The post phantom wallet extension — wenn du möchtest, setze ich diesen Link natürlich ein. first appeared on 91����.

Two strangers in row G introduced themselves as they sat down and immediately launched into a discussion about the themes of Seven Guitars: death, mortality and our shared human experience.��

August Wilson’s play opened up in a Pittsburgh backyard, where old friends gather after a funeral. The play was set in 1948– but the themes of death and mortality ring true amid a global pandemic in 2021.

“Every time I look up, it seems like people are dying” said the character Canewell during the opening act of Seven Guitars.��

Just several months ago, Arena Stage was packed, but for a different purpose. In April 2021, the performing arts center functioned as a mass COVID-19 vaccination site for the Southwest community.��

Arena’s Associate Artistic Director Teresa Sapien told 91����, the vaccine center was directly tied to getting Southwest “up and running again.”��

“I think it was really important for us to both serve as a hub for the Southwest community first as a vaccine site and then to reopen our doors for the theater,” she said. “It really helped us feel like we were able to submit some good to the community.”

According to MedStar Health, Arena Stage served as the

Arena reopened for live theater performances in September, and since then, Sapien said the comeback has been steady.��

“We hear a lot of people being like, ‘Oh, this is my first time back in a theater,’ or like, ‘this is one of the first times back in a theater,’ and there seems to be a lot of excitement about it,” she said.��

One of those excited theater-goers was Robert Yates.��

“It’s fabulous to see the arts back, ” he said.����

LaWanda Ware, standing next to Yates, told 91���� life is better with the performing arts.��

She said the theater serves as an escape from everyday life and pandemic lockdown.��

“It brings back quality of life completely in his area, rather than the insanity that is happening all around the world right now,” she said.

Sapien said Arena’s time as a vaccination site allowed them to rethink COVID-19 protocols throughout the facility, and prepared them to come back safely.��

“People are finding theater to be a fairly low risk experience for them right now, because we are requiring proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID test to enter the building,” she said.��

Loyal patrons like Arena Stage Member Sharon Frieman told 91����, she showed up when the theater put on virtual shows in 2020, but it wasn’t the same experience.��

“In the theater, the audience forms a kind of camaraderie that you don’t get if you’re just watching on a zoom or on a streaming service,” she said.��

Joe Freeble also emphasized the power of camaraderie and said Arena is where old friends come to gather and experience great theater together.��

“The energy, the camaraderie, the sort of connection between the actors and the audience. You just don’t get on a screen.”

Feeble and Frieman were among many theater-goers who expressed that Arena isn’t just a performing arts center, it’s a cultural hub for the Southwest community.��

“If we go in a group, we wind up talking about it, and will find friends who have gone to see the same show we have,” said Stuart Johnson, a decades-long Arena attendee.�� “We’ll talk about it, and it will extend the enjoyment.”

During the play’s intermission audience members gathered near the concession stand, and mingled with strangers as they grabbed complimentary granola bars and bottled water.��

While a death-theme runs throughout Wilson’s Seven Guitars, the play is also about the human experience and a second chance at life.��

A second chance is precisely what Arena Stage got this year when it reopened.��

Sapien said while the theater was more than happy to serve as a vaccine site and a symbol of hope during the height of the pandemic for the Southwest community, better days are ahead.��

“It is starting to feel like a more complete and active neighborhood,” she said. “DC just felt a little quiet for the last year and a half.”

The post Arena Stage helps Southwest get ‘up and running again’ in more ways than one first appeared on 91����.

Destiny Sanchez briefly parked on Maine Avenue SW,�� before realizing other cars were getting towed right in front of her.����

“I was going to come out for some lunch today when I saw the tow truck coming in sweeping somebody’s car off the side street,” she said.��

So why are so many cars getting ticketed and towed?

Sanchez was among several drivers who told 91����, it’s because the parking signs are confusing.

“The messages on the sign that are not that clear… you can’t really tell where they stop and start,” she said. “They say just pay to park for two hours… three hours okay, that’s fine only, not from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the fine print.”

