Metro board members mentioned Thursday they oppose a plan that might make bus service free within the District, aligning themselves with a competing mission as metropolis and Metro leaders chart a path ahead throughout a pandemic that has reshaped transit.
Washington, D.C
Metro deals blow to fare-free bus plan in win for Bowser
The choice of Metro board members to throw their assist behind a Bowser-backed revamp of the Okay Avenue NW hall — on the expense of free bus service — is a political win for the mayor after the mission was almost left for useless. It comes within the fourth 12 months of a pandemic that has altered commuting patterns and prompted cities nationwide to weigh the way forward for their transit and street networks.
Whereas Metro Board Chairman Paul C. Smedberg mentioned the company is asking for a one-year delay within the free-bus program, the board’s letter additionally indicated {that a} program targeted on a single jurisdiction is unlikely to realize Metro’s assist. The letter famous that this system would create a big distinction in how the transit system, which additionally serves Maryland and Virginia, operates inside District boundaries.
“We function a regional system, and selections about fare coverage needs to be made as a area,” Smedberg wrote within the letter. “Thus, we plan to convene regional companions on this matter.”
Bowser has opposed making Metrobus service free within the metropolis, citing the prices and a necessity for extra evaluation, whereas supporting a Okay Avenue Transitway mission that might dedicate bus lanes alongside downtown’s primary east-west artery. Most members of the D.C. Council argued the mission was outdated in the course of the pandemic period, choosing sponsored bus service for riders as the very best use of metropolis cash.
However three days after Bowser launched a public marketing campaign to shift sentiment among the many public and council members, Metro’s board despatched the letter to Bowser and the council, saying it “doesn’t imagine now could be the correct time to have interaction in discussions with the District in regards to the zero-fare program.” Bowser didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Thursday’s developments got here months after the D.C. Council voted unanimously, over Bowser’s objection, to waive bus fares in D.C. As Metro faces a looming funds deficit of greater than $700 million in its 2025 fiscal 12 months, transit leaders might quickly want assist from Bowser — and political leaders in Virginia and Maryland — to ask for a whole bunch of thousands and thousands extra in annual subsidies.
Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), who had launched the fare-free proposal, mentioned the funding D.C. would have offered was in extra of what Metro now collects within the metropolis.
“It represents a one-year delay,” Allen mentioned. “That’s one 12 months of telling D.C. staff, D.C. riders, low-income residents that they’re not a precedence. However I’m going to proceed to struggle for this. We all know it’s the correct factor to do.”
The fare-free plan, dubbed Metro for D.C., has withstood at the least one main postponement.
Allen first pitched the concept in March 2020 on the steps of Metropolis Corridor, initially proposing that every one D.C. residents obtain $100 a month in SmarTrip fare credit score. Two weeks later, the proposal was shelved as metropolis leaders targeted on a pandemic that rose the profile of public transit, which shuttled low-income and important staff to jobs as many others labored from dwelling.
Allen resurrected the proposal final 12 months, gaining the assist of most council members, however Metro advised Allen and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) that administering a transit credit score program can be too troublesome.
Metro Board Member Tracy Hadden Loh and Normal Supervisor Randy Clarke then got here up with the plan to waive bus fares — an indication Allen mentioned he took as their assist. Mendelson then altered the proposal to make Metrobus free, fairly than providing the month-to-month credit, which he mentioned additionally would have price an excessive amount of.
“That is irritating to have [Metro] take this stance when this was one thing they dropped at us in November,” Allen mentioned. “They shared the funds numbers with us, and we went out and funded it.”
Bowser lobbied council members to vote towards the proposal final 12 months, saying it wanted extra price evaluation. D.C.’s chief monetary officer then advised council members in February that town’s monetary fortunes had shifted and town wasn’t projected to have the funds for to fund this system.
