Monday, May 30, 2011
Post: Ward 3 Flower Thief on the Loose
Lori Aratani of the Washington Post reports on the wily flower bandit of Ward 3.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Traffic Demonstration at American University
This alert and the related irony speaks for itself:
TRAFFIC IMPACT DEMONSTRATION
A coalition of neighbors surrounding American University will be gathering together this Thursday morning, May 26th from 8:30 am to 9:00 am to walk around Ward Circle, crossing Massachusetts and Nebraska Avenues several times to physically demonstrate the impact 600 or 700 students will have on traffic, if AU puts the number of beds it wants on the Nebraska Avenue parking lot.
Almost 21,000 vehicles use Mass. Ave. daily and about 24,500 use Nebraska. And yet, AU's flawed traffic study, which they are presenting to the Zoning Office to get approval for their beds, claims that adding to the pedestrian traffic load will have no impact on traffic at the circle.
Help us show the city AU is wrong.
If we can get a large number of residents to walk around the circle several times, wearing buttons that say "Stop the AU Campus Plan" and have a couple more stationed on the sidewalk with signs that say "AU Plan Causes Gridlock" "Honk if You Hate Gridlock" and put large "Stop the AU Campus Plan" in the center of the Circle, our case will be self evident. Everyone will see firsthand the traffic gridlock and noise pollution that will result if AU gets its way.
We need your commitment now. Join with your friends and neighbors to really do something to get our plight noticed and have a little fun. We're not just paying lawyers to make studied arguments. We're standing up for ourselves and using
our feet to fight for our neighborhoods!
We're meeting just inside the gate of Westover Place, in the front courtyard of 4300 Massachusetts Ave, behind the guardhouse at 8:30 Pick up your buttons and those of you who want signs can get them. Then we'll go up to the Circle and cross the street.
The guard at the gate will be alerted. Secret Code is "Stop AU". There are several guest parking spaces behind the Mass. Ave. wall which will work if we all carpool.
TRAFFIC IMPACT DEMONSTRATION
A coalition of neighbors surrounding American University will be gathering together this Thursday morning, May 26th from 8:30 am to 9:00 am to walk around Ward Circle, crossing Massachusetts and Nebraska Avenues several times to physically demonstrate the impact 600 or 700 students will have on traffic, if AU puts the number of beds it wants on the Nebraska Avenue parking lot.
Almost 21,000 vehicles use Mass. Ave. daily and about 24,500 use Nebraska. And yet, AU's flawed traffic study, which they are presenting to the Zoning Office to get approval for their beds, claims that adding to the pedestrian traffic load will have no impact on traffic at the circle.
Help us show the city AU is wrong.
If we can get a large number of residents to walk around the circle several times, wearing buttons that say "Stop the AU Campus Plan" and have a couple more stationed on the sidewalk with signs that say "AU Plan Causes Gridlock" "Honk if You Hate Gridlock" and put large "Stop the AU Campus Plan" in the center of the Circle, our case will be self evident. Everyone will see firsthand the traffic gridlock and noise pollution that will result if AU gets its way.
We need your commitment now. Join with your friends and neighbors to really do something to get our plight noticed and have a little fun. We're not just paying lawyers to make studied arguments. We're standing up for ourselves and using
our feet to fight for our neighborhoods!
We're meeting just inside the gate of Westover Place, in the front courtyard of 4300 Massachusetts Ave, behind the guardhouse at 8:30 Pick up your buttons and those of you who want signs can get them. Then we'll go up to the Circle and cross the street.
The guard at the gate will be alerted. Secret Code is "Stop AU". There are several guest parking spaces behind the Mass. Ave. wall which will work if we all carpool.
Census 2010 - No Proposed Changes to Ward 3
The Council Sub-Committee charged with redistricting has issued draft recommendations. Currently there is no suggestion to alter the borders of Ward 3.
The proposal is subject to full Council review and community input, with final adoption later in June.
The proposal is subject to full Council review and community input, with final adoption later in June.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Panera to Tenleytown
The Prince of Petworth blog has credited an acute reader with news that Panera is going to occupy the infill space at the NE corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Albamarle Street.
