See what the candidates for Ward 4 DC Council have to say about these urbanist issues

From L-R: Marlena Edwards and Janeese Lewis George. Photos provided by candidates' campaigns.

In February, we introduced the candidates in the Democratic Ward 4 DC Council race: Marlena Edwards, Janeese Lewis George, and incumbent Brandon Todd. (Renee Bowser withdrew from the race in March.) As the District grapples with a housing crisis, transit equity challenges, and increasing safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists, we wanted to see how the candidates weighed in on these urgent issues.

As part of GGWash’s endorsement process for the 2020 DC Council elections, we’re running responses to our questionnaire, which was sent to candidates in contested races in Ward 4, Ward 7, Ward 8, and the Democratic at-large seat (we already endorsed Patrick Kennedy in Ward 2).

As always, our endorsements will rest on who we think is most likely to best represent our interests, which include frequent, reliable transportation; accessible, affordable housing; and the land-use policies needed to support and expand both.

Edwards and George responded to our questionnaire; we received no response from Todd.

While both candidates clearly gave thorough responses to our questions, George’s more strongly reflect an ingrained support for issues that are of interest to GGWash and its readers, such as an increased supply of housing tied to anti-displacement practices, and transportation improvements that redistribute space to people on foot, on bikes, and on transit.

The DC primary is June 2. Given the uncertainty of the coronavirus, all voters should request mail-in ballots as soon as possible. You can do this using the iOS or Android apps, which let you sign using your finger; print and then scan/email, fax, or mail a form you can automatically fill or fill by hand; or call 202-727-2525 or email dcabsentee@vote4dc.com to get a request form in the mail.

Edwards’ and George’s unabridged responses are provided below.

1. Do you support building more housing in DC? In particular, do you support the Mayor’s goals to add 36,000 units of housing by 2025? Would you support a more ambitious target than 36,000 new units of housing?

Marlena Edwards: I support building 36,000 units of housing by 2025 as proposed by Mayor Bowser. However, this plan is lofty, because of the time needed for strategic planning, land acquisition and the contracting process that must go into meeting this goal of building this amount of housing. I have been on the Board of Directors for Emory Beacon of Light which built 50 brand new affordable housing units where one must make under $60,000 (sixty-thousand) per year in order to qualify for an affordable housing units which were built in a period of approximately two years. Therefore, the city must partner with groups like Emory Beacon of Light to develop more quality affordable housing. At this stage one of the largest tracts of land to build new affordable housing is at the former St. Elizabeth’s campus in Ward 8 which has close to 100 acres of land on the campus which was formerly owned by the District of Columbia government.

Janeese Lewis George: If properly managed, growth can help us build a more inclusive, just DC. It can help us deliver better services, more efficiently. If growth isn’t accompanied by an adequate policy and zoning framework, it could accelerate displacement, which is already horrifyingly rapid. Our policy solutions have been inadequate and housing costs have far outstripped inflation. Many neighbors have been pushed beyond their means and out of the city. We have an obligation to make sure this city can remain home to all Washingtonians, including those who want to become Washingtonians.

DC’s population is the highest it has been in 45 years, and our population is expected to continue rising. We haven’t kept up with the demand and it has given rise to four housing-related problems: 1) several thousand people who are temporarily persistently without homes, 2) insufficient affordable housing stock available to families making 30% AMI, 3) insufficient affordable workforce housing stock available and 4) insufficient market-rate housing stock available. We need to solve all these problems if we want to be an equitable city.

36,000 new units, 12,000 affordable is a good start, but it isn’t enough. With tens of thousands on the waiting list for subsidized housing, especially at the lowest income levels, we need to build and preserve enough housing to meet those needs, while at the same time allowing for enough market-rate housing construction to keep rents from rising too quickly. We need housing solutions for working families of all kinds, ensuring that city workers, teachers, firefighters, police, nurses, grocery workers, hospitality workers, construction workers, and everyone who works in DC can live here too. My mother is a working-class postal worker, she’s lived here her whole life, and we need housing options for her. None of us, our family members, friends, and colleagues should never be priced out of our city and into hours-long commutes. Those who serve, protect, and teach our community should be able to live in our community. We should be looking at ways we can build more “missing-middle” housing in the city to serve these neighbors, and remove whatever barriers currently are in place that keep that more naturally affordable housing from being built.

