The half-mile trail, which runs through the southeastern edge of the National Zoo near the Duke Ellington Bridge, is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. While community members are happy to see it reopen after four years, some are unsatisfied with the current schedule, including D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.

“There are many, many people in the District who use the trail and would like to see the hours extended,” Norton said.

The Zoo Loop Trail is an important connection between northwest D.C. and the heart of the District, said Washington Area Bicyclist Association Communications Director Colin Browne. Pedestrians and cyclists can use it for commuting and recreation instead of traveling on busy streets.

“It’s a way to keep you away from traffic and is just generally delightful,” Browne said.

The trail allows users to bypass a narrow tunnel path on Beach Drive, which Browne said is unsafe because of its proximity to two lanes of car traffic.��

“There’s a low barrier which isn’t going to protect anybody from falling,” Browne said. “There’s not space for two people on bikes or even a person walking from the opposite direction to be able to pass each other.” 

A sign near the tunnel entrance reads “Caution: trail narrows” and suggests cyclists dismount their bikes.

Because the Zoo Loop Trail is closed when it’s dark, pedestrians and cyclists must travel through the tunnel during a period of low visibility. This could put them more at risk of being struck by a car, according to a .

“The zoo tunnel along Beach Drive is notorious and people have felt unsafe there for a very long time,” Browne said.

Under the trail’s current schedule, Browne said people cannot use it for their commutes home. The path is also popular for recreational use, which is being restricted due to its hours of operation, Browne said.��

“The zoo has a different set of priorities for how it uses its space that is affecting people’s ability to move through the city,” Browne said.

The trail hours are tied to the zoo’s operating hours, said Annalisa Meyer, National Zoo deputy director of communications. This is to maintain accreditation through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since the trail runs through the zoo’s secondary animal containment perimeter.

Meyer said industry security standards require the zoo to have a continuous perimeter fence.

“We can’t achieve that security-wise without closing the bike path gates outside of operating hours,” Meyer said.

Since October, Norton has been working to extend the trail’s hours of operations.�� The congressmember said she has a special interest in the topic because of her position as chair of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Norton said she thinks the best options are either extending the zoo’s hours of operation or building a new secondary fence around the trail. On behalf of the zoo, Meyer said neither option is feasible due to financial and accreditation-related reasons.

“We are really wanting to make sure that we are keeping people safe and have to abide by accreditation rules in order for us to do that,” Meyer said.

Norton said she is also exploring legislative options to extend the trail’s hours.��

In November, Norton requested the House Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies — which has jurisdiction over the zoo — add a provision to its upcoming appropriations bill directing the zoo to extend the trail hours in a way that maintains its accreditation.��

Norton has not heard back from any subcommittee members but said she is still hopeful. While the congressmember would need to “work very hard” to get the provision added, she said she believes there is still time.

“It’s not yet in any of the House or the Senate [bill] versions, but I think it’s noncontroversial and I’m hoping to get it in,” Norton said.

The congressmember said she is also organizing a virtual town hall for community members to voice their opinions on the trail hours. She has invited the zoo, DDOT and the National Park Service to attend. The AZA has said it is willing to participate in the event, according to a .

Norton said her team is still working on setting a date for the town hall.

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“We make hard decisions every day about who we’re able to fund,” said Lynn McCann, director of development and communications for Baltimore Abortion Fund.��

BAF gives financial assistance to Maryland residents and people traveling to Maryland for an abortion.

The fund expects to receive about 3,000 calls for support this year, McCann said. It will be able to assist approximately half of these prospective clients due to budget restrictions.

An increased need for support has been a trend for years, with BAF seeing a 40% increase in requests each year, said Communications Manager Priya Hay-Chatterjee.

However, the Supreme Court’s ruling this summer has led to an uptick in out-of-state clients traveling to Maryland for an abortion. BAF expects a 60% to 100% increase in call volume over the coming years, Hay-Chatterjee said.

“We really are bracing for an influx, especially as some other states’ abortion laws are still in limbo in their court systems,” Hay-Chatterjee said.

The D.C. Abortion Fund is expecting a similar increase in overall demand, said Communications Director Devin Simpson. The fund serves residents of the District, Maryland and Virginia, as well as people traveling to those areas for a procedure.

