Calling the Geese Police — Don’t be surprised if you spot border collies dressed in bright yellow vests adorned with “Working Dog” and “Geese Police of D.C.” on the National Mall. The dogs are part of an effort led by National Park Service to scatter geese that are leaving excessive droppings near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and elsewhere. [NBC Washington]
Honoring the Capitol Police ‘Gentle Giant’ — Thousands of people gathered at the National Law Enforcement Memorial this week to honor 273 police officers who died in the line of duty last year. Among them was U.S. Capitol Police Sgt. Clinton Holtz, who died after he collapsed on the job in January 2014. [Washington Post]
Four Decades of Art on Capitol Hill — WTOP has a profile of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, which has run community art sessions for kids and adults for 43 years. [WTOP]
Bike to Work Day — Did you participate in Bike to Work Day on Capitol Hill, NoMa, Navy Yard or elsewhere in Ward 6? You can share your photos with us via Facebook and Twitter.
A Navy Yard resident who fixes bicycles across Capitol Hill is fundraising to turn a food truck into a bike repair truck.
Peter Buck, the Navy chief petty officer who owns the “mobile pop-up business” Handy Bikes DC, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for a new “self-contained, efficient and agile mobile bicycle repair truck,” he said on his fundraising website.
“Think food truck, without the food,” the site says.
Since he started his business in 2013, Buck found that his pickup truck and trailer — which together stretch 38 feet in length — aren’t ideal for maneuvering through D.C. streets and parking on them. He usually sets up evenings and weekends near 1st and K streets SE, offering services that include a $10 flat tire repair and a $59 basic tune-up.
Buck, 33, said he would like to move throughout the District with a vehicle similar to a food truck. But mobility with his current setup is a “little untenable,” he said.
“The execution was a bit lacking,” Buck said.
So far, Buck has raised more than $3,600 from 51 backers. His goal is $8,500 by May 31.
If he doesn’t reach his goal, Buck said he will continue to fix bicycles and try to raise money again.
“This business is not going to fold,” he said.
Photo via Kickstarter/Handy Bikes DC
(Updated at 5:15 p.m.) Navy Yard and Southwest are among the most popular destinations for Capital Bikeshare riders in the District.
Four Bikeshare locations in the neighborhoods are among the top 10 D.C. stations to park a bicycle, according to a District, Measured study of Bikeshare and D.C. Office of Planning data released today. District, Measured analyzed data starting with 2011.
The station at 7th and Water streets SW was the No. 3 most popular destination station in the District, followed by 3rd and Tingey streets SE (at No. 6), New Jersey Avenue and M Street SE (at No. 8) and 4th and E streets SW (at No. 10).
The most common use for Bikeshare is traveling to work, according to District, Measured.
Overall, a station at the Georgetown Harbor was the most popular destination station.
District, Measured calculated the percentage of rides that were arrivals and departures for each stop in D.C. to see which stations were favored as destinations. Taking into account only Bikeshare checkouts, however, stops at Union Station, Dupont Circle and the Lincoln Memorial are the busiest, according to the organization.
If you want to learn more about commuting by bike or just want to meet other cyclists, there’s an event for you this weekend in Hill East.
The 5th Street NW shop BicycleSPACE is hosting a cherry blossom-inspired “Blossom Brunch” event at Curbside Cafe on Sunday.
Biking experts will be on hand at the free event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to answer questions about how to bike better in the District.
“The Blossom Brunch is a casual open house where current cyclists can impart information and inspiration to help introduce new people to bicycling,” the company said in a statement.
BicycleSPACE will open three new stores in D.C. this year, at 1512 Okie St. NE in Ivy City, at 440 K St. NW downtown and at 2424 18th St. NW in Adams Morgan.
Reservations for the event at 257 15th St. SE can be made online.
Image via Facebook/BicycleSPACE
(Updated at 5 p.m. on March 23) Veteran bike commuters and those who want to start pedaling to work will get VIP treatment in Ward 6 for Bike to Work Day.
Riders will be able to grab free food, drinks and T-shirts, rain or shine, at the Eastern Market Metro Plaza, Canal Park in Navy Yard and at 1150 First St. NE in NoMa. The event Friday, May 15 is free, but shirts only are available to the first 14,000 people who register online.
The event is intended to encourage bike commuting, which is easier than driving or taking public transportation for many Capitol Hill residents, said Colin Browne, spokesman for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, a lead sponsor of the event. He cut his own commuting time from 30 minutes to just 9 minutes when he began to bike from his Capitol Hill home to a previous job near 2nd and C streets NE.
“It was certainly the fastest way to get around the Hill,” Browne said.
The Eastern Market Metro Plaza and Canal Park pit stops will run from 7 to 9 a.m. on Bike to Work Day. The NoMa pit stop is open from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
About 300 people stopped by the Eastern Market pit stop last year, said Kelly Maslar, a spokeswoman for the Capitol Hill Business Improvement District, which has run the stopover since 2011.