Washington is a place in great demand. Our space is one of the most valuable resources we have, so we shouldn’t be giving it away, let alone paying developers to take it. Valuing our city’s land means that developers should meet certain criteria when they propose projects on city-owned land. We should do more to ensure that those projects build deeply-affordable and working-class housing as a percentage of the total homes built. This is the expected cost of doing business for developers.

For a generation, the wealthy neighborhoods have not added their share of new housing. I support Mayor Bowser’s goals of ensuring equitable distribution of new development and affordable housing throughout the city. For far too long, affordable housing has been shoehorned into certain corners of the city. It is largely driven by anti-growth activism in wealthy neighborhoods and by zoning laws/affordable housing programs that reflect poor urban planning practices and values from the 50s. Many parts of the city need to be upzoned to increase density, especially near areas well served by transit, and especially underutilizing spaces like surface parking lots and abandoned buildings. For instance, we should have more density along major corridors like Georgia, Wisconsin, and Connecticut Avenues, and 14th street. DC would benefit greatly from significant development and density around Metro stations throughout the city. That development would create projects which included deeply affordable housing. If we want a more equitable city, that upzoning should be spread throughout the city. If we continue to allow individual neighborhoods to block development or opt-out of upzoning it will exacerbate racial disparity. In Ward 4, we have many opportunities to increase the housing supply without making big changes to our neighborhood’s character, such as making it easier and more affordable for homeowners to rent out their basements or accessory dwelling units, and even combining that with vouchers or another program to increase the number of subsidized homes in our neighborhoods. There are many surface parking lots in prime areas with soaring housing costs. We don’t need to become Manhattan to improve density, achieving Paris’s density levels would be a big step.

Finally, housing production is critical but it won’t solve all our problems. I think it is important that we pair production with strong tenant protection laws and a serious preservation strategy where we identify the affordable homes we have and ensure they don’t fall into disrepair, and that current residents are not displaced and can continue to afford to stay in their neighborhoods. I am a strong proponent of the Reclaim Rent Control campaign and was glad to see Greater Greater Washington sign onto those efforts. I know there is debate about rent control and rent stabilization among urbanists, but the fact is that today these policies are some of our most effective tools to immediately prevent displacement, and we need to make sure to close the loopholes in our rent control laws and make them even stronger and smarter.

2. Do you support increased protections for pedestrians, such as those within the Vision Zero Enhancement Omnibus Amendment Act, which would reduce speed limits, ban right turns on red, and increase investments in sidewalks? What else would you do to increase pedestrian safety?

Marlena Edwards: The Vision Zero Enhancement Omnibus Amendment Act is an excellent, and I agree with many of measures that support increased pedestrian safety that must be looked at based on the needs of specific neighborhood with a large influx of vehicular traffic versus neighborhoods with lower traffic in a park-like setting. The most critical item that rises above all others is first completing projects experiencing high traffic injuries and fatalities, then the second item must be underserved neighborhoods that lack pedestrian safety protections.

Janeese Lewis George: One of the most important values to me and in my campaign is that we must protect the most vulnerable among us. That is true is road design too. Pedestrian and cyclist deaths/injuries are at the highest rates in years. We have to prioritize bicyclist and pedestrian safety as we decide how to allocate road space. How can anyone be against making our streets and community safer for all? Protecting people living in our city, with a goal of zero fatalities should be a goal of all leaders in this city. How is anyone against this?

I used to commute by bike myself until I had a very scary near miss—I was almost struck at high speed. I felt so at-risk after that when I biked in the city that it was hard to re-acclimate to biking to work. In many cities, the infrastructure is so good that it isn’t a harrowing experience to ride to work. We are facing a global environmental crisis brought about in part because of the overreliance on automobiles and yet, we have engineered our streets for their throughput. Bicyclists, transit users, and pedestrians are doing the right thing to get to work in an environmentally responsible way and we should make it easier and safer for them to do the right thing.

Of course I support the goals of Vision Zero and many of the ideas outlined in the Vision Zero Enhancement Omnibus Amendment Act. I just wished the city took them more seriously! I am perplexed by the slowness of DDOT and the administration to act in the best interest of resident safety, or to allow people to shout down safety improvements. I recognize that many Ward 4 residents have concerns about parking, and I’m willing to have those hard conversations. We can’t keep letting parking take precedence over safety.