DCAF has already seen an influx in out-of-state clients after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, Simpson said. This affected the amount of resources available to DCAF and local clinics.��

“That makes it harder on everyone to get the procedures when they need them,” Simpson said.

The longer people have to wait for an abortion, the more expensive the procedure becomes, Simpson said. This increases barriers to abortions even in areas where it is legal.

Changing costs

Abortion funds across the country are facing this increase in demand, said Gretchen Ely, a professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who researches abortion funds.��

While funds had to make difficult decisions due to limited budgets even before the Supreme Court’s decision, Ely said an increase in out-of-state travel had changed the types of costs patients face.��

“Demands have shifted as well to a need now for travel and support around travel,” Ely said.

The average abortion cost for BAF’s clients is $4,000, McCann said. This does not include secondary costs from getting the procedure, like travel accommodations or childcare.�� 

McCann said BAF anticipates spending around $600,000 this year to support abortion care costs. It will disperse another $80,000 in practical support for things like transportation, lodging or translation assistance.��

“The need for financial and logistical support for abortion care, even in Maryland specifically, really far exceeds our current budget and our ability to meet it,” McCann said.

The total reported cost of care for BAF’s callers this year is over $5 million, McCann said.��

“Even though we wouldn’t be expected or even have the ability to fully fund the entire procedure cost for every single caller, it just really speaks to the total need that’s out there,” McCann said.

Over the past year, DCAF pledged over $1.3 million to almost 6,000 clients — double what it pledged the prior year — according to .��

Because D.C. is home to multiple clinics that perform abortions later into pregnancies, Simpson said some of DCAF’s clients face bills totaling thousands of dollars. However, the average grant from the fund is $250.��

Costs go beyond the actual procedure, Simpson said. Patients may have to take off work, find childcare if they already have kids or arrange transportation to the clinic even if they are residents.

“Whether or not you can afford the ticket price of the procedure, affording all the other things that come along with getting it can be an obstacle for patients as well,” Simpson said.

Simpson said DCAF is a larger fund and has always been able to cover the needs of its callers. However, as more states pass abortion restrictions and their residents have to travel to areas like D.C. for the procedure, Simpson said, “it will be harder.” 

“We hope we’re able to continue to fund every single caller and the need they have,” Simpson said.

Essential to patients

Access to BAF has enabled some Potomac Family Planning Center patients to receive the care they otherwise would not be able to afford, said Clinic Coordinator Allison Claytor.

Located in Rockville, Maryland, at least 25% of the clinic’s patients receive funding from BAF, Claytor said.

“The Baltimore Abortion Fund has done a tremendous job about fundraising and helping out our patients,” Claytor said. “They help out our patients quite a bit.”

Procedures at Potomac Family Planning range from $420 to $1,300 depending on where a patient is in their pregnancy, Claytor said. The clinic sees patients from five to 17 weeks of gestation.

Claytor said the biggest obstacles the clinic’s patients face are funding the procedure and securing transportation. BAF can help pay for both of these costs, offering logistical support and healthcare coverage.��

“When [patients] get funding, they definitely need it,” Claytor said.

Ely said the primary demographic served by abortion funds is people in low socioeconomic positions. Ely’s research has found that women of color access abortion care at higher rates, likely because they also often fall into lower income levels.��

“[Abortion funds] are critical for folks who are lower income in terms of their ability to access abortion care,” Ely said. “They were critical before the Dobbs decision and they’re probably even more critical now.”

The post Without Roe v. Wade, local abortion funds face new challenges first appeared on 91����.

The victim was trespassing in an unauthorized area of the station, according to Amtrak Senior Public Relations Manager Kimberly Woods. He ended up on top of a train and was electrocuted by contact with an overhead wire.

The D.C. Fire and EMS Department received reports of a person being electrocuted around 9:35 a.m., FEMS Public Information Officer Vito Maggiolo said. Investigators found an injured adult male on top of a rail car just north of the station, where the H Street bridge goes over the tracks.

To safely access the man, first responders had to cut electricity from the overhead wire that powers the trains, Maggiolo said. Amtrak Police, MPD and WMATA assisted FEMS.

