Events: DC readers, don’t forget to vote!

Today is the day. If you live in DC and haven’t already voted, make sure to get to a polling location or drop your ballot in a ballot drop-off box by 8:00 pm on Tuesday, June 21. DC offers same-day voter registration on-site at polling places (bring a document from this list proving residency). If you’re still on the fence about who to vote for, and transportation, land-use, and housing are your major issue areas, make sure to check out the GGWash Elections Hub.

Tuesday, June 21

Learn about zoning abolition: How could eliminating zoning bring U.S. cities closer to addressing debilitating housing shortages, stunted growth and innovation, persistent racial and economic segregation, and car-dependent development? From 5:00 - 7:00 pm, local author and researcher M. Nolan Gray is celebrating the launch of his new book, “How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It” with a book talk at Busboys and Poets. The conversation will be moderated by Jerusalem Demsas. Come learn how zoning is inhibiting planners from building more affordable, vibrant, equitable, and sustainable cities. Learn more + RSVP here.

Support Bus Rapid Transit in North Bethesda: Since 1992, there have been plans to create a high-capacity and high-quality transit connection from the Westfield Montgomery Mall Transit Center through the Rock Spring office park to the Metrorail Red Line. The project finally kicked off in 2021 and is entering into a period of community engagement. On Tuesday, the Montgomery County DOT is inviting you from 6:30 - 8:00 to attend the final online open house to discuss the plans for the proposed project. You can learn more and RSVP here.

Wednesday, June 22

Get ready to celebrate PARK(ing) Day: Initially started in San Francisco in 2005, PARK(ing) Day is an event in which residents and businesses re-think the use of public space by converting metered on-street parking spaces into temporary parks. Since its inception, the event has spread to cities around the world, taking place on the third Friday of September. DDOT will begin accepting PARK(ing) Day applications in July 2022. This Wednesday at 12:00 pm DDOT is hosting a Park(ing) Day Information Session on Wednesday, where you can ask questions and get started with planning. You can learn more here.

Thursday, June 23

The past, present, and future of electric bicycling: As sales of electric bicycles (e-bikes) have surged and outpaced the sales of all-electric cars since 2020, more and more people are enjoying increased mobility, while communities are confronting the need to manage them, especially on public trails and greenways. Join the Maryland Department of Planning and the Smart Growth Network online at 1:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 23, as journalist Carlton Reid, Dillon Fitch of the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, and Andrew Brown of iGo Electric Bikes look at the evolution of e-bike technology, how communities are responding to the increase in e-biking demand and usage, and what the future holds for these vehicles. Learn more + RSVP here.

Join us in Silver Spring: Join GGWash for the first of several Happy Hours we are hosting across the region this summer. Located at the Silver Spring Metro, Silver Branch Brewing has a wonderful, transit-accessible biergarten. Come meet our new Regional Policy Director and chat with other GGWash friends based in Silver Spring and Montgomery County. We can’t wait to see you! Learn more + RSVP here.

Community members submit events for inclusion on our events posts and in our events calendar. Submit your event here. Submissions may be edited for context and clarity.