Our city was designed long before cars were a focus. L’Enfant designed a beautiful city meant to be traversed by foot. We can have a beautiful, vibrant, successful city without being slave to the traffic light.

DDOT’s primary focus should be building and maintaining safe transportation infrastructure for our residents. That does not mean high speed throughways in our neighborhoods and endangering our children and seniors. It means liveable, walkable, safe infrastructure for all regardless of transit medium. DDOT should look at every project through a prism of a safe transportation hierarchy with pedestrians at the top and single occupancy vehicles at the bottom. Every time DDOT repaves a road, protected bike lanes should be installed, and bulbouts built at crosswalks. Developers and construction companies should be held to high standards, with stiff penalties if they don’t provide safe accommodation, or rebuild sidewalks, correctly pave streets, or repaint street markings immediately. Speed limits need to be correctly adjusted to ensure our streets are safe, drivers are held accountable, and the safety laws in this city enforced.

I was almost run down crossing the street while talking to a resident about why it’s taking so long for the city to make his corner safer to take his kids to school. It is our responsibility to ensure our streets are safe for all. For all kids walking to school. For the elderly who have lived here their entire lives and want to make sure they can age in place while still accessing all the wonderful amenities of our city. And for everyone who just wants to go to work and get home safely.

3. Would you support removing on-street parking for dedicated infrastructure, such as bus lanes and bike lanes? If not, why? If so, can you give an example of where you would remove parking for a bus or bike lane?

Marlena Edwards: I would need to first look at a planning study of specific streets where there are plans for bus and or bicycle lanes prior to answering this question. There are areas such as 9th Street, NW or Pennsylvania Avenue, NW where dedicated bicycle lanes and dedicated bus lanes work well. However, I need information directly from the DC Department of Planning and an Impact study to best understand routes appropriate for dedicated bicycle lanes balanced against the need for on -street parking.

Janeese Lewis George: When we are making decisions about how to use road space, we should be thinking about people not vehicles. Our goal shouldn’t be to move cars but to move people as quickly, safely, affordably, efficiently, and environmentally as possible. As our population increases we need to use our road-space more and more efficiently. That’s why I think we should dedicate more of it to bus and bike lanes. On 16th Street, more than 50% of rush-hour travelers commute via buses (3% of vehicles). We should work harder to make sure buses come often, are affordable, move quickly, and aren’t stuck behind inefficient road users like automobiles (which are mostly single-occupancy).

Ward 4 would benefit greatly from dedicated bus lanes and protected bike lanes—perhaps more than any other area in the city. Much of Ward 4 is too far from job centers downtown or in Silver Spring to walk, not quite close enough to a metro station, but a perfect distance to take a bus or ride a bike. We are lucky to be served by some of the busiest bus lines in the city with the 70s, 50s, E and S buses. However, many of those buses are forced to sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic with single occupancy vehicles of commuters coming in from Maryland. Commutes from Ward 4 that should take 20 minutes or less now take 40 minutes or more. That is time we will never get back.

The city needs to start prioritizing people over vehicles. It is clear that individual cars are taking up a disproportionate amount of space on our streets. Dedicated bus lanes are an important tool in rebalancing our streets to better reflect how our community lives, works, and uses our space. Again, I know that removing parking is a legitimate hardship for some Ward 4 residents, and I will always be willing to step into those difficult conversations and lead. But my priority will be safety of pedestrians and bicyclists, encourage more people to bike and take the bus, and make space for our public transit so it can serve more people faster.

We also know that people bike in the city when they are comfortable doing so. Building infrastructure that moves people quickly and safely through the city, while reducing pollution and reducing the exorbitant cost of maintaining roads for commuters passing through seems like an obvious solution to much of our traffic problems.

4. Many developers in DC have gone through the Planned Unit Development process in order to add additional density beyond what is allowed by the zoning code. In exchange, PUDs must provide amenities like affordable housing or improved public space. But PUDs also take a long time and are subject to lawsuits, which ultimately makes the housing that they do deliver more expensive than it could be. How, if at all, would you improve this process?

Marlena Edwards: Developers need to stay within the zoning code regulations and must show from the beginning of their blueprint process how they intend to incorporated affordable housing into existing new development plans versus not fulfilling promises to provide an acceptable percentage of affordable or sliding scale rental options.

