Events: Celebrate DC’s newest bus lane on Wednesday evening

Come talk about the pop-up bus lanes on Rhode Island Ave with GGWash and DDOT on Wednesday, August 1

Metro is shutting down part of the Red Line for trackwork this summer. Thanks in part to advocacy from readers like you, the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) installed temporary bus lanes on Rhode Island Avenue NE to speed shuttle buses around the partial shutdown.

How's it doing, and can it be a model for the rest of the region? Let's talk about it at a happy hour Wednesday, August 1 from 6 to 8 pm at Dew Drop Inn, located at 2801 8th Street NE, Washington, DC.

Dew Drop Inn may be best known for its rooftop deck, which overlooks the Red Line tracks, but it's also just a few blocks away from the trial bus lane. Join the GGWash community and representatives from DDOT for drinks, snacks, and conversation about the project. You can RSVP here!

The Dew Drop Inn is a 10-15 minute walk from both the Rhode Island Avenue and Brookland-CUA Metro stations, both of which are closed through September 3. You can take Metro's “local” or Brookland-Gallery Place shuttles (both of which use the bus lane!) to either station, or the Brookland-Union Station shuttle to the Brookland station. Metrobus routes D8, G8, and H8 all stop within two blocks of the bar, and there's also a Capital Bikeshare station three blocks away at 7th and Hamlin Streets NE.

Also, weigh in on the 16th Street bus lane design and attend the National Zoo's meeting about security

Tonight, Monday, July 30: During rush hours, buses on 16th Street will be able to bypass traffic in a bus lane, hopefully by 2020. After several iterations of design and public feedback, DDOT will present the final roadway design layout for the 16th Street corridor between Arkansas Avenue NW and H Street NW today, Monday, July 30th from 6-8 pm at Mt. Pleasant Library, 3160 16th Street NW , Washington, 20010, DC. Attendees will have an opportunity to provide feedback specific to the project. Make sure to come out and let your support for more bus lanes be known!

Wednesday, August 1: Earlier this month, the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park released plans to increase security measures, remove entrances, and install gated check points with metal detectors. With your help, we were able to push back on those changes, and now there’s a chance to talk directly to zoo staff about these issues.

On Wednesday, August 1, the National Zoo will host a public meeting and discuss the zoo's perimeter fence and security plan. To our knowledge, the zoo did not gather input from residents in the surrounding neighborhoods about their plans prior to making them public. Now that they’ve opened up for a conversation, let’s show up and share our hopes and concerns! The meeting begins at 6:30 pm at the National Zoo Conservation Pavillion, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC. Learn more here.

Check out more urbanist events at ggwash.org/calendar. Do you have an event you'd like to see featured the weekly events post? Submit it here.