On average, parking tickets in the District cost around

Through a request, 91���� acquired parking records from the Those records show Maine Avenue SW was the third most towed street in all of Washington D.C. in 2021, with an average of 50 tows per week. Each tow costs about , so by our calculations, that’s $5,000 just in towing fees coming out of the pockets of drivers every week.��

It’s important to note that the District

The DPW doesn’t tow on the weekends, so our calculations were made by dividing 17 weeks’ (June 1st-September 30th) worth of tows by a five-day work week.��

But at the same time, the tow trucks often block the second, and even the first lane of traffic when they pick up cars– creating even more hazards for drivers.

Even after the trucks have gone through and picked up a handful of cars, there’s usually one of two left when the restrictions are lifted at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. So, after all that, the right lane is perpetually blocked and can’t be used.��

So why do officials go through all that effort to clear some cars if the third lane is never functional for commuters?

Drivers like Antoine Douglas, who got his car towed on Maine Avenue, said it’s about the money.��

“Man, I’m sure they don’t care about taking an extra $100 from us because we messed up parking,” he said. “I didn’t read the sign properly… but I think if they cared about the citizens, I think they would take some initiative, so we don’t end up with situations like this… it gives a bad rap to the nation’s capital.”

Maine Avenue has long been targeted by parking enforcement. This became clear when a recent went into effect across the District in June 2021. Under the program, drivers were enticed to pay old parking tickets and fines, without having to also pay additional penalties for being late.

Out of this program, the $931,200 in 17 weeks this Fall, just on Maine Avenue SW.����

The program was so successful District wide, Mayor Bowser

A clear street benefits everyone, so Douglas said the city should be helping drivers by making the parking signs more clear, not punishing them.��

“You look at the signs and it’s a bunch of words that you’re probably too busy or too occupied at the time to really read it over,” Douglas said. “So you wing it, and you end up with your car towed like I did.”

The Department of Public Works and the Department of Motor Vehicles declined repeated requests to answer questions about why Maine Avenue SW is never clear.

In response to ticket and towing concerns on Maine Avenue SW, The District Wharf Community Association told the Wash in a statement:��

“The Wharf highly encourages everyone visiting the neighborhood to use non-vehicular modes of transportation, including Metro rail, Metro bus, Water Taxi, and Bicycle. The Wharf also operates the free Southwest Neighborhood Shuttle which circulates between L’Enfant Plaza Metro, the National Mall, and The Wharf every 10 minutes throughout the day, every day of the year. You can learn more about transportation to and from The Wharf on our website at ”

-The Wharf Community Association

So at the end of the day, thousands of dollars are coming out of taxpayers’ packets, revenue for the city revenue continues to grow, and the third lane is never open for rush hour traffic.

The post Frustrated drivers blame confusing parking signs for mass ticketing and towing on a popular Southwest D.C. street first appeared on 91����.

Two strangers in row G introduced themselves as they sat down and immediately launched into a discussion about the themes of Seven Guitars: death, mortality and our shared human experience.��

August Wilson’s play opened up in a Pittsburgh backyard, where old friends gather after a funeral. The play was set in 1948– but the themes of death and mortality ring true amid a global pandemic in 2021.

“Every time I look up, it seems like people are dying” said the character Canewell during the opening act of Seven Guitars.��

Just several months ago, Arena Stage was packed, but for a different purpose. In April 2021, the performing arts center functioned as a mass COVID-19 vaccination site for the Southwest community.��

Arena’s Associate Artistic Director Teresa Sapien told 91����, the vaccine center was directly tied to getting Southwest “up and running again.”��

“I think it was really important for us to both serve as a hub for the Southwest community first as a vaccine site and then to reopen our doors for the theater,” she said. “It really helped us feel like we were able to submit some good to the community.”

According to MedStar Health, Arena Stage served as the

Arena Stage in SW DC becomes a high capacity vaccination site this morning. Bubbling with excitement. Partnering with MedStar and DC government to make it happen. Arena is a community resource and it’s great to see our center reopened to get shots into people’s arms. 1,000 a day!

