City Cast DC with Michael Schaffer
🚧 Metro neglects safety guidelines
May 23, 2024 · 💌 Kaela
Hey, neighbor! We’re making the ultimate D.C. summer bucket list. What are your favorite D.C. summer shenanigans? From happy hours, to festivals, to hikes, nothing is off the table.
What's CITY Talking About?
Audit Reveals Metro Safety Issues
According to a recent audit, Metro neglected safety guidelines and deployed faulty trains. The report found that mechanics sometimes overlooked certain mandatory safety assessments and knowingly ran trains that needed repairs. However, the audit does not suggest Metro poses a significant danger to riders. [Washington Post 🔒]
Crackdown on Unpaid Traffic Fines
A new pilot program is finding and towing “scofflaws,” or vehicles with over $3,000 in unpaid fines. The city is also adding more teams to boot vehicles with outstanding fines. Per DDOT, unpaid fines often correlate with dangerous driving. [WTOP]
- Related: The scofflaw crackdown is the latest safety initiative introduced following a 50% jump in traffic deaths in D.C. in 2023. [City Cast DC 🎧]
Another Questionable Mayoral Trip
Bowser is in Las Vegas for the International Council of Shopping Centers convention, just weeks after her controversial trip to the Masters in Georgia. Critics question the merit of using taxpayer dollars to fly out 14 city workers, with convention tickets alone costing $1400 per person. The mayor says she’s been meeting with retail industry professionals on the trip. [ABC7]
Almost Time to Vote!
Primary election day is June 4! There are a lot of seats up for grabs, including a ten-candidate race to replace Vince Gray in Ward 7 and a messy fight for D.C.’s shadow senator. Get ready our primary election guide, and see where candidates stand on key issues. [City Cast DC/Washington Post]
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What To Do
Thursday, May 23
- 🎥 “Microphone Check” Movie Screening | 7 p.m. | $26 | Capitol Hill
- 🎤 Queering Sound Festival | 7 - 20 p.m. | $15 - $20 | Takoma Park
- 🎸 Tunes: Kinda Evil | 8 p.m. | $15 | Shaw
- 🥞 Pancakes & Booze Art Show | 7 p.m. | $15 | Park View
Today on City Cast
If you've ever seen “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” you know nothing beats sick day shenanigans. We’ve got tried and true tips on what to do when playing hooky in D.C. But, don’t tell our boss.
😢 It’s official. Stumpy – D.C.’s favorite scrawny cherry tree – is dead. Construction barriers are up and trees are coming down around the Tidal Basin for sea wall improvements.
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