Janeese Lewis George: Planned Unit Developments are not only a useful tool to bring more and more affordable housing across the city, they also give the community a direct seat at the table with the developer to negotiate what other infrastructure or community benefits can be funded through the process. The fact that so many PUDs have been challenged legally, and that so few new PUDs are being put together by developers, is a real loss to our city and neighborhoods. I understand why some neighbors have decided to sue over PUDs—they don’t trust the development system, feel powerless in the process, and feel they are getting the short end of the deal. However, undeniably the wave of PUD suits and appeals has created a backlog of new units and new affordable units in a time where housing affordability in DC is a crisis.

Ultimately, we need more truly affordable homes, we need more homes in general, AND we need development processes that both neighbors and residents trust, understand and feel are transparent. It’s become clear the PUD process is not trusted by many neighbors or developers right now, and with that standstill we are losing out on hundreds of critical housing units.

I’m open to ways to fix the PUD process so that it guarantees more affordable housing, continues to give communities a say in what other community benefits come as part of the new development, and ensures that our zoning and legal authorities are clear and transparent so each project isn’t mired in challenges for years. However, if PUDs have become too toxic for now, it also makes sense to me to create new development processes that allow for similar benefits and are more trusted and reliable. For example, in Arlington when a developer wants to build a building that is bigger than what is currently allowed under zoning and land-use law, there are very clear and strict rules they have to meet in order to get that zoning flexibility. These rules require a big emphasis on affordable housing, and are clear for everyone to see and understand. I think a system like that is beneficial, and would be interested in something like that in DC.

In the end, we need to ensure we have a multitude of zoning, finance and regulatory tools to help the city build more homes and truly affordable homes. And we must speak out strongly against those who would abuse our tools, developers and neighbors alike. As Ward 4’s only Fair Elections candidate, I’m not beholden to large corporate donors. I work for the people of Ward 4, not well-connected insiders. I can be trusted to lead these discussions, raise up those doing good work, and call out bad actors in the development community. I also have the vision necessary to push back against neighbors who simply are opposing projects because they don’t want “those people” living near them, or who want to shut new projects down for fear of increased traffic. I will be the strong leader Ward 4 needs to navigate these hard questions and ensure the city grows equitably and our processes are trusted.

5. Councilmember Charles Allen recently proposed that DC provide most residents with up to $100 per month on their SmarTrip cards. Should you serve on the council, it’s likely that you’ll have the chance to vote on this legislation. Would you support it? If not, why not? What changes would you make to the bill?

Marlena Edwards: I would support providing resident with up to $100 per month on their Smart Trip cards as a way of promoting usage of public transportation and in order to give residents who have difficulty affording public transportation the ability to travel for employment or other related task that promoted self-sufficiency and improve their quality of life.

Janeese Lewis George: As a DC Councilmember, I will do everything I can to make sure we have a world-class transit system that serves the needs of Washingtonians, including frequent trains on Metro, and regular, frequent, predictable bus service seven days a week. A part of that vision absolutely should be making public transit affordable, and free if possible, to DC residents, thus I applaud the goals of this bill. That it wouldn’t be free for residents from states who under-contribute nor tourists is a clever wrinkle to this approach. If we can find a way to sustainably ensure no DC resident ever has to skip taking a bus or train because of the cost, I’m for that. The few specific concerns I have for this bill have to do with the sustainability of its funding, and we need to ensure it is implemented well. I’ve heard from many Ward 4 residents about the challenges of how our Kids Ride Free Program has been implemented, and want to ensure we learn from those missteps. I also am worried about tying the funding for this bill to future DC revenue increases (and I was worried about this before the pandemic negatively impacted our revenue), and would be in favor of finding a different funding mechanism, perhaps one that helps further encourage a transportation system that priorities public transit over auto-centric mobility.

Another cost-barrier residents face is the transfer penalty, where riders have to pay for the transfer between bus and rail. This affects hundreds of Ward 4 residents who combine bus and rail to get to work, school, church, etc. We need to find ways to work with Metro to remove this penalty, to increase our bus services, reverse the cuts, and restore late-night service.

6. The DC housing market’s growth has been uneven and particularly concentrated in certain neighborhoods. Do you support the mayor’s goal to set production targets in each area of the city to evenly disperse new housing?

Marlena Edwards: No, there are areas of the city which are already overly dense with a population. I cannot support setting production targets in each area of the city without seeing the types of housing that already exist in each area of the city. There must be varied types of housing at different price points in each area of our city. However, I do not support knocking down houses, or commercial business strips in favor of building condominiums or apartment that do not offer or minimally offer affordable housing units within these new upscale complexes.