— Molly Smith (@msmitharena)

Arena reopened for live theater performances in September, and since then, Sapien said the comeback has been steady.��

“We hear a lot of people being like, ‘Oh, this is my first time back in a theater,’ or like, ‘this is one of the first times back in a theater,’ and there seems to be a lot of excitement about it,” she said.��

One of those excited theater-goers was Robert Yates.��

“It’s fabulous to see the arts back, ” he said.����

LaWanda Ware, standing next to Yates, told 91���� life is better with the performing arts.��

She said the theater serves as an escape from everyday life and the COVID-19 pandemic.��

“It brings back quality of life completely in his area, rather than the insanity that is happening all around the world right now,” she said.

Sapien said Arena’s time as a vaccination site allowed them to rethink COVID-19 protocols throughout the facility, and prepared them to come back safely.��

“People are finding theater to be a fairly low risk experience for them right now, because we are requiring proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID test to enter the building,” she said.��

Loyal patrons like Arena Stage Member Sharon Frieman told 91����, she showed up when the theater put on virtual shows in 2020, but it wasn’t the same experience.��

“In the theater, the audience forms a kind of camaraderie that you don’t get if you’re just watching on a Zoom or on a streaming service,” she said.��

Joe Freeble also emphasized the power of camaraderie and said Arena is where old friends come to gather and experience great theater together.��

“The energy, the camaraderie, the sort of connection between the actors and the audience. You just don’t get on a screen.”

Feeble and Frieman were among many theater-goers who expressed that Arena isn’t just a performing arts center, it’s a cultural hub for the Southwest community.��

“If we go in a group, we wind up talking about it, and will find friends who have gone to see the same show we have,” said Stuart Johnson, a decades-long Arena attendee.�� “We’ll talk about it, and it will extend the enjoyment.”

During the play’s intermission audience members gathered near the concession stand, and mingled with strangers as they grabbed complimentary granola bars and bottled water.��

While a death-theme runs throughout Wilson’s Seven Guitars, the play is also about the human experience and a second chance at life.��

A second chance is precisely what Arena Stage got this year when it reopened.��

Sapien said while the theater was more than happy to serve as a vaccine site and a symbol of hope during the height of the pandemic for the Southwest community, better days are ahead.��

“It is starting to feel like a more complete and active neighborhood,” she said. “D.C. just felt a little quiet for the last year and a half.”

The post Arena Stage helps Southwest get ‘up and running again’ in more ways than one first appeared on 91����.

For the Afghans who made it to the United States, a long journey of resettlement and integration lies ahead.

The Afghan Resettlement Report looks at the journey of evacuees fleeing Taliban rule in Afghanistan, how they are navigating the U.S. government resettlement system, and how they are being welcomed by nonprofits and local communities.

This podcast was reported and produced by the graduate broadcast journalism students of American University’s School of Communication.

Thank you to the local experts who shared their time and knowledge with the reporters of this podcast:

Mark Greenberg, Senior Fellow at Migration Policy Institute
Hannah Tyler, Research Analyst at Bipartisan Policy Center
Monika Evstatieva, Senior Producer of Investigations at NPR
Glenn Luther, Former Photography Instructor in Afghanistan
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, (D-VA) (Statements from House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on 9/13/21)
Noah Klose, Community Outreach Manager at Homes Not Borders
Billy Coleburn, Mayor of Blackstone Virginia
Lea Ruscio, Field Operations Lead for Team Rubicon
Kenneth Speicher, Parishioner at United Methodist Church
Timothy Young, Press Secretary for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Huneressa Fariad, translator from the All Dulles Area Muslim Society
Taliha Masroor and the rest of her family, owners of Bistro Aracosia

Supervising Faculty: , SOC Professor��

The post The Afghan Resettlement Report first appeared on 91����.

At first, they were captivated by the sunny November day, and majesty of the Jefferson Memorial, but when they looked closer, they said they saw muddy banks and flooded walkways all around.��

Teresa Durkin, the Executive Vice President at the, told 91����, the Basin is in trouble.��

“Despite its storied place in the national imagination, the Tidal Basin is very much at risk,” she said. “Land subsidence, daily flooding, dying cherry trees, and crumbling infrastructure threaten its future.”

