Photo by Joe Danielewicz DDOT is tweaking the bike lanes currently being installed between the White House and the Capitol on Pennsylvania Ave. DCist reported the first public glimpse of the plans in March. While the majority of the plans remain intact, there are some small but significant changes. The median area where cyclists travel has been moved more toward the center rather than on the outside of the median. In most places, cyclists…

Friday is National Bike to Work Day, and if you’re dusting off that old Schwinn for the trip, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association wants to help. WABA will be providing 35 pit stops along many routes tomorrow morning, where Bike to Workers can charge up with food and drinks, catch a breather or meet other cyclists. Consult the list for the stop most convenient to you, but the three stops inside D.C. include: Freedom Plaza…

Photo by FrogMiller In a city that can at times feel like it’s in perpetual lockdown, one government building remained fairly accessible to the public: the United States Supreme Court. That changes tomorrow though, when the building’s iconic front entrance closes to visitors. The reason? Security, of course. School groups, lawyers and anyone interested in watching arguments will be directed to a central screening facility to the side and below the main steps. The…

When TV mega star Oprah Winfrey isn’t dishing with Rielle Hunter on the private lives of former presidential candidates, she has something else on her mind: text messaging. Specifically, she’s waging her own one-woman (albeit with a pretty power megaphone) campaign to stop drivers from texting and using cell phones while driving. And she wants more people to sign up for her “No Phone Zone” pledge. The national event Friday found a local angle…

Photo by ianseanlivingston Feel passionately about how the District handled the record breaking snowfall this winter? Well, the D.C. Dept. of Transportation is inviting folks to provide feedback on their efforts in an online chat with Director Gabe Klein Friday afternoon. DDOT holds online forums on a variety of topics, but this will be the first one reviewing the winter storms. Spokesperson John Lisle said DDOT has been reviewing various aspects of the city’s…

Photo by thisisbossi Meeting Tuesday in Virgina, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty (D), Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) and Md. Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) pledged to work together on ways to strengthen safety on the region’s embattled Metrorail system. The trio want to work collectively through a standing oversight committee that would have more executive authority, monthly reviews and reporting requirements, according to a joint statement. They’re also pursuing a longer-term strategy to create a…

Photo by Mr. T in DC WMATA announced Thursday that Metro’s board of directors is at last backing a plan to let SmarTrip card holders access their account information online. The board gave preliminary approval to the concept at its regular meeting this week. Currently, users can register their cards online in order to replace a lost card without losing the card’s value (minus a $5 fee). If the plan is approved by WMATA’s…

With news that a cyclist was struck and injured by the driver of a news van on Sherman Ave. near Euclid St. NW this morning, nearby residents may be interested in plans being put forward by the District Department of Transportation to redesign the streetscape along Sherman between Park Rd. and Florida Ave. A public meeting to solicit final input to the proposed changes has been set for next Thursday. DDOT wants input as…

National Cherry Blossom Festival mascot “Paddles the Beaver” surely wants tourists to leave lots of money behind this year. Photo by Joe Danielewicz When the National Cherry Blossom Festival starts Saturday, the tourists who come to see the trees will leave behind an estimated $126 million in the D.C. metro region over the course of the event, according to a George Mason University study released Thursday. The District itself hauls in about $82 million…

Metro has purchased 26 new mobile emergency response vehicles. Image courtesy WMATA. WMATA has purchased 26 new light-weight, battery operated carts to help ferry first responders to subway accidents and evacuate passengers from danger. The transit agency unveiled the vehicles on Wednesday. The mobile emergency response vehicles (MERVs) move along the rail tracks, are powered by an electric motor and can be assembled quickly by emergency crews. Their big advantage is speed: Metro says…