Downtowner DC May 1, 2019
By • May 7, 2019 0 513
BIKING ADVOCATE KILLED BY STOLEN VAN
Longtime D.C. bike advocate Dave Salovesh, 54, was hit and killed late last month by the driver of a stolen van in Northeast D.C.’s Trinidad neighborhood. Robert Earl Little Jr., 25, was charged with second-degree murder and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. An IT professional, Salovesh often wrote about the need for protected bike lanes, called for more investment in cycling infrastructure and spoke about wishing his teenage daughter had the freedom to bike to school safely.
STUDENTS OBJECT TO CAMPUS DOG WALKING, JOGGING
Recent neighborhood arrivals (aka gentrifiers) are disrespecting Howard University, particularly historic cultural hub “The Yard,” say students. Of late, the campus is attracting dog walkers and joggers. The Washington Informer reported that students, noticing things like pets doing their business on fraternity trees, are using social media to voice their objections, likely connected to the larger issue of cultural and physical displacement.
PROPOSAL FOR K ST REDESIGN UNVEILED
Hoping for changes along a busy stretch of K Street, between 12th and 21st Streets NW, Mayor Bowser unveiled a proposal for a complete redesign, creating a dedicated bus lane. The plan would increase the speed of buses, currently 3 to 5 mph, by about 30 percent. But it comes with a price: service roads and most (perhaps all) of the metered parking would be eliminated. Almost 30,000 vehicles and 40,000 bus passengers travel through those 10 blocks daily.
MAYOR CELEBRATES 100TH SOLAR WORKS DC INSTALLATION
In a post-Earth Day celebration, Mayor Muriel Bowser recognized the 100th installation under Solar Works DC, a clean-energy program for low-to-moderate- income residents that installs solar panels on homes. The mayor, whose fiscal 2020 budget includes more than $1 million for the program, also released a citywide plan called Sustainable DC 2.0 that details strategies for being the healthiest, greenest, most livable city in the nation.
Mayor Bowser marked the 100th installation of a Solar Works DC panel.
D.C.-BALTIMORE REGION GETS F ON OZONE TEST
The D.C.-Baltimore region is the 16th most ozone-polluted city in the country according to the annual “State of the Air” report, released by the American Lung Association. The region got an F on the ozone test. In the three-year period from 2015 through 2017, the District had 14 high-ozone days.
GREEK DELI REOPENS AFTER BATHROOM ISSUE
Greek Deli, the popular, decades-old lunch spot at 1120 19th St. NW, reopened on April 24 after being temporarily closed by DC Health, apparently because the deli lacks a restroom. Owner Kostas Fostieris had been using bathrooms in the adjacent building for years, always getting business licenses and passing health inspections. The store isn’t required to have a restroom for customers, but has to have one within 500 feet for employees. A resolution is in progress.
The Greek Deli was temporarily closed due to a bathroom issue.