Mendelson fought the evaluation with the assistance of a ruling from the Legal professional Normal’s Workplace that the council might transfer ahead with this system. Bowser countered by leaving the fare-free program off her fiscal 2024 funds draft in March, forcing council members to search out cash to fund the service.
Allen introduced a proposal final week to allocate $153 million over 4 years for Metro for D.C., taking from the $116 million earmarked for the Okay Avenue Transitway and $10.3 million in recurring working funds designated for public works. The cash would cowl a lot of the fare-free program’s prices for 4 years.
However at a funds work session Wednesday, a number of council members raised questions in regards to the fare-free proposal, together with about funding and the way an objection from Metro might alter the plan.
Allen mentioned a number of the hesitancy gave the impression to be associated to how a lot regional enter the plan ought to have from different jurisdictions within the area.
“I feel that what you’re actually going to see are Virginia and Maryland board members making an attempt to resolve what the District is allowed to do,” Allen mentioned.
Jeffrey McKay, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, mentioned he agreed with Metro’s determination, including that any modifications to fare construction needs to be made on a regional stage.
“If the District needs to do that they need to work with the opposite jurisdictions whether it is achieved via Metro since we’re all compact companions,” he wrote in a textual content message.
Mendelson mentioned he didn’t take the board’s letter as a “no,” reiterating the transit company indicated the proposal needs to be delay for a 12 months, when, he famous, town can be contemplating its fiscal 2025 funds. With that timeframe in thoughts, Mendelson mentioned he was hopeful the fare-free bus plan might come into fruition by the tip of 2024.
“I feel it’s fairly clear that we’re going to must delay it a 12 months. I discover that unlucky and disappointing,” he mentioned. “Alternatively, the prospect of regional dialogue of fare-free bus service, regionally, is interesting. However to ensure that us to realize fare-free bus service within the District, the Metro board has to go alongside.”
Mendelson mentioned he hadn’t but decided what this implies for the council’s broader funds formulation efforts, however he doubled down on his earlier feedback that the deliberate Okay Avenue Transitway was “primarily based on pre-pandemic commuter patters than are not relevant” and will harm downtown revitalization efforts within the brief time period. He declined to take a position on whether or not he would restore funds to the Okay Avenue mission as he drafts a model of the funds for a council vote in mid-Might.
Allen mentioned he had no plans to desert his proposal. He mentioned he’ll hunt down elected officers in Maryland and Virginia to work on a regional proposal as a result of “it’s the correct factor to do.”
“If what I’m listening to from some of us in Maryland, Virginia is true, they usually actually do wish to do that regionally, the District will but once more be the chief and drive the dialog to the place it must be to have a complete regional fare-free bus system.”
Washington, D.C
As Trump inauguration is moved indoors, tourists in DC say they just ‘wanted to be a part of it’ – WTOP News
Due to the expected freezing temperatures on Monday, the 60th inauguration was moved to inside the U.S. The Capitol and the inaugural parade will now be taking place at Capital One Arena.
More than a quarter of a million tickets were handed out for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday.
Due to the expected freezing temperatures, the 60th inauguration was moved inside the U.S. Capitol and the inaugural parade will now be taking place at Capital One Arena.
Now, hundreds of thousands of people are not only looking for things to do while they are visiting the nation’s capital, they are also hoping to find the perfect spot to view Trump take the oath of office.
If you are wondering why some don’t scrap their plans and watch from home, money may be an issue.
Madison Jones and her friends traveled from North Carolina for the inauguration. Jones told WTOP that she is paying $1,600 for a two-night stay in D.C. She hopes she will be able to attend Sunday’s Trump rally at Capital One Arena.
“Main thing is listening to him speak and sightseeing,” Jones said.
While a lot of those that call the D.C. area home only visit the tourist sites in D.C. when they have friends or family in town, Brandon Moore and his friends from Ohio fit in a year’s worth of sightseeing.
“We went to the Capitol and walked around. The Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the Bible Museum. Just about anything we could get to we went inside,” said Moore.
