We're back with your favorite dose of local news. This week, new 51st contributor Adam Sanders talked to riders on H Street about the streetcar's looming closure. The line never grew past its initial 2.2 miles and the cars can get stuck behind double-parked vehicles, but it nonetheless became integral to many residents’ lives. “I’ve never seen how it could be economically viable,” one rider told us, but “it connects all the dots in my life.”
With three months to go until D.C.’s Democratic primary, 51st senior reporter Martin Austermuhle gives us the rundown on how the mayoral race has finally gone from snoozy to spicy. It’s the first competition without the incumbent running in more than a decade, and it comes amid a time of profound uncertainty for the city. The candidates have been fighting over experience and affordability issues, and the contours of the race have drawn comparisons to New York City’s recent election.
Finally, in the GOP’s latest attempt to interfere in local affairs, Rep. Scott Perry’s bill to put an end to D.C.'s traffic cameras advanced out of committee. He called them “a shameless money grab” and pledged to bring back “driving autonomy" (nevermind the fact that his home state of Pennsylvania uses cameras to catch speeding drivers).
Here are some stories you may have missed this week:
We’ve been waiting for this one … City Paper’s Spring Arts Guide is here, including concerts to add to your calendar, a feature on the next generation of local theater companies, a roundup of local book clubs to join, and more. [Washington City Paper]
What caused November’s “chaotic” rental assistance rollout? At a recent oversight hearing, advocates and lawmakers slammed the D.C. Department of Human Services’ decision to change the application process. [Street Sense]
Monday’s weather forecast led to early closures of schools and offices. Here’s why the storm was less dangerous than expected. [The Post]
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