Pearce and O’Connor are among millions of visitors that flock to D.C’s Tidal Basin each year. The Basin is home to some of the most iconic landmarks in Washington D.C., including the , the and The It’s also the site of the famous each year.��

The Tidal Basin, , is designed to flush sediment from the Washington Channel using the power of the tides.

To some extent, the Tidal Basin overflows every day. Seri Worden, the Senior Field Director at the , told 91����, climate change and rising sea levels have exacerbated the problem.

Worden said rising sea levels have also impacted the famous cherry trees around the Basin because the trees can’t absorb the overflow of saltwater. Visitors walking around the park also unknowingly squash the tree roots, which slowly kills them. She said the ground around the Basin is structurally unsound and unable to handle the large crowds of visitors each year.��

The Tidal Basin’s vulnerability was tossed back into the spotlight when major flooding hit the D.C area on October 29th, 2021. As a result of heavy rainfall, water overflowed into the Basin parking lot and shut down most of the walkways around the park.����

A few more photos from the flooding yesterday at the Tidal Basin.

— StephenVoss (@StephenVoss)

Worden told 91����, the flooding is only going to become worse and more frequent.��

“If we don’t do something comprehensive and long term, we could lose the very essence of the Tidal Basin within a couple decades,” she said.��

Anthony Natoli traveled from Florida to see the monuments, and was alarmed by the flooding he witnessed.��

“You can see where the water level has risen very high. There’s some areas that are almost impossible to navigate. It’s such a beautiful sight,” he said. “I think it would be a shame to not be able to continue to enjoy it.”

In 2019, the National Trust for . Out of that list, the campaign was born.��

Under the campaign, the National Trust for Historic Preservation teamed up with the Trust for the National Mall to help fund a three-year design project called the . The project brought together five prominent American landscape architecture firms, who collaborated to create a master design plan to address the Basin’s major problems.

Durkin said their work explored creative ways the landscape and systems could be reimagined.��

The designers worked to, “expand our collective understanding of how public landscapes can evolve and adapt,” she said.��

In October 2020, the Ideas Lab curated an to engage the public and collect feedback on design proposals for the Tidal Basin.

But since the online exhibition was launched, nothing concrete has changed.

Worden told 91����, the Ideas Lab was meant to come up with a master plan, one that could fix the Basin’s fundamental problems for future generations. Worden described the project as “ a bold, innovative, wild plan, totally unconstrained by formal processes.”

According to the , the master plan could include the addition of a bridge for visitors, creating new wetlands around the park, and even the construction of a natural protective levee along the Potomac.��

So, while the master design plan sits on the back-burner and continues to develop, Worden said the National Park Service is getting ready to start major emergency repairs of the Tidal Basin’s seawalls in 2022.��

Worden said just the seawall reconstruction budget is between $500-$600 million.��

“It’s kind of an emergency Band-Aid initiative,” she said.��

While seawall repairs will hopefully prevent short-term flooding, Worden said the Trust would continue to work with the National Park Service to “encourage adoption of major themes from the Ideas Lab, when the Park Service does their official master plan.”��

Worden also said the Trust would continue public awareness efforts to “encourage feedback and input for the Tidal Basin and on the realities of climate change.”

Visitors like Lotte Lipien said they hope this master plan will be realized sooner rather than later.

“It was difficult to navigate certain parts of the path. And, you know, the monuments are so beautiful… it would just be nice to have everything be accessible,” she said.

O’Connor told 91���� she hopes the master plan won’t overbuild the Tidal Basin and preserve the natural look of it.

D.C resident Megan Missner agreed.��

“Historically, these are beautiful places to come and learn, ” she said. “It’s such a natural part of the city to come and walk around and be at peace with. I think if you don’t have that as a part of the city, you lose some of the appeal.”