“Not only did they have to bring down the power, they also had to ground the power lines,” Maggiolo said.

The victim was on top of the train for more than 30 minutes and was removed by 11:15 a.m., according to FEMS’ .

DC Fire and EMS working to remove victim from atop rail car during earlier incident at Union Station. This was taken after the high voltage catenary was de-energized, grounded, and tested in order to make the scene safe.

— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems)

Deputy Fire Chief Danny McCoy confirmed onsite that the rescued man had life-threatening injuries and was transferred to a local hospital.

Officials have not said how the man got on top of the train or what motivated him. Woods said there had been no reported injuries to passengers or employees.

“Amtrak is working with local law enforcement to investigate the incident,” Woods said.

The incident caused a power outage, Woods said, but crews worked quickly to restore it.��

Some MARC trains traveling to and from D.C. have been impacted by delays or cancellations, according to the . This includes the delayed Penn Line Trains 449 and 440. Penn Line Train 438 is canceled, and passengers can be accommodated by train 440.

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The Endangered Animals Art Project will consist of 10 sculptures placed on lamp posts along Connecticut Avenue, each depicting an endangered animal local to the region.

“We want it to feel as local as possible and really relevant to where we are because public art has to do with where we’re situated,” project manager Hannah Jacobson Blumenfeld said. “We want to honor that and reflect that in the sculpture.”

The District’s only endangered species — the Hay’s spring amphipod — is currently the one animal confirmed to be featured in the project. A tiny freshwater crustacean shaped like a shrimp, it is found exclusively in Rock Creek Park.

The amphipod is colorless and semitransparent because it lives mostly underground, although the upcoming sculpture may take some liberties with its pigment.

“That’s sort of our mascot because it is very, very specific to Rock Creek Park,” Blumenfeld said. “Which feels special and important to showcase that.”

Carolina Mayorga, the project’s lead artist, is creating the Hay’s spring amphipod piece. The rest of the artists have yet to be decided but they will all be local residents like Mayorga. Blumenfeld said an artist interest form would go live this week and a panel will be organized later to choose the creators.

The project’s organizers plan to complete installation around fall 2023. Each lamp post will have a unique QR code attached to it that leads to information on the sculpture, its artist, the represented animal and anyone who sponsored it.

One sculpture will be placed outside the Woodley Park Metro station, with another near the Cleveland Park Metro stop. The rest of the art will be located on the east side of Connecticut Avenue, the same side of the street as the National Zoo.��

Blumenfeld said the chosen posts are spaced out evenly to create a sense of connection between the two neighborhoods.

“The idea of connecting neighborhoods through a walking path and using sculpture and art as a wayfinding mechanism is a really special part of this project,” Blumenfeld said.

Cleveland Park Main Street, Woodley Park Main Street and Capitol Hill Arts Workshop partnered to organize the project.

CPMS Manager Cassandra Hetherington said the idea came from her wanting more public art in the area, as well as something to further connect the two neighborhoods to the zoo.

“It’s a way of really creating community through public art,” Hetherington said.

While the art project is divided between Woodley Park and Cleveland Park, WPMS Executive Director Robert Meins said the two neighborhoods both have the same interest in highlighting the zoo, which brings a lot of customers to local businesses.

The art project will also be a hub for community events. This includes scavenger hunts leading people to each sculpture and trick-or-treating at the lamp posts on Halloween.��

Hetherington said she wants to have afternoon concerts at each installation with local musicians playing songs about animals. Meins said it would be “fantastic” to have an expert from the Smithsonian Institution or World Wildlife Fund deliver a talk about the endangered animals.

The project draws inspiration from the in Capitol Hill, which Blumenfeld also managed for CHAW. Installed in 2014 and expanded in 2020, it features 20 animal sculptures illustrating various lettered street signs in southeast D.C.

Blumenfeld said her experience with the previous installation helped her better prepare for the endangered animal project’s logistical requirements.�� 

“Working in a public space brings different constraints, but also leads to increased creativity,” Blumenfeld said.