Last year, the pit stop had granola bars and bananas from Harris Teeter, coffee from Peregrine Espresso and bike experts on hand from Capitol Hill Bikes. Workers from the bike shop will be at the pit stop again this year, and the Capitol Hill BID still is trying to confirm other sponsors, Maslar said.
The NoMa pit stop also will have breakfast food and local bicycle experts, said Rachel Davis, spokeswoman for the NoMa Business Improvement District, which has had the stopover since 2011. NoMa BID is hoping for more than 500 bicyclists to visit its pit stop, she said.
“We really appreciate bikers,” Davis said.
A representative of the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District, which is running the third pit stop, wasn’t immediately available to comment.
Photo via CharlesAllenDC.com
Streetcar ‘Flash Fire’ — A brief “flash fire” broke out atop an H Street streetcar about 11:45 p.m. Saturday. DDOT officials called the fire an isolated incident but didn’t provide additional information. [Washington Post]
More Bike Lanes Coming — Several stretches of new bike lanes are set to be created on the Hill this year, including near Union Station. [Greater Greater Washington]
Southwest Waterfront Transformation — Washington City Paper dug into how The Wharf redevelopment will change Southwest. “People are going to start to realize that the water’s what they’ve been missing,” one developer said. [Washington City Paper]
Carjackings and Car Thefts Are Up District-Wide — Police are investigating a wave of carjackings and car thefts. Two of the four young people charged earlier this month with carjackings on the Hill and in NoMa are believed to be responsible for additional crimes. [Washington Post]
Heads up, Capital Bikeshare users.
Some features of the bike-sharing service will be disrupted starting Tuesday night, as the operators update the system. The Capital Bikeshare software will be upgraded starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, officials announced. The work could last just 16 hours (until 11 a.m. Wednesday) or as long as 24 hours (until 7 p.m. Wednesday).
Here are the parts of service the operators expect will be affected:
Credit card rentals will not be available at Capital Bikeshare stations
Key-holding members (annual, monthly, daily key) will not be able to rent bikes from the same station more than once during the upgrade process. However, these members will still be able to rent bikes from one station and drop them off at the same or another station
New memberships or renewals will not be available on the Capital Bikeshare website (www.capitalbikeshare.com)
Updates on station and bike availability will not be generated for websites, maps and mobile apps (including Spotcycle)
The “time credit” feature will not be available at Capital Bikeshare stations
For more information, see the Capital BikeShare website. Any updates will be announced via their Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Median Income by Metro Stop — A map made at MIT shows median household income near each Metro station, according to 2009-2013 Census Bureau data. Eastern Market: $110,682. Potomac Avenue: $75,729. NoMa-Gallaudet University: $60,467. [MIT/Washington Post]
More Details on Suspected H Street Bus Gunman — The man charged with opening fire on the X2 bus last week is said to be involved with the gang TreSeven, according to authorities and court documents. Detectives used Facebook to find him. [Washington Post]
Where Pedestrians and Cyclists Get Hit — A new map by Washington City Paper tracks where pedestrians and bikers have been hit by cars this year. The count thus far is 29 people. [Washington City Paper]
Pop-Up Primer — WAMU has a simple guide on the city’s rules about home additions and what changes are in the works. [WAMU]
Hill residents can weigh in soon on a price increase being considered by Capital Bikeshare officials.
An open house on the Bikeshare system will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 28 at Martin Luther King Jr. Library (901 G St. NW).
A $10 increase to annual membership is being considered, with a boost from $75 to $85. The price for one-day use would be raised by a dollar, from $7 to $8.
“Even with the $10 increase, the proposed rate is much lower than other major metropolitan U.S. systems like New York ($149) and on par with Boston ($85); and will help us continue to provide the highest quality service for the first and, by station count, largest bikeshare system in the country,” a notice about the meeting says.
Locals who are unable to attend the feedback session can offer input by emailing [email protected]. Comments will be accepted through Feb. 15.
(Updated at 10 a.m.) A man riding his bike on the 700 block of 7th Street SE was stabbed by a boy yesterday afternoon.
Police said the man was biking about 4:55 p.m. Tuesday, a block west of Rose’s Luxury and the Barracks Row commercial strip. A juvenile he did not know approached him, stabbed him in the chest and then fled north on 8th Street SE — toward the Eastern Market Metro station — with a group of youth, police said.
The boy did not try to steal anything from the victim during the unprovoked attack, First District Commander Jeff Brown said.
The victim received non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital.
Brown described the suspect as a black male who was wearing a red jacket and black pants at the time of the crime. The First District Detectives Unit is investigating.
A woman riding a bike was struck by a car Monday afternoon near Mt. Vernon Square, the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department said.
The woman, whose age was not released, was riding on 5th Street NW about 2:15 p.m. when she was hit on the 900 block of the street, near I Street NW, a FEMS spokesman said.
The cyclist was rushed to an area hospital. The extent of her injuries was not immediately known.