Janeese Lewis George: It is an imperative that the city equitably distribute housing development throughout the city. Some neighborhoods have effectively walled themselves off from new residents and blocked affordable and market-rate home creation through a combination of selfish activism and exclusionary zoning laws. Each neighborhood in DC and in Ward 4 needs to find ways to make room for new neighbors, and especially for new affordable homes. We need to focus especially around Metro stations and core transit corridors. Affordable housing, market rate housing, and working class affordable housing all need to exist everywhere in the city. Ensuring that all kinds of people can live all throughout the city should be a priority of any conversation about development.

7. Would you encourage growth along transit corridors, such as Georgia Avenue? If not, where would you prefer?

Marlena Edwards: Georgia Avenue is long overdue for a redevelopment and I propose revisiting the original gateway schematic renderings as a guideline for new mixed development while incorporating existing storefront built in the 1944’s comparable to how Georgetown or Palisades mixes old and new business structures.

Janeese Lewis George: Yes. This is another no-brainer for me. Georgia Avenue is ripe for development and density. We need to encourage growth and development along all our major corridors and around Metro stations. Upzoning Georgia Ave, decreasing bus headways, and expanding the bus lane the length of the avenue would connect downtown, new development at Walter Reed, Takoma Park, and Silver spring with a long, vibrant stretch of housing, retail, and commercial the entire length of Ward 4. There are way too many single and 2-story buildings on this major thoroughfare. Increasing density would improve the case for transit, help make local businesses more sustainable, and help manage housing costs and limit displacement. We should also make sure that there are protections in place for local businesses so that their rents don’t skyrocket and displace them after they make it through the tough years.

8. Much of DC’s public housing is in disrepair. However, renovating or redeveloping this housing has historically meant disrupting the lives of its residents, if not outright displacing them. What, if anything, would you change about DC, and DCHA’s, redevelopment plans?

Marlena Edwards: One of the most humane and sensible approaches to redevelopment was demonstrated by the Cafritz complex on South Dakota Avenue where a brand new apartment building was first built, then residents of older adjacent buildings were relocated to the new apartment building so that their lives were not disrupted and tenants were not displaced.

Janeese Lewis George: For decades, federal funding for public housing has declined, and while that might be outside our direct control it does not excuse the terrible conditions residents of many DC public housing communities face. For far too long, our city leaders have ignored the repairs needed and now we are left with this immense backlog to solve for.

At the same time, when DC has begun to redevelop and repair public housing in the District, the government has not always lived up to its promises and has directly and indirectly displaced residents they promised would have homes. Currently many resident face redevelopment and hit history leaves them deeply skeptical about the upcoming plans to replace, repair or redevelop their homes, and I get that. Their skepticism is absolutely warranted.

The anti-displacement goals and policies set by our redevelopment agencies are right, and we need DC councilmembers to provide tough oversight and enforce them. We should be using build-first plans in every public housing redevelopment, and ensure residents can stay onsight during the redevelopment process as much as possible. Not only must we replace our public housing stock 1-for-1, but we need to expand the number of deeply affordable homes DC builds and supports—plans for each public housing redevelopment should start with that goal in mind.

Finally, if DC Council truly believes in protecting against displacement, it must appropriately fund these efforts. I applauded the efforts of the Council last year to redirect funds from the Events DC budget to fund these urgent repairs, and will continue to look for solutions like that.

9. In October 2019, the District closed Georgia Avenue to cars for an inaugural open-streets event. Do you think the District should hold more events like this? Further, should the city take steps to reduce the speed of traffic on Georgia Avenue or take other steps to reduce the number of cars on Georgia Avenue?

Marlena Edwards: I have no issue with the District of Columbia closing Georgia Avenue periodically on a weekend with advanced notice for the “Open Street or other events such as the Caribbean Festival which should be returned to Georgia Avenue. The District has already put traffic calming measures in place such as reducing lanes which has slowed the speed of traffic. There is break in subway line between the Petworth Metro Station which is not directly connected to the Takoma Metro Station. The Georgia Avenue, Petworth Green line Metro Station ends at Georgia Avenue and New Hampshire, then a bus must be utilized to travel north on Georgia Avenue. Due to the break in subway connections along the Georgia Avenue corridor, I do not see the ability to reduce the number of cars on Georgia Avenue unless a trolley line is developed to travel along Georgia Avenue beginning north at Eastern Avenue and South into our downtown area of 7th Street to the SW Waterfront. If a trolley is developed, then it is my recommendation that a gas powered trolley be utilized due to the expense of installing electrical lines and strict ordinances in the District prohibiting electric trolley lines in certain areas of our city.

