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Happy Monday, D.C. Spring appears to have officially sprung—we’re roughly 72 hours from the first pitch of the Nationals’ 2023 season and the cherry blossoms are on full display, as are the vehicles of people driving to see said cherry blossoms. 

Here’s the news you may have missed while stopped on Ohio Drive SW.

Stuck in a Cherry Jam

WMATA may have spent big bucks decorating Metro trains and buses with pink wrapping in an attempt to encourage visitors who want to see D.C.’s most popular trees to travel via public transportation, but that didn’t stop people from driving to the Tidal Basin this weekend. The predictable result? Near-complete gridlock and lengthy delays, with one driver saying she’d been stuck for nearly four hours. 

The U.S. Park Police say the temporary closure of two parking lots near the Tidal Basin contributed to the traffic issues. Those lots are being used as staging areas for Metro’s Yellow Line projects, and even Metro encountered significant traffic as it shuttled visitors toward the trees. Smithsonian station was switched to exit-only during portions of the weekend in order to manage the flow of people through the area. 

Many people took their traffic frustration out on WTOP, despite the radio station warning them in specific language, “Do. Not. Drive. To. The. Tidal. Basin. To. See. The. Cherry. Blossoms.” The reaction to the traffic was so acute that it reached Brooklyn-based writer Alex Pareene, who took his frustration out in a post for Defector. 

The solution to this conundrum, of course, is to avoid the area entirely and find a different spot in D.C. to view trees in bloom.

At least the red of the traffic maps and tail lights in the 395 tunnel brought the color of cherries to mind. 

More Questions After Officer-Involved Shooting

Friends and relatives of 17-year-old Dalaneo Martin, the young man a U.S. Park Police officer shot and killed in a stolen car last week, gathered to remember him and demand answers to their questions about the incident. The group, organized by Dalaneo’s mother, Terra, met last night on Benning Road NE and wondered aloud why he was shot when he was in a nonthreatening position. The family’s lawyer, Andrew O. Clarke, says Dalaneo was shot six times in the back.

The names of the two officers involved in the incident, one who was allegedly dragged behind the car and one who fired the fatal shots, have not been released. The Metropolitan Police Department’s internal affairs division is investigating the incident. 

—Caroline Jones (tips? cjones@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

• To see today’s COVID-19 data, visit our coronavirus tracker.
• Extended hours at eight D.C. recreation centers begin today! [Axios, DPR]
• As the new chair of the Council’s Committee on Public Works, Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau is calling for harsher actions to be taken against dangerous drivers. As of March 9, more than 780,000 vehicles in D.C. were registered, but only about 800 vehicles are booted monthly. [WUSA9]
• The former Key Bridge Marriott is being condemned and the unhoused people who were using it as shelter have been asked to leave. Five of them have been connected with shelter services in Arlington County, but officials do not know exactly how many people have been residing in the former hotel. [DCist]
• The first group of students to complete UDC’s bilingual program in education celebrated their accomplishments this week. Many of them provide child care and are required to obtain a degree under a 2016 law. [Post]
• The Andean bear cubs who were born in November are officially on outdoor view at the National Zoo. As of this morning, though, they were still snoozing in their den. [Fox5]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)