The art needs to be placed at a certain height on the lamp posts to — the alphabet animal project’s original koala went missing soon after being installed. The sculptures must also be made with specific materials that last in the elements. They cannot weigh more than seven pounds because of wind, Blumenfeld said, but also need enough holes so air can blow through.

The project is currently in the fundraising stage. Hetherington said the organizers need to raise a little under $20,000 before applying for matching funds from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Fundraising efforts will focus on both individual donations and larger business and nonprofit sponsors.��

The organizers will host fundraising events next year, including a trivia night in February run by Capital Trivia, Hetherington said. Prospective players should expect some questions about endangered animals.

Hetherington said the project has already received positive feedback from the public. The Advisory Neighborhood Commissions serving Woodley Park and Cleveland Park have also expressed support, as well as the neighborhoods’ citizens associations, Meins said.

“I think after two and a half years of the [COVID-19] pandemic, people really want to be involved in something that is positive and that brings people together,” Meins said.

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“We should be able to get that chance [to vote] because we have a lot of work to do ourselves,” said Damia Bates, a business administration graduate student at Trinity Washington University, on Election Day.

The D.C. Council passed the in 2020 before the year’s presidential election. While the legislation mandates employees have the right to paid time off to vote, it also grants students an excused absence to vote.�� 

According to the law, educational institutions must provide students with at least two hours to vote in person in any District of Columbia election. Students ineligible to vote in the District also have the right to a voting absence in any election run by the jurisdiction where they are eligible to vote.��  

Whether the act applies to university students is unclear, however.��

“I think that’s the big question: what did D.C. Council mean by this?” said William Brummett, program manager for co-curricular service at George Washington University.

In the legislation, educational institutions are defined as any school in the District of Columbia Public Schools system, a public charter school, an independent school, a private school, a parochial school or a private instructor.��

The amendment does not clarify if colleges and universities fall under this definition, including if a private university is considered a private school.

“The law is sort of vague on what they define a school as,” said Brummett, who works with campus voter group GW Votes.

Spokespeople for the D.C. Board of Elections and the D.C. Council said they did not know if the law applies to university students. The D.C. Council Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, which reviewed the bill in 2020 and expanded it to include students, did not respond to requests for comment.��

Brummett said clarification of the law would help students’ interests. Last month, the GW Student Association passed a requesting faculty to count voting on Election Day as an excused absence.��

“There’s a lot of momentum from our students wanting to have that flexibility,” Brummett said.

Voting flexibility is also a priority for Jacob Wilson, an adjunct instructor at American University who works with student engagement group AU Votes. Wilson said students should be given time throughout the semester, not just on Election Day, to discuss the importance of voting and get ready to cast their ballot.��

“We can do more to support students and help empower them to be voters,” Wilson said.��

Wilson said not having enough time is one reason college students may not vote, with commitments from class, work, family obligations and extracurriculars potentially being prioritized over voting.��

Students interviewed on Election Day agreed.

“I feel like a lot of people feel like their schedules don’t let them vote,” said Tyler Anthony, a public relations senior at Howard University. “If the class schedule was taken out of the equation, a lot of people that have nothing else to do would vote.”

Regardless of the law, Brummett said universities could empower students by canceling classes every Election Day — not just during presidential elections. Brummett said he would like to see schools in the District emulating Stanford University’s , which turns elections into an academic holiday with voluntary events like guest speakers.

“Whether it be through legal action or through universities taking [election] days off, I’d love to see something going forward that gives students more ability to participate,” Brummett said.

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“The overwhelming feeling for me is just it’s so, so far past due,” said Lawrence Grandpre, director of research for a grassroots think tank, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle.

As is true nationally, Marylanders of color are disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of cannabis.��

Black residents are more than twice as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession in the state despite roughly equal usage across racial groups, according to the amendment’s .��

If the amendment is approved, residents aged 21 and older can legally use and possess cannabis up to 1.5 ounces. Possession of larger amounts up to 2.5 ounces would be punishable by a civil fine instead of jail time. The amendment would go into effect on July 1, 2023.��

A majority of Maryland voters support legalizing recreational marijuana, according to conducted by 91����ington Post and the University of Maryland. Seventy-three percent of Marylanders favor the amendment, with 23% against and 4% with no opinion.