Moore hopes the inaugural tickets he received from Vice President-elect JD Vance’s senate office will get him into the Capital One Arena. If not, Moore said he and his friends will make the best of it.
A lot of the folks in town are taking in the Memorials and monuments, including Stacey Rayford. He and his friends came to town from Louisiana after snagging inaugural tickets from the office of Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
“It’s going to be a historic event on multiple levels, and we wanted to be part of it,” Rayford said.
While he is not sure where they will watch the swearing-in ceremony, Rayford told WTOP he knows the type of place he wants.
“We’re going to find somewhere warm and some good food to eat, and hopefully have an opportunity to socialize with some of the people we have things in common with,” said Rayford.
An hour after their plane landed, 21-year-old LeBron Maverevedze and his father wanted to witness Trump become the 47th President of the United States, which may be surprising to some, considering they are both Canadian.
“The United States President is considered the president of the world, since it’s a superpower. So, we all have to support whoever is gonna be inaugurated,” Maverevedze said.
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Washington, D.C
Preparations underway in DMV for snowstorm
Local and state snow crews are preparing to treat secondary and neighborhood streets throughout D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
“It’s me and three other fellas, so it’s fairly small,” said Jason Swain with the Department of Public Works in Kensington Maryland.
He says his team may be small, but they’re mighty and ready.
“We get the plows ready, make sure everything’s working,” Swain said. “We have salt, which has been kindly given to us by the state, ready to put into the spreaders.”
He says the biggest hurdle when plowing snow, oftentimes, is cars.
“Some people don’t have driveways, but if they’re going to park on the street, try not to park directly across from each other because when we come through, you literally got inches between the edge of our plow and the cars,” Swain said.
In the District, plenty of people decided to step out before snow crews put plow to pavement for a potential all day snow event.
“Mayor Bowser activated the snow team, and they’ll begin their operations tonight, treating and then plowing roads throughout the day tomorrow,” said Clint Osborn with the District’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.
D.C.’s smaller plows will be on back roads and alleys, while heavy trucks will focus on primary streets.
“We’ll have a full deployment out throughout all day tomorrow into Monday as we support the inaugural activities in the District,” Osborn said.
Icy conditions in Prince George’s County during the region’s last snowstorm led to different strategies this go round.
In a statement, the county’s Department of Public Works and Transportation says, “We have implemented adjustments to strengthen our response, and these improvements have prepared us for this round of winter weather.”
The biggest piece of advice for tomorrow:
“Tomorrow would be a good day, since it’s a Sunday, to stay home,” Swain said. “Read a book, have some hot chocolate, relax. Can come out after we finish.”
Washington, D.C
Days before Trump takes office, thousands of protestors march in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of people from around the United States rallied in the nation’s capital Saturday for women’s reproductive rights and other causes they believe are under threat from the incoming Trump administration, reprising the original Women’s March days before President-elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
READ MORE: Trump arriving in nation’s capital for inaugural celebrations to mark his return to power
Eight years after the first historic Women’s March at the start of Trump’s first term, marchers said they were caught off guard by Trump’s victory and are determined now to show that support remains strong for women’s access to abortion, for transgender people, for combating climate change and other issues.
The march is just one of several protests, rallies and vigils focused on abortion, rights, immigration rights and the Israel-Hamas war planned in advance of inauguration Monday. Around the country, over 350 similar marches are taking place in every state.
Jill Parrish of Austin, Texas, said she initially bought a plane ticket to Washington for what she expected to be Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris’s inauguration. She wound up changing the dates to march in protest ahead of Trump’s swearing-in instead, saying the world should know that half of U.S. voters didn’t support Trump.
“Most importantly, I’m here to demonstrate my fear, about the state of our democracy,” Parrish said.
Demonstrators staged in squares around Washington ahead of the march, pounding drums and yelling chants under a slate-gray sky and in a chilly wind. Protesters then marched to the Lincoln Memorial for larger rally and fair, where organizations at the local, state and national level will host information tables.