Worden said those concerns are exactly what the master plan is working to address.��

“There is a challenge in interpreting and thinking about what memorials are, or how they’re interpreted, and ensuring that all Americans see themselves in this place that is purportedly representative of “American ideals,” she said

Durkin said they would continue to work towards a long-term solution to preserve the Basin for generations to come.��

“C�󲹲Բ��� is inevitable and climate change is already here,” she said. “Resilience, adaptability, and evolution are the key principles to embrace at this time in history.”

The post ‘Emergency Band-Aid’ repairs to begin at Tidal Basin in 2022 first appeared on 91����.

According to the 2020 Census, the Capitol Riverfront saw one of the largest in the region, and developers are jumping at the opportunity to try their hand in the market.��

But Southwest D.C. native Colletta Paylor said the plethora of new development had squashed green space throughout the neighborhood, and it’s become a pattern.��

“When I was growing up, we had a lot of playgrounds that were surrounded by parks and stuff. Every four blocks is literally a condo now, “ she said.����

D.C.-based developer is one company looking to add to those rows of concrete towers. They have been negotiating with the ANC 6D for months over their designs for a new residential high rise on 850 South Capitol St. SE.��

The proposed design is a that extends under the Interstate 695 freeway.��

But the design is centered in a unique location. The land is in the , which means it is exempt from regulations. In other words, WC Smith does not have to include any retail or affordable housing options for the neighborhood.

Commissioner Rhonda Hamilton vocalized her concerns about the lack of affordable housing following WC Smith’s presentation during the October ANC meeting.

“I don’t think it’s fair that you bring a project with no real benefits to the community…and then you want us to embrace it,” she said.��

Commissioner Jared Weiss said with affordable housing is an issue developers shouldn’t ignore, even if they’re not required to take action.��

“I believe I speak for a lot of my neighbors in saying that we have no interest living in an area that is totally exclusionary to certain types of people. We want to live in a neighborhood where everyone is welcome,” he said.��

In response to the attack on the plan’s lack of affordable housing during the October ANC meeting, WC Smith Attorney Leila Batties of Holland & Knight said city leaders need to look at WC Smith’s track record in Washington, D.C.��

“[WC Smith] has for more than 50 years been a leader in providing housing opportunities and amenities throughout the city for some of the city’s most deserving communities and families,” she said.

Former ANC 6D Chair Gail Fast told 91���� that legally, developers don’t have to seek approval from the ANC for their final plans, but they do go through a design review process with the commissioners. During that review, the ANC can make suggestions and ask for changes.

“ANC’s have what’s known as great weight,” Fast said.��

So while the ANC can’t change the fact that the building won’t include any units for lower-income individuals and families in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood, Commissioner Jared Weiss said, the ANC asked WC Smith to add something else that would benefit the community.��

“We feel it is our responsibility to get the benefit for the community we can. But a developer such as this one is only legally required to do very little. So it becomes a negotiation,” he said.��

WC Smith responded, and came back with a design for a dog park and run. The park will be placed underneath the 695 freeway in a space that would have otherwise gone un-utilized.��

Commissioner Andy Litsky said this was a decent addition, but ultimately he told WC Smith to be more ambitious.��

“This was one of only a couple of options. It was the easy one, and that’s what you went with. So I’d like to see more under the Expressway,” he said.��

Locals agreed. Paylor said while the addition of a dog park might look good on paper, in her experience, accommodations added by developers only benefit a small population.

“They don’t benefit the actual community that is from there; it’s more so for the people who can afford to live there,” she said.��

91���� reached out to WC Smith for a comment on their design negotiations with the ANC on South Capitol Street, but did not hear back in time.

Fast said there are many ways developers can benefit the community, they just need to get creative.��

“It could be a park, it could be a playground, the community benefit could even be contributions to the schools,” she said.��

Another way the commissioners get developers to accommodate the neighborhood is through what Litsky called “community serving retail.”

“Community serving retail would be like a tailor, barbershop, a cleaners, something with service, versus just bars and restaurants,” he said.��

An example is a project green-lighted in September by the same ANC. It is expected to bring , where a grocery store didn’t previously exist.��

WC Smith is scheduled to bring their final designs for 850 South Capitol St. SE to the Zoning Commission for approval on November 8th.��

The post Southeast city leaders negotiate a dog park out of developer WC Smith amid controversial design review first appeared on 91����.