While this had been rumored for a while, the confirmation of the placards is helpful.
While this had been rumored for a while, the confirmation of the placards is helpful.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
City Paper: Cheh Investigates the Mayor
A recent Loose Lips column about Mary Cheh and the Executive Office investigations.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Developments on Wisconsin Avenue
The Washington Post has two storied related to grocery stores on Wisconsin Avenue:
Jonathan O'Connell updates the latest on the Tenleytown Safeway. According to reports, Safeway has moved forward with a mixed-use development, but is still working with immediate neighbors on details.
Meanwhile, Lori Aranti provides provides details on the latest in the Giant redevelopment in Cleveland Park. It appears as if final arrangements are being made to commence construction despite the ongoing appeal by some local residents.
Jonathan O'Connell updates the latest on the Tenleytown Safeway. According to reports, Safeway has moved forward with a mixed-use development, but is still working with immediate neighbors on details.
Meanwhile, Lori Aranti provides provides details on the latest in the Giant redevelopment in Cleveland Park. It appears as if final arrangements are being made to commence construction despite the ongoing appeal by some local residents.
Friday, May 13, 2011
More on Streetcars
Recent discussion on the Tenleytown Listserv has revisited the idea of a Wisconsin Avenue Streetcar. These exchanges prompted a post on Greater Greater Washington rehashing many of the same arguments, pro and con regarding the streetcar system and the implementation of the system specifically in upper Northwest DC.
Former ANC 3E Commissioner Carolyn Sherman suggests that instead of Wisconsin Avenue, Connecticut Avenue ought to be studied:
Let's revisit for a minute the option of putting the streetcar, if there is to be one, on Connecticut rather than Wisconsin. Remember that from Van Ness on up--and it's a long way to Chevy Chase Circle--residents have no access to Metro, and many fewer buses. That area includes much of Chevy Chase, Forest Hills, and many other neighborhoods. Residents there tend to drive, with the understandable excuse that there's no easy mass transit. Suppose there's a streetcar every few minutes that takes all those workers, etc., straight down Conn to the K St corridor and beyond. Isn't that route just as needed and likely to have heavy usage as the route taking people who live along Wisconsin over to Benning Road? AU and GU have their own bus systems, and DHS will have its own too. Wisconsin is already filled with mass transit options. And consider the fact that if, as one poster says, "a big reason for a Wisconsin Avenue streetcar is to create demand for high density in-fill development along the corridor,"isn't that another reason to go for Connecticut Ave? There's much more room for infill along upper Connecticut. Think of all the possibilities for infill from Chevy Chase Circle on down to Van Ness. There are blocks and blocks of low- and medium-rise buildings. Imagine that whole area mirroring the development along Wisconsin and Western. How vibrant that area could become, with all the revenue for the city coming in.
Why does it need to be a choice? Both streets had streetcar lines in previous eras (see map for post consolidation era layout). Connecticut Avenue was developed by the Chevy Chase Land Company, and the development patterns on that road were created specifically for the Streetcar. Ms. Sherman is correct that connecting downtown to Chevy Chase Circle and beyond by Streetcar is a good idea. However, this should not be done instead of Wisconsin Avenue, but in addition.
Connecting Rosslyn and Georgetown to Tenleytown, Friendship Heights, and extending up to NIH and Rockville was part of a system in the 20th Century. Similarly, connecting downtown to Chevy Chase and Chevy Chase Lake and beyond via Connecticut Avenue is a good idea. There is no reason why these shouldn’t be part of the long term plans for the region.
