Photo by DDOTDC on Flickr.

This week, hear about DC’s and Northern Virginia’s transportation future, speak out on the height limit, and advocate for safer walks to school at events all around the region.

Help shape DC’s transportation future: The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is hosting its final round of public workshops in October to discuss moveDC, an initiative to develop a long-range transportation plan for DC. Workshops will focus on sharing ideas and observations on future transportation plans, the results of DDOT survey research, and a local bus study.

The first meeting is tonight from 6:30-8:30pm at the Dorothy I. Height/Benning Neighborhood Library at 3935 Benning Road NE, with additional meetings to follow in Columbia Heights and Petworth. For more information, visit moveDC’s website.

After the jump, events in downtown DC, Anacostia, Alexandria, and Fairfax County.

Raise the roof in DC: The National Capital Planning Commission is hosting a formal public hearing on proposals to change DC’s building height limit next Wednesday. Both the District and NCPC have recommended different proposals for changing height limits. The hearing will take place October 30 from 4:30-8:30pm at NCPC’s auditorium, 401 9th Street NW, Suite 500N.

If you’re interested in speaking, you can register in person starting at 3:30pm, but those who register in advance or registered to testify at the original October 2 hearing will get to speak first. For more information or to register, visit the study’s website.

Talk about how to spend Virginia’s transportation money: Virginia’s newly-passed transportation funding bill means new money for projects in Fairfax County. How should the county spend it? County officials are holding a series of dialogues to learn what residents want and find the best ways to get them moving.

There will be four meetings over the next few weeks at various locations throughout the county. The first one is next Wednesday, October 30 from 6:30-8:30pm at Hayfield Secondary School, 7630 Telegraph Road in Alexandria, followed by meetings in Falls Church, Fairfax, and Reston. For more information, visit the county’s website.

Envision better biking in Fairfax: Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling will hold its second-annual Bicycle Summit November 2 with keynote speaker Jeff Olson, author of The Third Mode: Towards a Green Society. Citizens, community leaders, bike advocates, and transportation professionals will discuss ways to make Tysons and other parts of Fairfax County more bicycle-friendly.

The event will be Saturday, November 2 from 9am to 3:30pm. The registration fee is $25 and includes lunch and other refreshments. To register, visit the event website.

Make it safer to walk to school: Safe Routes to School co-hosts its first regional meeting on pedestrian safety issues with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments next Tuesday. This event puts advocates, planning and health professionals, parents, school officials, and elected officials in the same room for the first time to talk about ways to make it safer to walk to school.

The event happens Tuesday, October 29 from 9am-2pm at MWCOG, located at 777 North Capitol Street NE. To register, visit the event website.

Also:

Imagine streetcars in Northern Virginia: The Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition hosts its fall event this Thursday. Speakers include Thomas Perry, program manager for DC Streetcar, and Arlington County Board chair Walter Tejada. This free event takes place from 7-9pm at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center at 1701 Commonwealth Avenue in Alexandria.

Learn what affordable housing really means: Next Monday, r.e.e.l (River East Emerging Leaders) hosts an interactive roundtable discussion on DC’s housing market and affordable housing issues. The event takes place from 7-9pm at the Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Road SE. To RSVP, send an email to info@reeldc.org.

Books and Bicycling: This Saturday, Alexandria Library hosts “Le Tour D’Alexandria Library,” its first bicycle tour of all city libraries, from 10:30am-2pm. Bring your bike and join library staff for a leisurely 12-mile loop starting and ending at the Beatley Central Library, 5005 Duke Street. Space is limited, so visit the event website to register.

Tagged: events

Adam Lind moved to the Ballston area of Arlington after earning his Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech in 2012.  He currently works on bicycle and pedestrian projects for Fairfax County DOT. He is an active cyclist and transit rider and interested in improving sustainability though transportation.