🚗 DC cracks down on speeding drivers

What's CITY Talking About?

Massive New Crime Bill

Councilmember Brooke Pinto unveiled a crime bill this week that lumps together a bunch of proposed initiatives to deal with the city’s skyrocketing carjacking and homicide rates. The 90-page legislation includes higher penalties for some crimes, a controversial policy allowing police to randomly stop people on probation for gun crimes, police reform rollbacks, and more. [DCist, City Cast DC 🎧]

DC Cracks Down on Speeding Drivers

The Council passed a first-round vote on new speeding legislation that allows police to boot and tow cars repeatedly caught speeding, even if fines are paid off. The bill also lets the attorney general sue drivers, including those outside the city, for violations. [City Cast DC 🎧]

December Deals on Rent

A new Zillow report shows 52.7% of rental listings in the District included incentives in December. These concessions ranged from complimentary parking spaces to free rent, and outpace nationwide trends where one-third of listings typically included similar incentives. [UrbanTurf]

Sewage Tunnel Success

D.C.’s giant new sewer tunnel was put to the test on Tuesday when 2.24 inches of rain flooded the city. The tunnel opened this fall, promising to reduce sewage overflows by 98%. This week, it captured 267 million gallons of sewage, with only a small amount discharged to the Anacostia River. [DCist]

• Related: It seems that D.C.’s theme for 2024 is “tunnels.” [City Cast DC 🎧]

What To Do

DC Insider Trivia

Let’s start with last week’s question:

D.C. residents drink more _______ per capita than any other U.S. state?

1. Wine
2. Orange Juice
3. Coffee
4. Kool-Aid

Washingtonians drink the most wine per capita of any U.S. state. (Although a fair number of you seem to be drinking the kool-aid too 😏 And of course, stats are always murky when comparing a territory to a state.) On average, we drink 1.01 gallons of ethanol (pure alcohol) in wine per person every year. That’s over twice as much as Virginia and Maryland residents. So maybe it is a good idea to try out dry January after all?

Most of you got it right, but over 40% of you guessed coffee, and you’re not far off. D.C. has 58 coffee shops per 100,000 residents. That’s more per capita than any other city besides Boston.

🏅 Congratulations to Hey DC readers Michela S., Christine L., and Mike A. for being the first three to get the question right!

Now, for this week's trivia:

What fictional movie character has been made into limestone grotesque on the National Cathedral?

1. Gandalf
2. The Joker
3. Darth Vader
4. Optimus Prime

Today on City Cast

Chinatown Task Force, New Traffic Policies, and MLK Day of Service

D.C. is making plans — a little late — about the future of Chinatown. Plus, some changes to D.C. traffic policy are on the horizon and we have some ideas for how you can spend MLK day.