McPherson Square in January of 2023 by Elvert Barnes licensed under Creative Commons.

Unhoused population increased between 2022 and 2023 in every Greater Washington jurisdiction

The 2023 point-in-time count found that homelessness increased 18% between January 2022 and January 2023 throughout the region. There are estimated to be nearly 9,000 people experiencing homelessness in the region, up from 7,600 in 2022. Most of the increase was observed in DC and Montgomery County, but all municipal-level jurisdictions in Greater Washington (DC; Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Frederick, Loudoun, Montgomery, Prince William, and Prince George’s counties) experienced an uptick.  (Morgan Baskin / DCist)  

Free Amtrak rides for VRE pass holders may be reinstated

The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission staff is recommending spending $1.5 million to restart the Virginia Railway Express’s Step-Up program for the next two years. It will allow multi-ride VRE passholders to ride some overlapping Amtrak routes for free. It was suspended in 2020.  (Jared Foretek / InsideNOVA)  

Chesapeake Bay cleanup slowed by climate change and continued pollution

A new report finds that runoff from agricultural fields, urban areas, and impervious surfaces have prevented Chesapeake Bay from meeting its pollution reduction targets by 2025. Climate change has increased precipitation and streamflow, thereby increasing the amount of runoff and associated pollution from such sources.  (Charlie Paullin / Maryland Matters)  

Downtown revitalization and housing needs motivate councilmembers to reconsider DC’s Height Act

Political interest in revisiting the DC Height Act is mounting. With the exception of Phil Mendelson, all DC Council members are in favor of changing the DC Height Act. Currently residential buildings are capped at 90 feet and commercial at 130 feet. Many see amending these caps as an opportunity to revitalize downtown DC and address the affordable housing crisis by enabling denser residential development.  (Luke Garrett / WTOP)  

Traffic safety concerns near Reston schools on tonight’s public meeting agenda

Today, the Reston Association’s Multimodal Transportation Advisory Committee will discuss pedestrian safety near Reston schools. In March, Hunter Mill District School Board Representative Melanie Meren called out areas where more crossing guards, improved signage, improved crosswalks, and traffic calming measures would improve pedestrian safety, particularly for students.  (Fatimah Waseem / FFXNow)  

Advocates call for guaranteed income pilot program and increased housing assistance in Prince George’s County’s next budget

On Wednesday a coalition of progressive groups gathered in New Carrollton to advocate for publicly financed electoral campaigns, a guaranteed income pilot program, and housing assistance in Prince George’s County’s next budget, currently in development.  (John Domen / WTOP)  

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