@alexkoma.bsky.social is so talented that by hiring him, @51st.news is "tripling" their reporting capacity! He indeed is worth several times his weight in journalism. Congrats Alex and The 51st! 51st.news/alex-koma-th...

Alex Koma joins The 51st as a Senior Reporter

The 51st is tripling our reporting capacity and deepening our political coverage.

51st.news

Listening to the AV hearing. @cmcharlesallen.bsky.social is questioning the Tesla rep who said that their cars may speed if "for safety" but it sounds like she's saying if it's going much slower than other drivers, all speeding, it may speed then "for safety." Allen doesn't like that (neither do I)

I'm so disillusioned, I almost don't even care who gets the FIFA Peace Prize next year

I don’t understand all the FIFA rules, but I believe our loss to Belgium today means we are required to adopt their street design standards

Qagggy!@qagggy.bsky.social · 2mo ago

USA v Belgium is a tough one for me because on the one hand I’m American and on the other hand…

Just got an email from my green energy supplier that a DC Council budget proposal would "effectively eliminate the ability for District residents to choose an alternative electricity supplier." I can't easily find actual facts about what this is. Anyone know? Why is it a budget matter?

@janeese4dc.bsky.social was strongest in high density areas (especially Ward 1), which show up smaller on geographic maps than their actual importance. I made a cartogram that scales each precinct by its actual vote total:

Big news: Capital Weather is now independent at CapitalWeather.com. We’re building a new home for trusted DC-area weather coverage — with around-the-clock forecasts, live updates and deeper local weather and climate coverage. 1/4

Come bike and have pizza with me and @janeese4dc.bsky.social on Sunday!

New: @janeese4dc.bsky.social just released an internal poll showing her up by 14 in the mayoral race: her lead stays at 12 even when they run a RCV simulation. This is quite the change from the public poll of the race, but I will say I’ve heard rumors of private polls with similar results.

I was driving up 16th yesterday to Columbia Heights. These buses were stuck in major traffic. We need to manage the road so the buses are always gliding through reliably and quickly.

Has there been a good explanation of why DC Board of Elections can’t compute RCV results when the mail in ballots aren’t all in yet? I mean with classic voting, you get results but if it’s close it could change later. Why isn’t that the case with RCV also? Or is it?

This 1988 ad set off a generation of racialized fear-based crime discourse in our politics. It's been called "the 1.0 version of Trump’s relentless tweets and comments about African-Americans." And last week, DC got its own fearmongering mailer from a McDuffie-affiliated PAC.

Who’s been a very effective centrist local executive recently whose not in DV proper (either in the region or elsewhere in the US) on housing, transportation, general government efficiency, economic development, etc? Like who’s the mirror opposite of Marc Elrich?

Incredible. DOJ, in court, tells Judge Reyes "no closure notice has been issued" for the East Potomac golf course. Moments later the judge is handed a note saying that closure signs are on parts of the golf course today. There's a reason the presumption of regularity is gone.

If Fairlington is on the border of Arlington and Alexandria (not Arlington and Fairfax) why isn't it called Alexington?

In Seattle's Pike Place Market, vendors claimed that removing cars would cripple them. Nope. Sales actually rose. Remember: Studies show that biz owners consistently exaggerate how many customers drive and undercount those who walk, bike, or ride transit. Info: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Pike Place Market Pedestrianization Pilot Boosts Sales and Visits

All signs point to Seattle's pilot program limiting car access to Pike Place being a success: sales were up 6.5% in 2025 compared to 2024, and the number of local visitors jumped by 5.6%. As the City ...

theurbanist.org

I’m watching the “Future of Safety and Justice in DC“ mayoral forum to hear what candidates really will do about crime. 7 candidates are here, though McDuffie skipped it.

Ronald Reagan made everyone (even Democrats) cynical about government. We can make big plans again and then achieve them to attract new residents, grow the economy, and build the next generation. We have to. moderatesforjaneese.substack.com/p/where-did-...

A city that stopped dreaming

Where did DC's civic ambition go?

moderatesforjaneese.substack.com

This is how the United States Department of Justice writes now.

I’d also note for some perspective how marginal the left-NIMBY faction is in this race. There are still left NIMBY activists suing things and getting some philanthropy and appealing to old homeowners, but don’t have a mayoral champion. This is not accidental.

It would have been astonishing in 2010 or 2014 to have any mayoral candidate put out a video saying “we need to build more housing” as the FIRST thing they say (or at all for that matter).

Like @alpert.bsky.social, I’m not 100% anti AV. I think some of the purported benefits are real, and I think some of the negative impacts can be mitigated… But only by strong local governments empowered to protect their cities. So yeah, I’m pretty pessimistic on balance.

I think the debate about Waymo in DC is missing the most important point. It's not (just) safety. What happens when everyone's car is an AV and traffic gets so much worse? How do we prepare? When @janeese4dc.bsky.social says DC "is not ready," she has a point. open.substack.com/pub/moderate...

Is DC ready for Waymos and other autonomous vehicles?

What's the future like where everyone owns an AV?

open.substack.com

DC implemented a new policy for its streeteries that cost restaurants $20,000 to implement. The result: virtually every restaurant eliminated their outdoor dining, many have reduced their hiring, & now a few cars can park more easily. Congrats on the successful policy change, DC government!

New rules mean many DC restaurants are closing streateries

The District made streateries permanent. But restaurant owners say the rules are too costly and complicated to keep them up.

51st.news

“This is one single car parking space, and this place used to be full of people.”

Janeese4DC@janeese4dc.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Our neighborhoods used to be lined with restaurant streateries. It’s time to end burdensome street rent and bring back the good times!

I regret but am not surprised to report that one person still doesn't think hyperloop is transportation vaporware, because of course it's Elon--posting that the Boring Company "could build a Hyperloop tunnel from downtown SF to downtown LA for <5%" of a new CAHSR estimate of $126 billion.

Not surprisingly, saying a bunch reasonable and non controversial things that are middle grounds on major debates: that article has gotten the least social media engagement so far. moderatesforjaneese.substack.com/p/4-ways-i-a...

4 ways I am a “moderate”

What do I believe that's moderate? What do DC leaders believe?

moderatesforjaneese.substack.com

"David, you launched Moderates for Janeese... what do you mean when you say you're a moderate? What is a moderate anyway? Are you really moderate?" Here's why I'm one, and why you can be moderate and not satisfied with Bowser. moderatesforjaneese.substack.com/p/4-ways-i-a...

I am not one of those who believes that history repeats, but consider the following from Herodotus: the Oracle at Delphi told the fabulously wealthy King Croesus that if he invaded Persia he would "destroy a great empire." Croesus invaded and lost--the empire he destroyed was his own.

When researching this, I realized something. Bowser, JLG, & McDuffie all condemned Trump’s move to delete the 15th St bike lane. JLG & Bowser also cited args 15th was GOOD. McDuffie only condemned Trump involvement; he never praised the lane itself. Meaningful? open.substack.com/pub/moderate...

Janeese Lewis George will keep my kids safest when we are riding bicycles

I sometimes walk, sometimes drive, sometimes ride Metro, and sometimes bicycle to get places I’m going.

open.substack.com