Janeese Lewis George: Open Streets DC was so much fun for everyone. As I walked the length of the event, I saw so many happy faces. Seniors were dancing, kids were playing, parents were thrilled, and people of all ages were having fun, connecting, and learning. Neighbors were greeting neighbors. Shops were open. People were out and enjoying our city space. Open Streets was an important reminder that one of the most valuable resources our city has is space. We can use that space however we want. We can make it about the people who live here. Or we can make it about the people who drive through here. I think there are opportunities to do more events like this, and I am interested in seeking out places we can permanently open up to people the way Madison, WI has on State Street, San Francisco has on Market Street, New York has in Times Square and 14th Street. I have talked to thousands of Washingtonians during my campaign and one message is clear from almost every demographic: they love this city and they hate traffic. If we can get people out of cars, reduce traffic, make the city safer, and increase the use and enjoyment of our most precious resource of space, we should consider all possible options.

10. Residents of historic districts, like Takoma Park, often take pride in preserving their neighborhoods, but historic preservation regulations as they are written can make it difficult to build more housing. Do you support new housing development in historic districts? If so, in what form?

Marlena Edwards: Residents of historic districts like Takoma Park move there because they desire to live in the city, but in an area that has an urban feel. I have personally worked with these residents and they are not keen on extreme density or development that does not fit within the character of their neighborhood. There has been the development of the Gables, the Willow and a few other apartment buildings in Takoma DC which have turned out well.

It is my belief that there have been plans to build houses on the Takoma Metro’s flat parking lot next to the subway station. The constituents of Takoma DC do not want the Takoma Metro’s parking lot developed therefore, I will support my constituents who do not want housing at this site.

Janeese Lewis George: Yes. Takoma Park is a beautiful neighborhood, with gorgeous homes, and will soon have a beautiful, newly-renovated Coolidge High School. I understand why residents there want to do everything they can to maintain the look of their buildings and streets. However, there are pressing District-wide issues around housing and transportation that historic neighborhoods can’t simply opt out of. They must do their part too. Does that mean Takoma has to look and feel like the area around the Petworth Metro station? Of course not. These are the kind of tough policy and personal questions I am ready to lead on in Ward 4. We can find ways to include more homes and more affordable homes in historic districts like Takoma Park: promoting accessory dwelling units, building additional homes near Metro stations and on main bus corridors, increasing funding for the low-income rent subsidy voucher program, among others. If historic preservation protections get in the way of some of these ideas, we should absolutely consider making adjustments. But we should do so in a way that ensures our historic preservation laws are not gutted. We also need to increase funds available to lower-income homeowners in historic districts to make the necessary repairs they need to conform with the historic district regulations.

This article was updated on April, 28, 2020: After we published Edwards’ and Lewis George’s responses to our questionnaire, Councilmember Brandon Todd’s campaign reached out to us to ask if we would publish his responses if they were submitted. Because questionnaire responses are one of the key ways in which our readers can understand where their elected representatives stand on issues that we, and they, care about, GGWash’s elections committee felt that it would be valuable to run Todd’s responses as an update to this post.

We emailed questionnaires to campaigns on March 3. Questionnaires were due back to us on March 24; we published this post on April 15. On April 16, Todd’s campaign asked if we would publish the councilmember’s responses and said that he could submit them later that evening. We received CM Todd’s responses on April 22.

His responses are below.

1. Do you support building more housing in DC? In particular do you support the Mayor’s goals to add 36,000 units of housing by 2025? Would you support a more ambitious target than 36,000 new units of housing?

I absolutely support building more housing to include affordable housing in the District and the Mayor’s goals to add 36,000 units of housing by 2025. The city benefits from all levels of housing to support all levels of workers. We need an inclusive housing supply to reflect our diverse and inclusive city. It’s difficult to do and it is a complex subject, but we must continue to leverage government dollars to provide the most in affordable housing. Is it enough? No, because the demand is still there. However, 36,000 units by 2025 is ambitious with more units to be delivered in this time frame than in the past.