“As I talk to people in my district, the broad feeling is we don’t want to put people in jail for possession of cannabis,” said Luke Clippinger, a state delegate representing District 46 in Baltimore.

Marijuana decriminalization

The Maryland General Assembly already passed legislation to address the criminal justice impact of legalizing cannabis. The revises marijuana related penalties, expunges certain criminal records and establishes funds for both community reinvestment and business assistance.��

If the constitutional amendment is approved by voters, the reform bill will automatically expunge prior convictions for simple marijuana possession, which could impact hundreds of thousands of convictions, said Clippinger, who sponsored the bill.��

The law also creates a new pathway to expunge intent-to-distribute convictions, as well as marijuana-related charges embedded in unrelated sentences.��

“We’ve tried to really open the door pretty widely to allow people to get those convictions expunged to allow people to move forward,” Clippinger said.

Advocates weigh in

Some advocates say the law is not enough to address the financial impact of cannabis related convictions. This includes Eric Sterling, a member of the Maryland chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Sterling said the state’s current plan is “inadequate” because people cannot recover court fines, attorney fees, lost wages and other expenses from being prosecuted and incarcerated.��

The Cannabis Reform bill does include a community repair fund, which would provide money to local organizations across the state that serve populations disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of marijuana. Some of these funds would come from taxes on Maryland’s incoming recreational cannabis industry.��

Leaders for a Beautiful Struggle advocated for this provision in the bill. Grandpre said the repair fund could have a substantial impact because it addresses the harm done to entire communities.

“It’s not just the individuals who went to jail that were impacted by the war on drugs,” Grandpre said.

The fund maximizes local control and lets communities address their unique needs “because every community is different,” Grandpre said.��

“The people who were impacted by the harm need to have the power to choose for themselves the mechanism to redress the harm,” Grandpre said.

The funds would be dispersed across the state based on the percentage of people who were jailed for cannabis related convictions in each county over the last 20 years.��

New business sector

State policies over what would be the newly created recreational market are not fully developed yet, with no current policy for licensing or taxing the legal sale of marijuana. Clippinger said this would be addressed in the 2023 General Assembly session.

“We want people to be able to take advantage of opportunities to be able to sell cannabis,” Clippinger said. “And that’s the next piece of our story.”

The state delegate said the most challenging aspect is ensuring communities negatively impacted by the war on drugs will be able to compete in the state’s recreational marijuana market. Existing markets by white executives in other states that have legalized cannabis.��

“That’s where the profits are going and yet, at the same time, in our prisons and in jails, we have people who are disproportionately Black and Hispanic, still serving long sentences for doing the same kind of thing before it became legal,” Sterling said.��

To address this, the reform bill also establishes a business assistance fund. It would offer grants and loans to new businesses and help with license applications.��

Maryland would prioritize awarding these funds to populations disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization and individuals with marijuana-related convictions.�� 

The fund would also create cannabis-related business programs at historically Black colleges and universities in the state to assist minority entrepreneurs seeking to participate in the industry.�� 

Maryland’s vote comes a month after President Joe Biden simple marijuana possession offenses under federal and D.C. law while all governors to do the same with state offenses.��

and the District of Columbia have already legalized recreational cannabis use for adults. Voters in Missouri, Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota legalizing recreational marijuana this Election Day.

The post Maryland’s vote to legalize marijuana could impact racial injustice first appeared on 91����.

After reading comments from other Cleveland Park residents on the internet, Lebert realized he was not the only one who wanted a cafe close by.

“I wanted to get out there and say there’s demand for a coffee shop,” Lebert said.

In September, Lebert started a called ‘Cleveland Park Needs a Coffee Shop.’ On it, he now interacts frequently with local Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, people who live and work in Cleveland Park and even the regional chain Compass Coffee.

“His Twitter account has really caught on because there’s such a high demand for [a coffee shop],” said Bob Ward, Cleveland Park Smart Growth chair.