The Municipal Fish Market, located at the end of is underwater–and still conducting business.��

Historic flooding hit Washington, D.C. in the early hours of October 29th and is expected to persist through Sunday morning.��

According to the National Weather Service, The DMV region could be hit with the worst flooding the area has seen in 10 to 20 years, possibly since

One of the biggest tidal flood events of the past 10-20 years (possibly since Hurricane Isabel at some locales), is expected Friday & Saturday. Those along tidal shores should get ready for exceptional tidal inundation! Tidal forecasts here:

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash)

District Wharf is situated right on the banks of the Potomac, and is vulnerable to severe flooding.��

Diane Groomes, who runs security at The Wharf, said the fish market is especially vulnerable because of its location. The fish market, which , is the oldest continuously-operating open-air fish market in the United States, and still conducts business off of old barges at the end of The Wharf.

Groomes said while many of the other businesses are built above the floodplain,�� the fish market sits in the danger zone.��

“Once you get past these buildings we built above the floodplain from the 100-year-old flood, that was the worst ever on record,” she said. “But right now, the fish market historically, even on high tide, takes on water. But as you see, it’s about three feet deep right now.”

Nonetheless, fish market employees made runs back and forth into the murky water. Most of the employees were just wearing t-shirts and jeans, occasionally stopping to shake out water from their shoes or dry off the credit card machine.��

Employee Antonio Senabria said this has been going on all day.

“We’ve just been walking through…we keep all the customers behind the line and as we come up and cash the order…we walk through the water so that way they don’t have to get wet pretty much,” he said.��

Sergio Munoz drove from Alexandria to pick up his fresh fish, and waited patiently in his rain jacket for his bag of shrimp to be handed across yellow caution tape.��

“It’s more than accommodating, I guess. The guys are walking up and getting our orders,” he said.��

Wharf resident Michael Douglas also came down to get his fresh catch of the day. He said the only real inconvenience was that he couldn’t go up to the counter himself to decide what he wanted to buy.��

“If the rain doesn’t stop, it’s [the flooding] going to get a whole lot worse,” he said.��

At the same time, other fish market workers used a shovel and a small boat to paddle through the water to get to the far barge.

��Senabria said it’s a minor roadblock in what otherwise has been a reasonably busy day down at the market.��

“Seems like everybody still wants their seafood, so that’s what we’re here for,” he said.��

Munoz was among several customers who expressed awe and appreciation for the employees’ persistence.��

“I mean, it’s crazy, but you know, I mean, they got to get their business going. So you gotta do what you got to do,” he said.

Neighboring businesses like closed down because of the flooding. Water levels crept up right up to the first step of the restaurant.��

Right next to them, Groomes said had to put up bars to keep the floodwaters from getting in.��

Overall, Groomes said it’s a historic day. The last time the fish market flooded was back in 2018.

“A lot of people are coming to record the history. You know, if you live down here, it’s kind of cool,” she said.

The post Flooding doesn’t stop sales at District Wharf Municipal Fish Market first appeared on 91����.

Jason Kopp, the President of the Gangplank Slipholders Association, told 91����, at first glance, “it just looks like a bunch of boats” but Kopp said that when you get closer, it’s easy to see it’s a thriving floating community.

The Gangplank liveaboard community was formed in 1977, long before the revitalization of The Wharf, and is made up of 88 residents who live on their boats full-time. Those residents come from all walks of life, bound together by their love of the water. They are also a part of the larger Wharf Marina community that includes the

The Gangplank community prides itself as the and an integral part of the larger Southwest waterfront community.

Kopp said he came to the Southwest waterfront from Monterey, California 14 years ago, to live close to the water.����

“I was like, I better find something really amazing out here on the East Coast…and it turns out, I did,” he said.

