Welcome to Spooky Season!
After the month started with a week of bizarrely hot temps — a heat wave made about four times more likely by all the extra greenhouse gasses trapping heat in the atmosphere — September’s climate change and environment news went nonstop here in the DMV. Here’s what you should know to catch up quick:
Bill Funding E-bike Subsidies Passes D.C. Council
The D.C. Council got rolling fast on its first day back in session, unanimously passing legislation Sept. 19 that will offer subsidies for buying e-bikes. It will be at least a few months until the DC Department of Transportation gets the program up and running, but the funding—$500,000 worth—is already approved in the city’s budget.
The incentives come in two tiers. For low-income District residents (guided by eligibility for programs like SNAP and TANF) the subsidies could include:
- Up to $2,000 for a qualifying cargo e-bike
- Up to $1,500 for a qualifying regular e-bike
- Up to $700 total for a replacement battery, annual maintenance, and a bike lock
- Up to $250 for bike parts to accommodate riders with disabilities
For other residents, the incentives are halved:
- Up to $1,000 for a qualifying cargo e-bike
- Up to $750 for a qualifying regular e-bike
- Up to $350 total for a replacement battery, annual maintenance, and a bike lock
- Up to $125 for bike parts to accommodate riders with disabilities
E-bikes can range wildly in price but on average they typically cost $1,000-$2,000 (most consumer guides and bike experts do not recommend any e-bikes costing less than $1,000—I looked). Councilmember Charles Allen, who introduced the bill, said he wants DDOT to create an up-front voucher program that reimburses bike shops directly. That way, low-income residents can buy a bike at the discounted price rather than covering the full price with a rebate to come later.
One other highlight: the bill enables DDOT to set up a grant program for D.C.’s bike shops to train more e-bike mechanics. It also includes $50,000 in grants for businesses opening a shop selling or repairing e-bikes in Ward 7 or 8.
A note to readers: Are you an e-bike rider in DC? I want to hear from you for a story! Email me at kbenjamin@washingtoninformer.com.
Newest ‘Clean Rivers’ Tunnel Opens, Will Mitigate Flooding and Slash Sewage Overflows
A massive underground tunnel beneath northeast D.C. went online Sept. 15, adding 90 million gallons of capacity to the system that captures stormwater in the city. The tunnel’s completion marks the final segment of a project initiated in the early 2000s when environmental groups sued the city over sewer overflows that dumped pollution into Anacostia River more than 80 times each year, according to reporting by DCist’s Jacob Fenston. The tunnel system will cut 98% of the sewer overflows.
The five-mile-long Northeast Boundary Tunnel will also mitigate flooding in nearby neighborhoods like Ivy City, Eckington and Brentwood, which have long experienced serious issues during heavy rain. The problem came to the forefront after flooding led to the deaths of 10 dogs at a canine daycare on Rhode Island Avenue NE. The same storm caused devastation at Bethesda Baptist Church in Ivy City, which has dealt with the same problem repeatedly over the years. The tunnel will reduce flooding during storms by a lot, though it won’t completely eliminate the problem during extreme weather—which we’ll see more often as the planet continues to warm.
DDOT Indefinitely Delays Enforcement on Clear Bus Lanes
Back in July, the District started using 140 cameras to identify cars illegally parking or driving in the red-painted lanes reserved for buses. Since then, DDOT has been issuing warnings—about 14,000 of them over two months, according to Tracy Hadden Loh, a WMATA board member and Brookings Metro fellow.
The warning period for the Clear Lanes Project was supposed to last 45 days. But DDOT announced earlier this month that it has indefinitely delayed its plans to begin enforcement, which is slated to include tickets of up to $200. Transportation officials said they wanted more time to educate drivers about the program, according to reporting by the Washington Post’s Luz Lazo.
WMATA and DDOT, which teamed up to create the Clear Lanes Project, said the point was to reduce the number of cars blocking bus lanes and zones around bus stops. According to WMATA, Metrobuses often travel at less than 10 mph, particularly during rush hour.
Newly Intro’d Council Bill Aims to Better Protect D.C.’s Forestland
Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (D- Ward 4), along with nine Council colleagues, introduced legislation Sept. 21 intended to protect D.C.’s forested lands from invasive species. The bill proposes to create a new office with the Department of Energy and Environment that would focus solely on maintaining the District’s urban forests—which no other government office specifically handles right now.
Trees offer important benefits for urban residents, including cleaner air, cooler temperatures and reduced flooding. According to Lewis George’s introduction to the legislation, D.C. contains about 500 acres of District-owned forested land, but the agencies responsible for those areas do not have the capacity to truly manage the trees. Invasive plant species and non-native pests threaten these forest patches, which include bigger and older trees that generally provide more benefits than newly planted ones.
Eight local environmental groups supported the legislation, including Ward 8 Woods, Shepherd Park Weed Warriors and Casey Trees.