Cleveland Park was once home to multiple coffee shops — including the first Starbucks on the East Coast, which .��

For Lebert, the closest coffee shop is a Starbucks in Van Ness. The trip is about 12 minutes one way, which Lebert said is not feasible when going out on his lunch break. The closest independent cafe to Lebert is further north in Van Ness, requiring an even longer bus ride.��

Alongside a convenient caffeine fix, Lebert said a nearby coffee shop could also offer an alternative workspace in a city full of teleworkers. As of August, over half of the District reported working from home at least part of the week, according to the .

Such a workspace would benefit Cassandra Hetherington, manager of the District Bridges Cleveland Park Main Street program. Hetherington does not have an office in Cleveland Park and said she works out of whichever business lets her stay and use its internet when in the neighborhood.

“Every person that talks about what Cleveland Park needs, [a coffee shop] is really the first thing that they say,” Hetherington said.

Lebert said he hopes the movement has started conversations on how to bring new businesses to Cleveland Park, which has seen multiple neighborhood shops close recently.��

“The coffee shop is part of this broader goal of bringing some growth and life to Cleveland Park,” Lebert said.��

The neighborhood has multiple available lots well suited for a cafe, partially due to said recent closures, according to Lebert and Ward. These spaces are all on Cleveland Park’s main street near the Cleveland Park Metro station.

A few examples include the recently closed Al Volo restaurant space with its large outdoor patio. The former California Tortilla shop inside the historic Sam’s Park and Shop also has both a patio and a large indoor seating capacity.

The lot once home to St. Arnold’s Mussel Bar is another potential location with its large windows and seating options both indoors and outdoors. The retail space currently being added to the Macklin apartment building will include a public seating area “perfect” for a coffee shop, Ward said.��

“We have no shortage of places to put a coffee shop,” Ward said. “We just need an intrepid investor who’s willing to take a risk on Cleveland Park.”

While the neighborhood is open to whichever coffee shop comes first, there is a preference for a local D.C. brand. Lebert said it would fit well in the neighborhood, which is already home to many locally owned shops and restaurants.

“So many of the best coffee shops in the city are run by people who come from the city, live in the city, and that would be nice to see,” Lebert said.��

While some of Cleveland Park’s restaurants do have coffee on their menus, Lebert said these offerings are not the same as a sit-down cafe. To him, the desire for a full coffee shop is also about “so much more than just the coffee.”

Lebert said a coffee shop is an important “third place” — a term in sociology referring to a social setting outside the home or work — where people can work, meet with friends and further connect to the community. Studies these third places increase civic engagement and establish a sense of neighborhood belonging.

“A coffee shop really is one of those things that can bring a community together,” Ward said.

These benefits may soon be coming to Cleveland Park, as local officials take more interest in the calls for a cafe.

Tammy Gordon, the ANC 3C06 candidate, is running on a platform that includes bringing a coffee shop to Cleveland Park. A resident of the community for over a decade, she wants a local cafe just as much as her neighbors.

“We’re all wanting to walk up the street and get a great latte during the day,” Gordon said. “That’s just not something that really is offered.”

Gordon said her approach to bringing a coffee shop to the neighborhood would be two-fold. She plans on working with ANCs and the broader District government to make Cleveland Park as “business friendly as possible.” This includes advocating for legislation and zoning that attracts business owners to the neighborhood.

Gordon said her experience in public relations and marketing within the restaurant industry could also help secure a coffee shop in the community.

“One of the best things I can do is be an evangelist for the Cleveland Park neighborhood,” Gordon said.��

This includes utilizing her contacts in the hospitality industry and publicizing how much the neighborhood wants a coffee shop. Gordon said she could connect business owners to landlords, the main street association or other ANC commissioners to “help make their entry into Cleveland Park easier.”

“We’re really looking for that kind of business to come in and invest in our community and we want to invest in them,” Gordon said.

The post ‘Cleveland Park needs a coffee shop’ movement gains steam first appeared on 91����.

Groups including Ward 3 Housing Justice and the Wardman Hotel Strategy Team are petitioning officials across District departments to further assess the project’s potential to meet community housing needs. The advocates have already done this themselves, developing independent housing concepts and architectural reviews of the former hotel.��

“We’ve talked about doing a presentation to the [D.C.] Council staff, to all the council members, to try and let them understand why we’re thinking this way,” said Robin Diener, a member of WHST.