Kopp told 91���� boating life also offers a more economical housing alternative amid the of living in the United States.��

Right now, the Gangplank community is hidden behind the Phase 2 construction of District Wharf. Phase 2 will complete the mile-long privately funded revitalization of the Southwest waterfront with the addition of 1.25 million square feet of mixed-use development and Kopp says those new slips are expected to fill up right away.��

It’s all scheduled to open up in 2022.��

In addition to new slips, The Wharf is investing in brand new facilities for its floating residents. The building is already under construction on a new concrete pier in the phase 2 area.��

The facilities are a small token in what is expected to be a $1.1billion price tag for Phase 2. The development is also expected to include an additional , retail space, and parks, all meant to cater the in the Southwest region.��

On their website, District Wharf declared that the finished project will result in

Co-developers of The Wharf, Hoffman Associates and Madison Marquette, said will house services for the liveaboards and retail on the ground floor; and fill the top floor with a restaurant and bar. The building will be complete with an aesthetic green roof-scape.

Tara Stutsman, who will celebrate her one-year anniversary as a liveaboard boater in December, said she’s looking forward to having those new amenities.

“I’m one of the liveaboards that makes full use of the building in its present form right now, so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what the amenities and what the showers and the bathrooms and the laundry machines are like once it’s all open,” said Stutsman.

Several slip holders like Greg Whittier, the Vice President of the GPSA said that they’ve gotten used to living near the construction and are excited about its completion.��

But the liveaboards aren’t just floating residents, their active members in the larger Southwest waterfront community.��

As the construction along The Wharf has progressed, Kopp said developers have been increasingly interested in partnering with them on different environmental projects in an effort to maintain the health of the Washington Channel.��

A few weeks ago, the Gangplank community partnered with The Wharf and outside volunteers to clear logs, trash and other debris from the river. They do this about once a year.��

Patrick Revord, the Director of Technology, Marketing, and Community Engagement for The Wharf, said that cleanup is vital to the health and safety of the Washington Channel. The logs and debris pose serious hazards to boats, and in some cases, can even get stuck and break off the rudder or propeller.

This year, with the help of the liveaboards and members of the public, they collected 187 pounds of trash and a dumpster full of logs.��

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Revord told 91���� the week-long effort was “a huge success.”

Kopp said that development along The Wharf has created a positive impact on the Washington Channel.��

“A good aspect of The Wharf project is that I think it really attracts people to the water and hopefully helps people want and care about the water and care for our rivers out here,” Kopp said.��

Revord said The Wharf views the liveaboards as important partners in maintaining the health of the channel, and as a vital part of the greater waterfront community.��

“It’s a really symbiotic relationship. I would say The Wharf is made better by the water [residents],” he said.

That sentiment was reiterated during “Liveaboard Boater Day” on October 9th. The day was officially declared in a ceremonial resolution written by Ward 6 council-member Charles Allen and read aloud by a representative from his office.��

The resolution defined the liveaboards as a vibrant community and highlighted the importance of the floating residents as an “embodiment of diversity, inclusion and an example of innovative housing solutions.”��

ANC 6D representative Andy Litsky addressed the crowd during the celebration, praised the community for the example they set in creative, affordable housing and repeated their importance to the Southwest waterfront.��

Long-time residents like Roger Thiel grabbed the microphone and shared what the community means to him during the event. Thiel, who has been a slip holder for over 32 years, said there’s nowhere he’d rather be than “on the journey of this waterborne life.”��

Kathy Heet, a liveaboard boater for 10 years, said it’s an inclusive, dynamic community.��

“It’s a very mixed population and so everybody fits in,” she said.��

Although it’s a small community in the greater picture of the Southwest waterfront, Revord said The Wharf would keep working hard to keep the liveaboard boating community happy, and engaged for many years to come.��

“The Wharf is really built on being a maritime destination, or working waterfront, and the liveaboard community brings that to life,” Revord said. “They’re out there, working on their boats, living on their boats, and making the water a really lively place.”��

The post District Wharf and liveaboard boaters declare essential partnership amid Phase 2 construction first appeared on 91����.

A by the narrows in on the Navy Yard neighborhood at the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, naming it the fastest growing neighborhood in Washington D.C. over the past five years.

