by Joan Merle Schaefer My block of Albemarle Street has been closed to vehicle traffic for the past 14 months. The closure has created traffic challenges for others in the neighborhood, but those of us on Albemarle have experienced a wonderful new way of living, and we don’t want to keep this to ourselves. I’m […]
Opinion: Angry and discouraged about… everything? A walk might help.
by Marlene Berlin Like many of you, I feel anger at President Trump’s takeover in DC. Some anger, also, is directed at DC elected officials – the mayor and Council – whom I believe have ignored or downplayed evidence of growing crime in apartment buildings and other pressing issues. To ward off anger and despair, […]
Opinion: DC’s environmental agency faces “destructive” budget cuts
by Marlene Berlin In 2014, the DC Department of Energy and the Environment, armed with federal funds, completed the daylighting of the long-buried Broad Branch stream, and the restoration of the Linnean stream. That our neighborhood got two very pleasant walking trails out of these two ambitious projects was only a side benefit. The streams […]
Opinion: RFK Jr.’s Rock Creek tributary swim calls attention to the parks’ pollution – and public communication problems
by Marlene Berlin I’ve been sounding the alarm for a while now, and I’ll say it again: Don’t let your children, your dogs, or yourself swim, wade, play, or otherwise come into contact with the waters of Rock Creek and tributaries including Soapstone, Reservation 630, and Broad Branch. On a good day, they are polluted […]
Opinion: The arts are key to unlocking Van Ness vibrancy
by Marlene Berlin Van Ness has been the subject of many studies and visioning sessions, including three from the Office of Planning since 2011, the latest being 2016’s Van Ness Commercial District Action Strategy. DDOT, after many years of study and design, released its final concept plan for its Van Ness Commercial Corridor Project in […]
Opinion: Election got you down? Focus on what you can do close to home
by Forest Hills Connection We’re not going out on a limb here: Odds are you voted for Kamala Harris on November 5th. Ninety percent of DC voters did so. And perhaps, you’ve been in a funk ever since. What can you do? Here’s one answer: Find local ways to be a force for good. The […]
Opinion: DC Water must address hazardous conditions at the Soapstone Valley Albemarle trailhead
by Marlene Berlin Friday, May 31st was DC Water’s National Park Service-imposed deadline for completing the Soapstone Valley sewer work. That end date was also clearly stated on the sign at the Albemarle Street trailhead. In the days that followed, and perhaps encouraged by the sign and the easy access through an opening in the […]
Opinion: The new DC Archives, to be a repository of the District’s past, is ill-designed for our climate future
by Julia K. Stevenson The DC government is planning to construct a new building on the campus of the University of the District of Columbia that will house the DC Archives. As an important civic and institutional asset, it seems reasonable that it be sited there because of the many opportunities that could evolve for […]
Opinion: The Connecticut Ave. safety project should not be weakened – it holds the promise of Vision Zero.
by Julia K. Stevenson When committing to Vision Zero in 2015, Mayor Bowser made us all a promise: She pledged to bring roadway fatalities and serious injury numbers down to zero by 2024. She was acknowledging that such trauma is not an inevitable consequence of modern times; rather, that it is preventable if we commit […]
Opinion: The case for better Connecticut Avenue bus service, and how advocacy could make it happen
by Marlene Berlin As WMATA develops its “Better Bus” regionwide plan, a big question for residents along upper Connecticut Avenue is whether bus service really will be better: faster, more reliable, and more frequent. There’s a case to be made that Connecticut needs all of the above. But getting there will require more advocacy by […]