment. The city’s economy is facing real headwinds, and the debate centered around the ever-existing tension between funding the needs we have right now to ensure people have homes, health care, utility assistance, and food, and growing the pie to create more economic activity that brings in new revenue to fund those needs. 

That’s a tension the Council is going to have to continue to wrestle with. Funding for a stadium improvement, as we’ve done at Capital One, RFK, and Nationals Park, comes out of the capital budget, not the operating. But the interest we pay on those bonds to borrow does restrict our ability to staff our schools, libraries, and more. So any investment needs to show it can deliver a strong return and address concerns from Ward 6 neighbors who live nearby and still need to come and go on game day. 

I’ll keep you updated as we continue to debate this legislation and as I work to make sure your tax dollars are spent in the best way possible. 

Protecting Workers through the Washington Convention Center Authority Act

This week, the Committee on Executive Administration and Labor held a hearing on my bill to ensure employees at the city’s Convention Center are treated as full-time employees, rather than long-time temporary employees who receive fewer protections and benefits. I had previously met with workers at the Convention Center who gave me a first hand tour of the operations and back-of-house work that goes into hosting all the big conventions and events that benefit our city.

A clear problem was that the major contractor, Aramark, undermined what should be quality and well-paying jobs by prioritizing temporary workers for less pay and fewer benefits. I worked closely on the legislation with UNITE HERE Local 25, which represents most of the impacted workers. And now we have good news to report: With the pressure created by the legislation and a public hearing on this issue, the workers are successfully working toward a new and stronger contract!

The Latest on DDOT's Contract for Lime and Veo Scooters and E-Bikes

Imagine you’re enjoying a beautiful day in DC. You’re walking down the sidewalk minding your own business when a scooter wooshes by and nearly hits you! I’ve unfortunately heard that story so many times recently, including some crashes that resulted in injuries or trips to the hospital. In fact, when I put out a short video on social media about unsafe scooter and e-bike driving, we heard from A TON of residents who agreed.

Two things can be true here: These are incredibly popular ways to travel around our neighborhoods, and there are also real concerns with how riders operate the scooters and e-bikes that the companies aren’t currently addressing adequately. 

DDOT is finalizing the next contract that will be bid out to companies like Lime and Veo, and officials took in a lot of feedback from residents during the comment process. DDOT will be rolling out decision points based on the feedback they’ve received on the contract over the next few months. The first two changes the agency finalized are: 

1. Significant changes to the Discount Program to move from unlimited rides to 300 minutes per month of rentals. This is intended to ensure equitable access across our city, but also limit unauthorized rides that keep the vehicles out of circulation and make it hard to hold riders accountable for dangerous behavior
   
   
2. Parking enforcement to step up: DDOT has finalized a $100 fine for vehicles not parked in approved areas, as well as a fine on the companies if the vehicle isn’t moved quickly. My team is still asking DDOT what's different in this contract from the current one, as I understand DDOT has the authority to do this. But if I’m being optimistic, we saw similar changes with Capital Bikeshare policy that has significantly improved the parking for dockless e-bikes.

Goodbye to Dave Thomas Circle. Say Hello to
Mamie “Peanut” Johnson Plaza!

How great is it that the city took on a major bottleneck of intersections (that was a headache for everyone), and it’s now a beautiful plaza for everyone to enjoy that's much safer for pedestrians, cyclists, scooterists, and drivers?

That’s why I’m so happy to introduce you to Mamie “Peanut” Johnson Plaza's installation, which I had the pleasure of helping to inaugurate on Tuesday right on the border of Wards 5 and 6.

At one part of the plaza is a 12-foot tall sculpture known as “Curve.”

The artwork is dedicated to the trailblazing Washingtonian Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, who was the first woman to pitch in the Negro Leagues and then went on to become a nurse at Sibley Hospital for 30 years.

You’re probably thinking that “Curve” looks a bit like a baseball, and that’s because it’s inspired by the woven parts of one. The design was by Rania Hassan (who’s done other works around DC), and she initially began the project by drawing lines and stitching around a baseball. The interwoven pattern represents Johnson’s career as a baseball player, but also as a nurse. 

The plaza is more than just a beautiful space. Because of the changes in traffic patterns, we’re already seeing a reduction of around 14% in travel times and significantly less dangerous driving and red light running, as well. This is exactly the kind of project that DDOT should be taking on to improve street safety.

Winter is Coming (And So is Leaf Collection!)

That's right! The first pass for leaf collection in Section A from Wards 1-8 will begin the week of November 2.  Now, I want to include my annual caveat here. Every year we see DPW aspire to better inform the public on when leaf collection is happening and which streets they’ve already collected. And every year, the map inevitably isn’t always accurate or it shows your street is completed, but it really isn’t. So we’ll still work with you to get it done, and I appreciate that DPW is trying to be more transparent. 

A few reminders: 

• Every street should get leaf collection twice over the next few months (and that timeframe stretches into 2027). 
  
  
• If it rains or the leaves are very wet, collection is delayed. 
  
  
• Check out more information here. 

Join Me For Office Hours at The Pretzel Bakery
on Friday, November 13!

Join me and my team for Neighborhood Office Hours in Hill East! The team at The Pretzel Bakery (257 15th St. SE) have been kind enough to host us.

We'll be there from 8:30 to 10 am on Friday, November 13 (how spooky), and we’d love to chat about anything on your mind — or just say hi.

Please let us know you’re coming by RSVPing, and we'll see you there! 

A Few Good Constituent Services Wins,
and a Pro Tip From Our Team

As always, I want to take a moment to share some of the different kinds of problems my constituent services team is helping Ward 6 neighbors solve every day. Please feel free to request help through our website (please include your address or quadrant when you submit so we can respond faster).

• A constituent saved up for years to add an accessory dwelling unit (known as an ADU, it's a small building on the property) for their aging parents. After a minor change to their plans required zoning approval, they had to sit and wait while construction was already ready to begin. The constituent reached out to us when the Department of Buildings didn’t respond to their multiple emails. Once our constituent services reached out, a signed modification form was provided to the resident within the day. Time to build!
  
  
• When a constituent noticed a pile of utility wires and nails left in an alleyway after storm cleanup (from multiple service providers), they reached out to our office, and we were able to swiftly get the contractor to remove them.
  
  
• The DC Housing Authority recently approved a constituent for a 2-bedroom unit, but the agency was taking too long to approve a voucher for our constituent to begin the process of moving into a new home. After getting in touch with us, we were able to get the constituent the voucher within the week. 

Constituent Services Pro Tip: We get a lot of calls about how to make streets safer or improve or fix signage. DDOT has a process called Traffic Safety Input, or "TSI" for short, where all of those requests are funneled from 311 to DDOT (it’ll be marked closed, but that just means 311 has handed if off to DDOT's assessment process). Every quarter, DDOT uses a complex formula to triage urgent interventions and takes them on – usually about 800 projects per quarter. So if you’d like DDOT to install a speed bump, or if there’s a chronic issue with dangerous driving, send in a TSI via 311 and tell your neighbors! And here's the map of what's already being prioritized in your neighborhood. More from DDOT on the process here. 

Community Events Across Ward 6

• H Street Study Findings Open House: Thursday, November 5 at 5 p.m. at the Sherwood Recreation Center (2nd floor large multi-purpose room)
  
  
• ANC 6B Meeting: Tuesday, November 10 at 700 Pennsylvania Ave SE, First Floor (Virtual link)
  
  
• ANC 6A Meeting: Thursday, November 12 (Virtual link will be available 24 hours before meeting)
  
  
• ANC 6C Meeting: Thursday, November 12 (Virtual link)

Ticket Giveaway!