Access to SE/SW Freeway From Sousa Bridge Closed!

After rush hour today (11/29/12) vehicles traveling northbound across the Sousa Bridge in SE will no longer have access to the SE/SW freeway westbound.  If you use this route you know that the ramp on the Sousa Bridge to the freeway has been down to one lane for months, but now the ramp will be closed for a period of up to 20 months.

Here's a visual (courtesy of the Washington Post)

The article accompanying the graphic details the "new" traffic route, however I think city dwellers like myself will find a couple of different ways to navigate this closure.  I plan to increase my commute by 15 mins. and keep straight on Pennsylvania Ave, past capital hill and head to Georgetown (where I work) or I've may use East Capital.  If you normally start your day headed across the Sousa Bridge let me know your new route!

Read the article on washingtonpost.com 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/wp/2012/11/29/lane-closings-affect-southeast-freeway-commuters-near-anacostia-river/

Fight DCPS Plan to Consolidate!

Today DCPS announced it's plan to close and consolidate 20 schools in the area.  The effected schools in Ward 7 are:
 
Ward 7
Davis ES (students to C.W. Harris ES)
Kenilworth ES (students to Houston ES)
Ron Brown MS (students to Kelly Miller MS)
Smothers ES (students to Aiton ES and Plummer ES)
Winston EC (students to Stanton ES and Kramer MS)

This is crazy to me!  Our schools are performing poorly with the number of students per school now.  How will more kids per classroom improve things?  The most upsetting to me was the plan to have a high school  serve students in grades six through 12! Really? I was a against the move to middle schools (6-8) from the former system of Junior High (7-9).  Do we really want elementary age children in school with 18 year olds?!

Please call DCPS, your council member and the Mayor's office and complain! Most importantly go to the community hearings.  The first one is scheduled for Nov. 15th from 4pm - 8pm in the Wilson Building on Pennsylvania Ave.  Please visit the DCPS website for the other dates. 

SMART 9-1-1

This summer DC announced it would be participating in the Smart 911 service.  With Smart911, residents are able to create a Safety Profile at www.smart911.com that is automatically displayed to 9-1-1 during emergency calls.  Smart911 allows you in enter information such as address, phone numbers associated with your address, household occupants including pets and other pertinent information about your family and your dwelling.  First responders will be able to receive information ranging from your blood type to the location of your gas shut-off valve.  

 

At first glance this seems like a great resource to have especially for elderly people living alone or citizens with critical health issues, but as I logged on and created my profile I felt slightly uneasy about providing so much personal information about myself and my residence.  None of the information seems to be required, so you can choose how much or how little information to provide.

 

All in all it is a great resource, the more information first responders have in an emergency situation the better.  However, I am carefully deciding how munch information I'm willing to share. 

For more information visit https://www.smart911.com/ or the District's Office of Unified Communications at http://ouc.dc.gov/