Located next to the Woodley Park Metro station, the Wardman Park Hotel closed in January 2021 after its owners filed for bankruptcy. The property was sold at auction to real estate firm Carmel Partners for $152 million the following winter.

Carmel Partners plans to demolish the vacant hotel and build two apartment buildings with a total of 900 units. In accordance with district inclusionary zoning requirements, the developer will include 72 affordable housing units at the Wardman site — 8% of the total occupancy.��

The project has “incredible potential” to provide more affordable housing in northwest D.C., said Margaret Dwyer, convenor of W3HJ. Dwyer said affordable units are accessible to people earning up to 60% of the District’s median family income. That equals a family of four making .

“There’s really very little family housing [in Ward 3],” Dwyer said. “There’s very little housing for folks who work hard and […] can’t live at the Wardman with these luxury apartments.”

Ward 3 Housing Justice and the Wardman Hotel Strategy Team believe more affordable units can be added to the project through further government oversight.

This includes Large Tract Review, a process administered by the city’s Office of Planning to assess a project’s potential neighborhood, quality of life and environmental impacts. Dwyer said the review would help community voices be heard and promote additional affordable units at the Wardman.��

“It could only be good for the community,” Dwyer said.

While a Large Tract Review is required on a development site three acres or larger, it has not been conducted at the Wardman due to a dispute over the project’s eligibility.

“It seems to me that it is illegal not to have performed it,” Diener said.

A spokesperson for the Office of Planning said the development project covers just under 2.8 acres. Conversely, Carmel Partners’ to the Historic Preservation Review Board in January describes the work site as 9.5 acres. An independent review from architect Jim Schulman, provided to 91���� by Diener, estimated the project would impact at least seven acres.

“The building that is being torn down is 4.75 acres alone,” Diener said.

The Office of Planning said it would not conduct an LTR at the Wardman unless the work site grows larger than three acres or commercial use projects like offices or retail spaces are added.

While an LTR cannot require an increase in affordable housing units, advocates believe the process would bring more pressure from city officials.��

The Office of Planning said while it encouraged the developers to provide more affordable housing units, “Carmel Partners has consistently stated their intention” to provide the minimum 8%.��

“They never were really interested in looking at what the city needs in terms of affordable housing,” said Meg Maguire, chair of Northwest Opportunity Partners Community Development Corporation.

Carmel Partners did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

NWOPCDC previously developed an for the Wardman, which projected the site could have 500 affordable units. This would have met a fourth of the city’s goals for affordable housing in the area.

The District’s affordable housing goals

When Mayor Muriel Bowser announced citywide affordable housing goals in 2019, the Rock Creek West area had the highest at 1,990 units built by 2025. District officials believe they can add even more, up to 2,400 units, according to the 2021 .

Some members of W3HJ and WHST disagree.��

“The programs that we have now, the tools that we have now, aren’t up to that task,” Dwyer said.

Halfway to 2025, 69 affordable units — or 3.5% of the goal — have been created in Rock Creek West, according to a last updated in September.

“We’re going to need creative thinking and action [from the city] to seize [affordable housing] opportunities when we have them,” Maguire said.

The Rock Creek West roadmap estimates the largest share of affordable units will come from converting existing buildings. The Wardman is identified as an “opportunity site.”

“Why have a beautiful goal of basically 2,000 new units of affordable housing and then not do everything possible to reach that goal?” Dwyer said.

Interior demolition has already begun at the Wardman, according to the Office of Planning spokesperson. A Woodley Park Community Association newsletter from Aug. 28 stated Carmel Partners advised the group exterior demolition would begin in September. As of Oct. 9, exterior demolition has not begun.

The post Wardman site can still help city’s affordable housing goals, advocates say first appeared on 91����.

Van Thof is raising suicide awareness in other ways on her own. She places stickers around the neighborhood and its bridges reading “Don’t Jump.” An embedded QR code leads to a memorial website with an calling for the suicide barriers.��  

She continues to try to get in touch with city council members and Mayor Muriel Bowser to share the story of her late partner Dr. Peter Tripp.