I’ve supported annual investments of at least $100 million in the Housing Production Trust Fund, which has funded the completion of more than 1,000 units of affordable housing, during my time on the Council. I introduced the Homestead Exemption Amendment Act of 2019, which would provide real dollars to every District homeowner. As Ward 4 councilmember, I will continue to focus on affordable housing planning and development. There is interest from many organizations, including non-profits and private entities, seeking to help with this goal. Together, we can meet the 2025 goal and not stop there. What we learn in this process will drive future plans for additional housing to meet the District’s demands.

I am on the record for supporting critical protections for pedestrians and am in full support of the Vision Zero omnibus bill. The current environment is a perfect example of what will happen if we don’t implement policies and legislation that mandate safety above speed and support the city’s ability to enforce those laws. With fewer cars on the road, due to the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, people in vehicles are speeding posing a threat to pedestrians and bicyclists.

There is so much more we as a city can, and must do to make safety a top priority. Education on public policy and implementation is equally important. That is why I introduced expanding DMV rules to include educating drivers on how to drive near bicyclists. I support DDOT moving forward on projects that invest in infrastructure that will protect our most vulnerable, such as our seniors and others that need to feel safe as they navigate their daily routines.

I believe transportation and housing work in tandem. If we are building new housing, we should also look at accessibility beyond everyone owning a car. With the city’s growth trajectory at over one million people by 2030, it isn’t reasonable to think everyone could traverse by automobile. This means high-visibility crosswalks at all intersections, restricting speed limits across the city and putting in traffic calming measures. I believe DDOT should continue its efforts to create across-the-board safety improvements and move projects forward.

Last year, DDOT restricted right turn on red at 150 intersections across the District. I believe we should limit right turns on red city-wide to improve safety for cyclists, and pedestrians.

3. Would you support removing on-street parking for dedicated infrastructure, such as bus lanes and bike lanes, If not, why not? If yes, can you give an example of where you would remove parking for a bus or bike lane?

The city has installed over 89 miles of bike lanes over the past two decades with an additional planned 20 miles of protected bike lanes by 2023. More often than not, parking is not removed but reallocated or realigned outside the protected lane. I believe we can continue to enact policies to support protected infrastructure that will provide safe travel environments for pedestrians and bicyclists balanced with other needs. I am encouraged by the success DDOT is seeing with priority bus lanes such as those in the downtown. Dedicated bus lanes encourage more bus commuting through better efficiency and reliability, decrease automobile traffic and improve job accessibility. Ward 4 has been looking at Georgia Avenue and New Hampshire Avenue as potential high-traffic corridors where bus-priority lanes would be extremely effective. I’ve convened a Ward 4 Advisory committee that focuses on Transportation and Environment matters.

4. Many developers in DC have gone through the Planned Unit Development process in order to add additional density beyond what is allowed by the zoning code. In exchange, PUDs must provide amenities like affordable housing or improved public space. But, PUDs also must take a long time and are subject to lawsuits, which ultimately makes the housing that they do deliver more expensive than it could be. How, if at all, would you improve this process?

First, I am a huge supporter of the PUD process as it allows the community to play an important role in neighborhood developments. As with any process there’s always room for improvement. I believe the work being done to update the Comprehensive Plan will be a critical step in helping to address barriers clogging the current PUD process. There has been unprecedented public engagement to make substantive changes that bring the existing plan into alignment with current pressures facing the District. Last year, the Council approved the Framework element of the Plan that would help elevate the importance of affordable housing and prioritize PUD’s that increase planned housing numbers. More importantly, the amendments support a “right to

return” for existing residents, which is hugely important in ensuring neighbors aren’t pushed out of housing and unable to return for one reason or another,I also support a build first model which doubles down on our commitment to ensuring neighbors have access to high quality housing. I want to ensure that in addition to adding to our affordable housing stock, District residents are also able to remain in their communities, as well as take advantage of the benefits of new growth and opportunities throughout the city.

We can also be sure that the expected road to economic recovery ahead of us is uncertain. But this is all the more reason a robust and relevant Comprehensive Plan is so important to serve as a critical anchor to keep us from losing sight of our affordable housing plans and goals. I am hopeful that the Executive will send the Comprehensive plan to the Council prior to us going on recess, and that we approve it before years end.

