Posts tagged Public Safety
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Public bathrooms downtown? Activists say the DC Council should stop stalling
Since 2014, the small group of community activists has met weekly and pushed for access to public restrooms in downtown DC, resulting in a bill introduced by the DC Council in April 2017 that called for the installation and maintenance of stand-alone public restrooms. Keep reading…
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Nowhere to “go”: DC’s growing need for 24/7 public restrooms
“We need public restrooms” is the growing cry among advocates, public officials, visitors and citizens alike. The People for Fairness Coalition’s Downtown DC Public Restroom Committee has been championing the need for clean, safe, accessible and available public restrooms. Keep reading…
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Our 2018 endorsements for Advisory Neighborhood Commissions in Ward 1
If you live in U Street, Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant, or nearby neighborhoods, you probably live in Ward 1. In November, there are 11 competitive races on the ballot for Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner. We found six candidates we think deserve your vote. Keep reading…
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Events: Give a gigabit of your love (and creativity) to DC
Win money for an app focused city mobility and the environment, hear how to make commutes sustainable at GGWash's panel, learn about changes to Bethesda's bikeways, sit down at the green business roundtable, and more in this week's events. Keep reading…
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Liberty at Lorton: How a notorious old Virginia prison got a new life as housing
In my previous post about the Lorton Reformatory in Lorton, Virginia, I went over the history of the prison complex from its beginnings in the 1910s to its closure in 1999. In this article, I turn my focus to the long road to redeveloping the prison site and its grounds into a place that the Lorton community could be proud of and see as useful. Keep reading…
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Events: Help move 25% of DC commuters to walk, bike, or scoot!
Do you care about smarter, more sustainable commuting? DC has set a goal in its sustainability plan for 25% of trips to happen by walking, bicycling, and scooting. How can we hit this target? Keep reading…
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The old Lorton, Virginia prison is being turned into homes. Here’s its fascinating story.
The Lorton Reformatory is a prison in Lorton, Virginia that closed in the late 1990s. This May, it officially reopened as a sprawling complex of apartments called Liberty at Lorton about 19 miles outside of DC. The development is a great example of how a historical site can supply housing in a region that badly needs it, while still preserving a historical landmark with a storied history. Keep reading…
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A new report highlights the stark racial disparities in Metro fare enforcement
As Metro Police have ramped up enforcement of the fare evasion law, a disproportionate number of people issued citations are black, a new report from the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs shows. The study comes as activists push the DC Council to vote on a bill to decriminalize fare evasion in the District. Keep reading…
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Is the Washington region prepared for storms like Hurricane Florence?
Hurricane Florence is finally spinning away from the Carolinas, leaving a destructive wake including at least 32 people dead. The threat had governments in the Washington region engaging their emergency management plans and assessing how they would act in the case of a direct hit. Are we ready for destructive storms? Keep reading…
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Alexandria is already often waterlogged. How will it adjust to climate change?
Alexandria built its waterfront at a low elevation. That's become a real problem in recent years, and now the city is trying to figure out how to preserve its history and also adapt to a future with much more rain and flooding. Keep reading…