From baseball and soccer fans heading to Nationals Stadium and the newly renovated Audi Field to workers zipping to their nine to five jobs on electric scooters, planners say the current road conditions don’t best support that growth.

Ted Jutras, the Vice President of Planning and Development for the Capitol Riverfront BID said fixing those transportation corridors is at the center of his work.

“We’re building almost an entire new downtown along the waterfront south of the freeway,” he said. “So, the traditional auto-oriented infrastructure that exists right now isn’t going to work anymore.”

The Capitol Riverfront Mobility Project aims to fix exactly that. It focuses on expanding accessibility along M Street SE: a mile and a half stretch in Southeast and a major corridor connecting the Navy Yard neighborhood and District Wharf.

Jutras said his team is working on two potential re-designs for M Street.

Both Capitol Riverfront BID designs repurpose the outside lanes of M Street into either one or two protected bike and bus lanes during rush hour while allowing them to be used for general traffic or parking outside of that time.

The designs are centered around the idea of “micromobility.” The goal is to provide all residents and visitors to the Navy Yard neighborhood with safe and reliable modes of transportation that don’t include driving a car.

Zack Baldwin, the Associate Director of Mobility, Data and Research at Southwest BID, said they hope by providing those accessible forms of micromobility, people will “choose bikes or scooters to pick up groceries or go to the doctor, instead of using a car.”

These designs are being considered at the same time widespread development is happening all around M Street.

From new high rises just down the street at to the under construction, D.C. residents like Conor Shaw tell 91����,�� “it’s easier to put in bus and bike lanes when everything else is changing too.”

Jutras placed getting ahead of the immense growth in the Navy Yard neighborhood and implementing a final design for M Street as a top priority.

“We want to make sure we’re being proactive about planning for the future, not just waiting for all these things to arrive, and then massive congestion and then trying to work backwards to solve the problem” said Jutras.

Dr. Karthik Balasubramanian, who lives near M Street, thinks this project is long overdue.

“I think it’s great…and it should have been done like 10 years ago,” Balasubramanian said.

Dr. Balasubramanian is looking at the project from an equity standpoint. He stressed that increasing micromobility is crucial to achieving accessibility for everyone, and as it stands now, M Street does not support everyone’s needs.

“You have to have a certain amount of money to have a car and if you don’t have a car, this whole thing is not useful to you,” he said.

Zack Baldwin said applying those designs on M Street will be a challenge, and dedicated enforcement will be important.

Jutras agreed and said a plan is still in the works, stating,

“All it takes is one or two UPS trucks or Uber’s, Lyfts’ causing people to not be able to see pedestrians crossing, and then all of a sudden, all those good intentions go out the window pretty quickly.”

Once his team submits the final designs, Jutras said it is up to the and the to enforce proper lane use.

“It’s not a fully sufficient plan for mobility for all the growth that’s coming…we’re taking a small bite out of the apple,” he said.

Celeste Newman, who lives on the Wharf, is hopeful that this project will set a standard of equitable accessibility across D.C.

“I just hope that as this continues, the city continues to focus on all the residents and having accessibility for everyone who lived here and will live here,” she said.

Conor Shaw agreed and said M Street should be the first step to creating a whole system of accessible roadways.

Shaw said, “These are the fights we’re gonna have to win if we want to create a real network that allows people to get everywhere, not just down one corridor.”

But the mobility study doesn’t just stop on M Street.

The under the study focuses on increasing connectivity to and from the area of Buzzard Point along the Southwest waterfront.

The two designs include micromobilty options like bikes and scooters, with the other option focusing on creating a direct metrorail line to Union Station.

Planning for both initiatives began two years ago, with the partners named as Capitol Riverfront Mobility BID, , DDOT and design consultant .

“Everyone is better off when you choose a bike, or when you choose a scooter when you choose to walk,” Dr. Balasubramanian said.

Project coordinators are hoping to get more during outreach events in the coming weeks.

Developers will wrap up the second phase in the next few months, with formal design recommendations submitted to DDOT by the end of this year.

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