I am a co-introducer of the bill to subsidize SmartTrip cards for DC residents. As the Ward 4 councilmember, identifying ways to ease traffic and get fewer cars off the street and increase mobility for those in low-transportation areas of the city is of great importance. I also believe that more Washiontonians will use public transit if we subsidize it. In addition to this bill, I am proud to note that I’ve introduced similar legislation to eliminate fares and expand service for the DC Circulator.

Affordable housing distribution in the District is inequitable, due in large measure to the ongoing effects of historic racial and socioeconomic disparities. The mayor’s strategy offers a smart path toward ensuring that the entire city contributes toward our goal of universal affordable housing. Spreading the supply across the city results in benefits for all residents.

7. Would you encourage growth along transit corridors, such as Georgia Avenue? If not, where would you prefer?

Yes, Not only would I encourage this, but, over my Council tenure, I have done so. Our work to re-develop Walter Reed in a mixed-use manner that both stimulates economic development, while ensuring that all residents benefit from such stimulus, provides not only retail business opportunities, but affordable housing set asides, as well. We will re-develop 79 acres of housing retail, medical and research uses. Spurring additional economic opportunity along upper Georgia Avenue.

DCHA houses 53,000 or 13% of District residents through a combination of vouchers and traditional public housing. Eighty-four % of the residents earn 0-30% of the Area Median Income and 47% of all residents are seniors or children. The federal government has decreased its financial support to public housing authorities across the country by 2% each year for the past 20 years, allowing for only minimal repairs and maintenance, resulting in rapid deterioration of properties.

Last year, DCHA announced their “Transformation Plan” to stage the revitalization of its entire housing stock over the course of two decades, in multiple phases to protect, preserve and produce affordable housing units. The majority of buildings were built before 1960 and have long past their useful lives. Phase 1 revitalizes 14 properties that are extremely urgent and I have supported budgets that have dedicated funding specifically for this effort. In the FY2019 supplemental budget, the DC Council allocated $24.9M to DCHA’s Rehabilitation and Maintenance fund as an additional measure to protect and preserve affordable housing.

Redevelopment is always challenging, but I am encouraged by DCHA’s commitment to best practices such as build first, right of return and one-for-one unit replacement. These practices have been nationally shown to minimize displacement.

That was a wonderful day for not just Ward 4, but the District. There were families and people stopping to talk with one another and just enjoy all the activities of the day. It allowed so many residents to see the District from a new perspective. I was encouraged to witness residents from different parts of the Ward strengthen their bond as neighbors. We joined cities across the world to activate Georgia Avenue. These events are held in other cities like Philadelphia and San Francisco several times a year and something that we’ve explored as part of my role as Chairman of the Large Cities Council of the National League of Cities. It would be amazing to do more, and I am looking forward to working with DDOT to activate another Open Streets event later this year.

Georgia Avenue carries upwards of 24,000 vehicles a day. It is currently what it was designed to be—a major commuter route. But it is also a Ward 4 Main Street, where our businesses are and where people walk, ride bikes and take family strolls every day. It’s where we greet each other at the grocery store, barber shops and restaurants. Soon, Walter Reed will welcome residents along with business owners bringing more activity along the corridor. Given our population growth estimates, we must find a balance to ensure we can traverse our streets—both residential and main streets—safely. I will continue to work with DDOT to identify opportunities for bus priority routes, Hawk signals, reduced speeds, highly visible crosswalks and other means where we can decrease the speed of automobiles and reduce the number of cars on District roadways.

I fought for funding and the addition of the 14th Street Express bus to accommodate the increased residential and commercial development along that corridor. I am proud of critical investments in more efficient bus service.

We will continue looking at future growth with an eye on development, transportation, sustainability and resiliency planning.

This is a challenging balancing act. I understand the need to preserve the aesthetics and character of neighborhoods. Residents take great pride in the long legacies of their communities, which serve as living history lessons, and symbols of a past for which we take great pride. As a life-long Washingtonian, I uniquely understand the importance of our history as a city.

At the same time, one of my greatest priorities is to drive toward equitable affordable housing. Because of lack of density, historic districts often tend to raise the cost of housing, which is a challenge. But given the city’s housing shortage, we must maximize our available space to increase our housing stock, and more importantly our affordable housing stock. We must be creative in our approach to strike that balance and meet our affordable housing goals as a community.