They held signs with slogans including, “Save America” and “Against abortions? Then don’t have one” and “Hate won’t win.”
There were brief moments of tension between protesters and Trump supporters. The march paused briefly when a man in a red Make America Great Again hat and a green camo backpack walked into a line of demonstrators at the front. Police intervened and separated him from the group peacefully as marchers chanted “We won’t take the bait.”
As the protesters approached the Washington Monument, a small group of men in MAGA hats walking in the opposite direction appeared to draw the attention of a protest leader with a megaphone. The leader veered closer to the group and began chanting “No Trump, no KKK” through the megaphone. The groups were separated by high black fencing and police officers eventually gathered around.
Rick Glatz, of Manchester, New Hampshire, said he came to Washington for the sake of his four granddaughters: ” I’m a grandpa. And that’s why I’m marching.”
Minnesota high school teacher Anna Bergman wore her original pink pussy hat from her time in the 2017 Women’s March, a moment that captured the shock and anger of progressives and moderates at Trump’s first win.
With Trump coming back now, “I just wanted to be surrounded by likeminded people on a day like today,” Bergman said.
Rebranded and reorganized, the rally has a new name — the People’s March — as a means to broaden support, especially during a reflective moment for progressive organizing after Trump’s decisive win in November. The Republican takes the oath of office Monday.
Women outraged over Trump’s 2016 presidential win flocked to Washington in 2017 and organized large rallies in cities throughout the country, building the base of a grassroots movement that became known as the Women’s March. The Washington rally alone attracted over 500,000 marchers, and millions more participated in local marches around the country, marking one of the largest single-day demonstrations in U.S. history.
This year, the crowd was far fewer than the expected 50,000 participants, already just one-tenth the size of the first march. The demonstration comes amid a restrained moment of reflection as many progressive voters navigate feelings of exhaustion, disappointment and despair after Harris’ loss.
WATCH: Harris loss causes some to question what it will take to elect a woman president
“Before we do anything about democracy, we have to fight our own despair,” said one of the event’s first speakers, Rachel O’Leary Carmona, executive director of Women’s March.
The comparative quiet contrasts sharply with the white-knuckled fury of the inaugural rally as massive crowds shouted demands over megaphones and marched in pink pussyhats in response to Trump’s first election win.
“The reality is that it’s just hard to capture lightning in a bottle,” said Tamika Middleton, managing director at the Women’s March. “It was a really particular moment. In 2017, we had not seen a Trump presidency and the kind of vitriol that that represented.”
The movement fractured after that hugely successful day of protests over accusations that it was not diverse enough. This year’s rebrand as a People’s March is the result of an overhaul intended to broaden the group’s appeal. Saturday’s demonstration promoted themes related to feminism, racial justice, anti-militarization and other issues and ended with discussions hosted by various social justice organizations.
The People’s March is unusual in the “vast array of issues brought together under one umbrella,” said Jo Reger, a sociology professor who researches social movements at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Women’s suffrage marches, for example, were focused on a specific goal of voting rights.
For a broad-based social justice movement such as the march, conflicting visions are impossible to avoid and there is “immense pressure” for organizers to meet everyone’s needs, Reger said. But she also said some discord isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“Often what it does is bring change and bring in new perspectives, especially of underrepresented voices,” Reger said.
Middleton, of the Women’s March, said a massive demonstration like the one in 2017 was not the goal of Saturday’s event. Instead, it’s goal was focusing attention on a broader set of issues — women’s and reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, immigration, climate and democracy — rather than centering it more narrowly around Trump.
“We’re not thinking about the march as the endgame,” Middleton said. “How do we get those folks who show up into organizations and into their political homes so they can keep fighting in their communities long term?”
Associated Press writers Gary Fields, Ellen Knickmeyer and Mike Pesoli contributed to this report.
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