We know D.C. Get our free newsletter to stay in the know.

Unsubscribe any time.

Hello, D.C. The District’s affordable housing crisis is real, but housing got just one mention during the presidential debates. During the five hours of airtime between 20 Democratic candidates, only former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castromentioned housing.

THE NEWS: 

After today, Gear Prudence is no more. Believe me, everyone at City Paper is sad about it too. Gear Prudence, who also goes by Brian McEntee, has written our bike advice column for the last five years, instructing us on how best to ride alongside scooters, Ubers, and robots.

While we still could all use some more tips, Gear Prudence said it was time to call it. But we have a treat for fans: Go to our website or pick up a hard copy of today’s City Paper and you’ll finally be able to put a face to the columnist’s name. 

What to do in the meantime? “Do your best. Cyclists can face crazy situations that come with no clear or instinctive solution. That’s not their fault,” says Gear Prudence. “The best way of coping is to keep two questions in mind: What do I need to do to keep myself safe, and how can I do that without imperiling anyone else? If these questions are your lodestar, you can often (but not always) see yourself through hairy situations.”

It’s true, the streets are still deadly. Traffic deaths have actually increased annually since city officials committed to ending death and serious injury by 2024 with the launch of Vision Zero in 2015. McEntee wrote an obituary, of sorts, for cycling activist Dave Salovesh after a driver killed him in April. 

I asked District Line Daily readers on Monday which streets could use bike lanes, and the responses underscored how difficult this problem is to solve. I decided to share two replies:  

“I’m a daily bike commuter and while I can’t recommend where lanes should be installed, I can comment that in many parts of the city where I ride, bike lanes are essentially useless—and potentially dangerous. In my experience and because I traverse the neighborhood twice a day, the stretch of bike lanes on 14th St NW in Columbia Heights are outright dangerous,” writes one reader. 

“I believe the number of bicyclists of color who are injured in traffic accidents is under reported. I know of several young men in our church who depend upon their bikes for transportation and who have been injured in accidents. These incidents have not been reported to police and often the young men do not seek medical treatment unless they have no choice, so these incidents go unreported,” says another. 

Bike accidents are terrifying and far too frequent. What’s your experience as a biker or witness? Write us by replying to this email. —Amanda Michelle Gomez (Also feel free to email me directly at agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com)  

MORE NEWS YOU CAN USE:

  • 26-year-old Anthony Hooks of Southeast was fatally shot Tuesday night. [Post]

  • The police officer who used a Taser on an unarmed black man in June remains on desk duty because Metro Transit Police is still investigating. [Twitter]

  • Installment three of Mumble Sauce, a 10-part series on healing in the DMV’s African American community, is titled “Fat Is Not a Bad Word.” Columnist Jordan N. DeLoach drew the image, too. Catch up with entries one and two.

LOOSE LIPS LINKS, by Mitch Ryals (tips? mryals@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

  • Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd has a challenger from the left in Janeese Lewis George. [WCP]

  • Ward 2 challenger Jordan Grossman says he’s raised $36,000 in challenge to Councilmember Jack Evans. With matching public funds, that’s $140,000. [Twitter]

  • Development in Southeast comes with a cost. [WAMU]

  • Veda Rasheed’s Ward 7 exploratory committee took in $11,800, spent $5,000. [OCF, Twitter]

YOUNG & HUNGRY LINKS, by Laura Hayes (tips? lhayes@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • ICYMI: When is it still OK to tip a dollar per drink? [WCP]

  • D.C. baristas show off their skills at these monthly latte art throwdowns. [WCP]

  • Meet the new owner of Clyde’s Restaurant Group. [WBJ]

  • Did we over do it on CBD? [Post]

ARTS LINKS, by Kayla Randall (tips? krandall@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • How the National Philharmonic came to see another season. [WCP]

  • Check out a local rapper’s ode to D.C. culture. [WCP]

  • When you realize you were on a compilation CD with a former White House counsel. [Washingtonian]

  • And now the Maryland-bound Woodstock 50 isn’t happening at all. [DCist]

SPORTS LINKS, by Kelyn Soong (tips? ksoong@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • A conversation with Nick Kyrgios, the most polarizing player in tennis. [WCP]

  • Talking to the press is a mandatory, and often unglamorous, part of being a pro tennis player. [WCP]

  • The Nats add three “new toys” to their bullpen. [ESPN]

  • About 40 employees have quit working for the Washington football team since owner Dan Snyder fired Brian Lafemina, the former president of business operations and chief operating officer. [Post] 

  • ICYMI: It’s been a rough 20 years for the the local NFL team. [WCP]

MAKE PLANS, by Emma Sarappo (Love this section? Get the full To Do This Week newsletter here. Tips? esarappo@washingtoncitypaper.com)

Sign up: To get District Line Daily—or any of our other email newsletters—sent straight to your mailbox, click here. Send tips, ideas, and comments to newsletters@washingtoncitypaper.com.