Pull out the seersucker suits and floral frocks, D.C:. Spring is almost on. Today’s weather will be more pleasant than yesterday’s, but we’re keeping our eyes on the prize. Tomorrow the equinox marks the official start of Spring and here at DCist headquarters we’re already preparing for a season sans boots, scarves and Snowpocalypses… Oh my!
Metro Sued Over Pedestrian Deaths: The husband of one of the women killed by a Metro bus on Feb. 14 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the transit agency. Martha Stringer Schoenborn and her friend Sally Dean McGhee were struck by a bus as they crossed Pennsylvania Ave. The driver involved in the accident was fired last week and charged with negligent homicide. Charging documents say the women were in the crosswalk and had the right of way when the bus driver turned left without looking. The civil suit filed yesterday seeks $100 million in damages from the driver as well as Metro, claiming individual and agency-wide wrongdoing.
Freeway Fans Cry “Foul” at Fenty: The Whitehurst Freeway has always seemed a bit strange hovering over Georgetown with its hidden eastbound entrances and tricky bypass of K St. Now Whitehurst supporters are up in arms because Mayor Fenty has authorized a study on demolishing the roadway. The idea of dismantling the Whitehurst first gained ground in 2005 when the D.C. Dept. of Transportation considered several strategies for removing the span, which looms over blocks of high-end Georgetown real estate. Users of the freeway, as well as opponents of a plan to divert traffic along a widened K St., were assured by then-candidate Fenty that demolition would be “ridiculous”, but his administration is now going forward with a $900,000 study to look at the environmental impact of such a plan.
Briefly Noted: Man killed in multi-vehicle beltway accident early this morning… MoCo lawmakers considering banishing trans fats from the county… Police seek help in curbing Prince George’s County new crime wave… Audit finds lots of suspicious expenses while investigating Smithsonian secretary…
This Day in DCist: Last year we said “hello” to the Circulator. In 2005 we pondered the subtleties of celebrities and global banking.
Photo by Flickr user Terecico.