Tripp, 29, died by suicide at the Taft Bridge on April 13.��

“Peter in life was so much more than everything I can say about him in death,” Van Thof said.��

The veterinarian loved to read fantasy and philosophy books and play board games. He was the oldest brother of four. Van Thof said Tripp was an “avid” platelet donor and also donated bone marrow and stem cells.

Tripp had no documented history of mental illness, did not voice concerns or struggles to his partner and had never sought mental health support, Van Thof said. If a barrier had been on the bridge, Van Thof said she believes Tripp could have received help.

“Successful suicides are impulse decisions, and that’s why this barrier is so important,” Van Thof said. “I know that if it was there, it would have cut through that impulse for Peter.” 

After recent media coverage on the barrier movement, Van Thof said she is optimistic and “definitely seeing progress.”

“It seems like there’s a lot more support than negativity,” Van Thof said.��

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is now working with her to spread awareness and lobby the necessary local politicians. Getting the word out now will hopefully streamline the project later, Van Thof said.

 “When there is an action step my goal really is to have all of D.C. behind it,” Van Thof said.��

The first step is funding, Van Thof said, followed by approval from various city and federal groups. The city then must hold public hearings to gather public opinion on the project.��

Van Thof was told it could take six months to start the process, but said she thinks it will take a couple of years before construction begins.��

“It’s going to be a long road, but it’s better to know that now and I don’t really care how long it takes,” Van Thof said.

A D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner investigation found 50% of deaths by suicide involving a bridge between January 2010 and June 2022 occurred at the Taft Bridge, ANC 3C Commissioner Janell Pagats .

The project has earned support from some members of local government

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3C passed in favor of the barriers on June 22. The resolution noted barriers were built on the nearby Duke Ellington Bridge in 1986, a decrease in suicides there. Plans to build similar fencing on the Taft Bridge were made around the same time but “delayed and subsequently abandoned,” according to the resolution.

ANC 1C passed the on July 20, after Pagats shared it with ANC 1C Commissioner Fiona Clem. While a majority of the Taft Bridge falls under ANC 3C, a portion is zoned in ANC 1C.

“The bottom line is that we did this to support our neighbor,” Clem said.��

The commissioner said she believes the ANCs’ support is critical. The resolution shows “if and when” D.C. Council pursues the project, the neighbors who would be affected are behind it, Clem said.�� 

Like Van Thof, Clem is aware the project could take a long time.

“Changing infrastructure in Washington D.C. takes a while,” Clem said.

A DDOT spokesperson said currently, there are no plans to install suicide barriers on Taft Bridge, citing “extensive coordination” needed between the Commission of Fine Arts, the National Capital Planning Commission, National Park Service and State Historic Preservation Office.�� 

CFA Secretary Thomas Luebke stated in an email the organization looks forward to reviewing a design but first needs DDOT to submit a proposal.

In addition to CFA approval, Clem said D.C. Council needs to approve the project and the resulting legislation would then need approval from Congress.��

A spokesperson for D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) said Cheh thinks it is “a good idea worth exploring” and “urges” the mayor to consider funding sources.

“Barriers on bridges save lives,” said Jill Harkavy-Friedman, senior vice president of research at AFSP.��

Harkavy-Friedman stated in an email bridge barriers reduce the number of suicide deaths by 40% to 100%, depending on the location and structure.��

“Currently, the most effective tool we have for reducing the number of suicide deaths is by limiting access to lethal means because that allows time for the crisis to de-escalate and for help to arrive,” Harkavy-Friedman said.

The researcher also said studies have shown full-length barriers do not lead to suicides on nearby bridges or by other methods. A in Australia found these barriers are cost-effective. Conducted across the country, it reported a return of $2.40 for every $1 invested over 10 years on top of reduced suicide rates.�� 

After barriers are installed on Taft Bridge, Van Thof said she will turn her focus to “the rest of the bridges that kill people in D.C.” and work to pass the . Introduced in Congress last year, the bill establishes a U.S. Department of Transportation program to install bridge barriers nationwide.

“I wish none of it was necessary,” Van Thof said. “I wish I wasn’t here doing this, but this is what [Tripp] would want. This is how good of a person he was, that he would do something like this.”

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