Some updates about my availability, Sherman Circle, and more

Exciting news and an opportunity to serve

Friends,

This will be a shorter post, but I wanted to share a few quick personal updates plus a quick traffic safety update. First - my wife and I are due for baby #2 in a few weeks! As of early/mid-June, our son Manu will become a big brother and we are very excited to welcome his little sister into our home!

I wanted to make sure you all were aware, because I will probably be paying less attention to my ANC emails and be more difficult to reach for a little while this summer. Please, if you need something from me this June or July, feel free to email me but also copy two of our other commissioners, our wonderful Chair Anthony Pirrotti, at 4D08@anc.dc.gov and my neighboring commissioner, Chrysanthe “CC” Courniotes at 4D04@anc.dc.gov. That way hopefully they will be able to help with any ANC issues that come up if I’m not able to.

Sherman Circle & other traffic safety issues

At last week’s ANC 4D meeting, Acting DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum joined to present highlights from the Mayor’s budget and take questions.

I had the opportunity to ask her about whether DDOT planned further traffic safety improvements at Sherman Circle, something I’ve written about a few times, including here and here. I also asked about DDOT’s wavering commitment to building out a safe bike network for the families in DC (including mine!) who get around on a bicycle. Watch here:

On Sherman Circle, Acting Dir. Kershbaum’s answer was encouraging - she assured our community that it is on DDOT’s list to get to once they are done with Grant Circle. That’s what we asked for, and I hope it means in the coming year or so we will have the opportunity to hear designs from DDOT about a new, safer Sherman Circle.

On the bike network, Acting Dir. Kershbaum pointed to work the District has already done, as well as some work that is underway, and she disputed the idea that DDOT is not committed to building safe streets for people traveling by micromobility. That said, I didn’t come away feeling much better about this issue than I did going in. With two major bike lane projects in the city cancelled over the last year or so, and Acting Dir. Kershbaum announcing that DDOT is inexplicably abandoning the work it previously did to plan the moveDC bike network, I think the wait for a complete safe bike network for DC’s families is going to be a long one. I think that’s a tragedy for safety, I think it’s a tragedy for DC’s sustainability goals, and I think it’s a tragedy for our ability to build more housing with a transportation system to accommodate new neighbors.

I am going to be on parental leave and I’m not sure whether I’m going to be able to make it, but if any of you are interested in providing testimony to the Council about the direction of DDOT during Acting Dir. Kershbaum’s confirmation hearings, you can testify on June 20.

Last, ANC 4D unanimously adopted my resolution concerning Allison St. and continuing to call for broader safety changes at the Kansas / Allison / 8th St. intersection. Look forward to continued DDOT engagement at this crucial intersection in the short and medium term.

Are *you* interested in being an ANC?

The last update that I wanted to share is that I do not plan to run again for this position. It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve my community as a Commissioner, and I’ll try and share more reflections on it later this year, but with a second kiddo on the way I need to find a little more time for my family the next few years.

If you might be interested in serving, either in 4D06 or wherever you live, please do not hesitate to reach out, as I would be more than happy to share my thoughts on the highs & lows of this position and what it entails. Overall, I have really enjoyed serving in this role, it’s been a fantastic way to give back to my community, get to know my neighbors, and advocate for issues that I care about. And I think it’s really important for our city to have great people serving as Commissioners. You can make a big difference for your neighbors, and you’ll have new tools to nudge our city towards a more just and sustainable future, if you care to use them that way.

The signature collection period for ANC positions opens on July 1, so now is a very good time to start thinking seriously about whether you might be interested to serve!

As always, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns (but sooner is better than later!)