Fall leaves have lingered on trees much later than normal this year, leading to slippery conditions all over the city. Metro once again had to place speed restrictions on all trains passing through above-ground stations over the weekend, and we spotted more than a few people stepping carefully through wet and leaf-covered sidewalks this morning after last night's storm. Seems like a good time to remind everyone how fall leaf collection works in the District.... more ›

After reporting last week on a slew of misaligned walk signs plaguing the city, we couldn't stop spotting them everywhere. At Florida Ave. and R St., NW, and Pennsylvania Ave. and 8th St., SE, all eight pedestrian signals were pointing away from oncoming foot traffic -- surely a dangerous state of affairs. While we originally speculated strong winds were responsible, several readers tipped us off on the most likely culprits: construction and delivery trucks. After... more ›

Our friends over at OffSeventh are, if you pardon the expression, losing their shit over some pet owners' inability to pick up after their pooches. They're up in arms over a monumental amount of dog waste occupying a strip of sidewalk on 9th Street. The city is littered with signs warning people to curb their dogs, or face a weighty ticket. Yet it's clear that a few dog walkers still aren't scooping the poop.... more ›

Photo by Joshua Davis, used under a Creative Commons license. more ›

Good morning, Washington. In case last week's single-tracking of the Blue Line wasn't enough, it looks like there will be more Metrorail delays this weekend. WMATA's website tells us that Red, Blue and Green Line riders should expect delays starting Friday night and going through Sunday at midnight. Though it's a pain for those of us still in town, better they do this when most folks are out of the District as opposed to, say,... more ›

Being a pedestrian city, DC has its share of pedestrian accidents, with about 3,000 hit a year. The city has been trying to make sure it's safe to walk, in part by installing 1,300 pedestrian countdown signals and starting a pedestrian safety program. However, some of those countdown signals seem to be malfunctioning. A few months ago, I was walking at 16th and U when the countdown signal seemed to skip from about 15 to... more ›

As we reported on Friday, the Moms on the Hill (or MoTHs, whose activities we are documenting at Ionarts) and their friends continue their efforts to get the money and donated items they have collected thus far to the people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. News reports on WTOP last night speculated that perhaps no evacuees were coming to Washington, but today we have learned (as reported in the Post) that 400 evacuees will arrive today by airplane from Arkansas, where the government, already overwhelmed, asked the District government for help. The buses that were sent down are still planning to fill up with anyone who wants to evacuate Louisiana and come to Washington, which means that the District may eventually be hosting more than 1,000 evacuees. Churches and private citizens have offered long-term help for those arriving, spare the initial relief they will be granted in the D.C. Armory. more ›

This will be a much-needed weekend of rest for D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams. Beyond the usual daily toil of making sure the city doesn't descend into a state of uncontrollable anarchy, Mayor Williams took to the streets this week to engage in a little old-fashioned manual labor. On Tuesday Williams donned protective attire and sprayed away graffiti in Dupont Circle, part of his response to the millionth call the Mayor's Citywide Call Center has received... more ›

While D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams touted the success of his government reform initiatives by celebrating the millionth caller to the Citywide Call Center yesterday, he was similarly forced to acknowledge failure in a simmering, city-wide health crisis. more ›