Events: 10+ events you don’t want to miss

Tuesday, April 17:

Meet up with WABA: Drop by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association office to meet friendly bike advocates working to support DC's upcoming bike projects. This is a great chance to ask a question or get involved with groups already working to support projects like the Crosstown Irving St. protected bike lanes, the NoMa bicycle network, and more. RSVP here.

Real estate trends conference: If you are a ULI member, join the real estate industry's most influential professionals from across the Greater Washington region at the ULI Washington Real Estate Trends Conference from 8:30 am to 6 pm at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW). Spend the day learning about the real estate and land use trends in the Washington region and meet the people who make the industry so robust. The theme for this year’s conference is Transformational Change: Communities at the Crossroads. RSVP here.

Learn to live zero waste: Are you feeling like your environmental footprint could use adjustment? Living zero waste is easier than it seems. Hear from best-selling author Bea Johnson as she shares her tribulations and secrets to achieving Zero Waste and the importance of the 5R's (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot) from 6 to 8:30 pm at the University of the District of Columbia (4200 Connecticut Avenue NW). There is a fee for this event.

BRT in Fairfax (multiple meeting times): The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is working on a project to bring bus rapid transit to Richmond Highway and North Kings Highway from Huntington Metrorail Station to Fort Belvoir. Learn more about the project and weigh in at one of two public meetings this week — April 17 at 6:30 pm at West Potomac High School Cafeteria (6500 Quander Road, Alexandria) or April 18 at 6:30 pm at Mount Vernon High School Cafeteria (8515 Old Mt Vernon Road, Alexandria).

Traffic reduction in Maryland (multiple meeting times): There is a lot of traffic on I-495 and I-270 in Maryland. The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is working on a traffic relief plan to reduce congestion. Attend one of four public open houses in April to weigh in on the plan. The first three are this week: April 17 at Dr. Henry Wise Jr. High School (12650 Book Lane, Upper Marlboro), April 18 at Clarksburg High School (22500 Wims Road, Clarksburg) and April 19 at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School (4301 East West Highway, Bethesda). All meetings run from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

Wednesday, April 18

District Sustainability Awards: Our city has lots to celebrate when it comes to sustainability, and the District Sustainability Awards are the place to get recognized. Attend this year's event to see who will be honored and hear the Mayor speak. The award ceremony will run from 5: 30 to 7:30 pm at Eastern Market, North Hall (225 7th Street, SE)

Ride and smell the flowers: Whether spring means it's time to clean, tighten the strings on your tennis racket, or lube up your bike chain, there's no denying that it also means awesome tulip displays! Join the Washington Area Bicyclists Association for a social ride throughout Crystal City and the neighborhoods along the river. Along the way, we'll stop and admire beautiful tulips. Free for WABA members, $10 for non-members.

Thursday, April 19

Lessons learned from Tysons: Tysons Corner will soon get a new development called Dominion Square West (CARS). Join the Tysons Partnership for an in-depth discussion on the collaborative process behind the signature development and discuss placemaking, creative collaborations on public-private space, and lessons learned. The event is from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at 1785 Greensboro Station, Suite 100 Tysons. It costs a fee to attend.

Coming soon

Wednesday, April 25 — Celebrate walkable communities with CSG: It takes persistence and courage to build and advocate for more sustainable, high-quality, walkable, transit-oriented communities. That's why the Coalition for Smarter Growth is honoring Bob Youngentob, one of our region’s leading transit-oriented developers, and community leaders Dan Reed, Margaret Schoap, and Jim Durham for their contributions to smart growth at our annual Livable Communities Leadership Award, CSG’s main fundraiser of the year. The event is at 6:30 pm at TICO Restaurant (1926 14th St NW). There is a fee for this event.

Thursday, April 26 — GGWash happy hour: Join fellow readers, contributors, and volunteers for a happy hour on Thursday, April 26 from 6 to 8 pm at Dew Drop Inn, located at 2801 8th Street NE, Washington, DC. Formerly home to Chocolate City Brewing Company, this bar may be best known for its rooftop deck, which overlooks the Red Line tracks. Hopefully, we'll finally have some spring-like weather so we can take advantage of their transit-oriented outdoor space. RSVP here.