Brooke's Briefing - Ward 2 Budget Wins and Enforcing the Law on Fare Evasion

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Posted by
Z. Ades
on
June 9, 2023

Dear Neighbor,  

Next week, the Council will take our third and final vote on the budget. I am so proud to have secured funding for so many of our Ward 2 priorities and I am confident this budget will make us a safer, more equitable, and a more resilient city. Today I want to provide you an update on the following:

Today, I introduced the Metro Safety Amendment Act to enable WMATA to better enforce civil penalties for fare evasion. Currently, individuals who fare evade have to pay a fine, but there is no way to require them to provide their name and address to issue the fine. This bill closes that gap by creating a $100 fine for those who do not provide their name and address. Thank you to WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke for support of this legislation. You can read his full letter of support here.

In addition, while enforcement is important - especially for those who can afford to pay but choose not to - we also have to do more to increase affordability. One step I'm taking is to call for a more efficient implementation of the Kids Ride Free program. I hear from families all the time that there are too many obstacles to getting cards that preclude young people from participating in the program. To address this, I sent a letter to relevant agencies asking that they work together to streamline this process and get cards in the hands of kids.

Finally, happy Pride Month! Celebrate by marching with Team Pinto in the Pride Parade on Saturday, June 10th at 3:00 p.m. We will be meeting on T Street between 14th and 15th around 2:30 p.m. The route will be about 1.5 miles long and finish on P Street at 21st Street NW. Look for us in the bright pink shirts! You can sign up here.

Yours in service,

Brooke

In the last few weeks, Councilmember Pinto and Team Pinto have been out and about in Ward 2 and across the city including to:

FOX5: Violent crime in DC continues to impact youth. “In a statement, Councilmember Brooke Pinto said, ‘I welcome the Mayor’s legislation and am glad she is focused on our urgent need to improve public safety. I am committed to expeditiously holding hearings on the Mayor’s legislation and am working with my team to determine the earliest possible date to do so that still conforms with notice requirements and Council policies. It is vitally important that we move forward with this legislation deliberately and hold public hearings to allow the public to share input.’”

POLITICO: A D.C. Cop Allegedly Helped the Proud Boys. Why Hasn’t Liberal Washington Done More About It? “‘The indictment that came last week is a major concern, a huge problem,’ said Brooke Pinto, who chairs the Council’s public safety committee. ‘My commitment is to follow up with MPD to make sure that they have systems in place.’”

Route Fifty: LEDs Bring Energy Savings – and Light Pollution. “Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto noted via email that she has received concerns about light brightness and worked with DDOT to address them. ‘Light pollution is an issue we must recognize and address as we implement this project to address concerns about overly bright lights,’ she said.”

WUSA9: DC Mayor says we must take a stand against youth violence. “CM Pinto, Chair of the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, continued in a statement saying: ‘I am committed to expeditiously holding hearings on the Mayor’s legislation and am working with my team to determine the earliest possible date to do so that still conforms with notice requirements and Council policies. It is vitally important that we move forward with this legislation deliberately and hold public hearings to allow the public to share input.’”

WUSA9: Virginia AG supports DC mayor's anti-crime legislation proposal. “Councilwoman Brooke Pinto, Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, said, ‘I am willing to work with anyone, including regional and federal partners, who is open to a good faith discussion of how we can work together to promote public safety in the District.’”

Washington Post: Departing D.C. police chief says he pushed city to ‘think differently.’ “As he announced his retirement, Bowser and the police union praised Contee for his work. Council member Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2), who chairs the public safety committee, credited him for creating an ‘urgency in addressing the very serious public safety challenges we are having in this city.’”

Team Pinto is going on neighborhood walks with each of our amazing Ward 2 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners! This week, we’re highlighting ANC 2E07 and Commissioner Elizabeth Miller. Brian from Team Pinto met with Commissioner Miller to walk ANC 2E07 in Georgetown. Some of the topics they discussed included public safety around Georgetown, filling vacancies at retail spaces, Jelleff Community Center renovations, and how to improve leaf collection for next year. If you live in ANC 2E07, you can reach Commissioner Miller at 2E07@anc.dc.gov.

Did you know? ANC 2E07 is home to the famous Dumbarton Oaks Museum and Garden.

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