Former ANC 3E Commissioner Carolyn Sherman suggests that instead of Wisconsin Avenue, Connecticut Avenue ought to be studied:
Let's revisit for a minute the option of putting the streetcar, if there is to be one, on Connecticut rather than Wisconsin. Remember that from Van Ness on up--and it's a long way to Chevy Chase Circle--residents have no access to Metro, and many fewer buses. That area includes much of Chevy Chase, Forest Hills, and many other neighborhoods. Residents there tend to drive, with the understandable excuse that there's no easy mass transit. Suppose there's a streetcar every few minutes that takes all those workers, etc., straight down Conn to the K St corridor and beyond. Isn't that route just as needed and likely to have heavy usage as the route taking people who live along Wisconsin over to Benning Road? AU and GU have their own bus systems, and DHS will have its own too. Wisconsin is already filled with mass transit options. And consider the fact that if, as one poster says, "a big reason for a Wisconsin Avenue streetcar is to create demand for high density in-fill development along the corridor,"isn't that another reason to go for Connecticut Ave? There's much more room for infill along upper Connecticut. Think of all the possibilities for infill from Chevy Chase Circle on down to Van Ness. There are blocks and blocks of low- and medium-rise buildings. Imagine that whole area mirroring the development along Wisconsin and Western. How vibrant that area could become, with all the revenue for the city coming in.
Why does it need to be a choice? Both streets had streetcar lines in previous eras (see map for post consolidation era layout). Connecticut Avenue was developed by the Chevy Chase Land Company, and the development patterns on that road were created specifically for the Streetcar. Ms. Sherman is correct that connecting downtown to Chevy Chase Circle and beyond by Streetcar is a good idea. However, this should not be done instead of Wisconsin Avenue, but in addition.
Connecting Rosslyn and Georgetown to Tenleytown, Friendship Heights, and extending up to NIH and Rockville was part of a system in the 20th Century. Similarly, connecting downtown to Chevy Chase and Chevy Chase Lake and beyond via Connecticut Avenue is a good idea. There is no reason why these shouldn’t be part of the long term plans for the region.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
E6 Line - WMATA Town Hall
From WMATA in consideration of the proposed elimination of the E6 bus line through upper NW Washington, there are a series of Town Halls:
We are tuning in to you to help us make important decisions about Metro's future.
For the first time ever, Metro will host combined Open Houses and Town Hall Meetings prior to its official Public Hearings. Metro staff members will be available at Open Houses for one-on-one conversations about Metro service and programs. Town Hall Meetings will give you an opportunity to talk about the future of the system with Metro leaders, including members of the Metro Board of Directors. During the Public
Hearings, Metro will take formal testimony on the following options under consideration for the FY12 budget:
o Increasing the Metrorail train wait times on weekends
o Eliminating the Metrobus E6, K1 and N8 lines
o Restructuring the Metrobus M4, V7, V8, 70 and 71 lines
o Eliminating the 50¢ discount on certain Anacostia bus routes, resulting in MetroAccess fare increase, and modification of the Anacostia station bus transfer discount program
The Open Houses will be from 5:30-6:00 p.m. followed by the Town Hall Meetings/Q&A from 6:00-6:45 p.m. The Public Hearings will start at 6:45 p.m.
TUESDAY, MAY 17
St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church
4125 Fessenden St, NW
Washington, DC
Metrorail stop: Friendship Heights
We are tuning in to you to help us make important decisions about Metro's future.
For the first time ever, Metro will host combined Open Houses and Town Hall Meetings prior to its official Public Hearings. Metro staff members will be available at Open Houses for one-on-one conversations about Metro service and programs. Town Hall Meetings will give you an opportunity to talk about the future of the system with Metro leaders, including members of the Metro Board of Directors. During the Public
Hearings, Metro will take formal testimony on the following options under consideration for the FY12 budget:
o Increasing the Metrorail train wait times on weekends
o Eliminating the Metrobus E6, K1 and N8 lines
o Restructuring the Metrobus M4, V7, V8, 70 and 71 lines
o Eliminating the 50¢ discount on certain Anacostia bus routes, resulting in MetroAccess fare increase, and modification of the Anacostia station bus transfer discount program
The Open Houses will be from 5:30-6:00 p.m. followed by the Town Hall Meetings/Q&A from 6:00-6:45 p.m. The Public Hearings will start at 6:45 p.m.
TUESDAY, MAY 17
St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church
4125 Fessenden St, NW
Washington, DC
Metrorail stop: Friendship Heights
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