Sections
  • Best of Washington
  • News & Politics
    • Washingtonian Today
  • Things to Do
    • DC Welcome Guide
    • This Week
    • 100 Best Things to Do in DC
    • Neighborhood Guides
    • DC-Area Events Calender
    • Washingtonian Events
  • Food & Drink
    • 100 Very Best Restaurants
    • The Hot List
    • Brunch
    • New Restaurants
    • Restaurant Finder
  • Home & Style
    • Health
    • Parenting
  • Shopping
    • Gift Guides
  • Real Estate
    • Top Realtors
    • Listings We Love
    • Rave Worthy Rentals
  • Weddings
    • Real Weddings
    • Wedding Vendor Finder
    • Submit Your Wedding
  • Travel
    • DC Welcome Guide
    • Best Airbnbs Around DC
    • 3 Days in DC
  • Best of DC
    • Doctors
    • Apartment Rentals
    • Dentists
    • Financial Advisors
    • Industry Leaders
    • Lawyers
    • Mortgage Pros
    • Pet Care
    • Private Schools
    • Realtors
    • Wedding Vendors
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Subscription
    • Current & Past Issues
    • Features and Longreads
    • Newsletters
    • Newsstand Locations
Reader Favorites
  • 100 Very Best Restaurants
  • DC-Area Events Calendar
  • Brunch
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
  • Washingtonian Events
Washington’s Best
  • Apartment Rentals
  • DC Travel Guide
  • Dentists
  • Doctors
  • Financial Advisers
  • Health Experts
  • Home Improvement Experts
  • Industry Leaders
  • Lawyers
  • Mortgage Professionals
  • Pet Care
  • Private Schools
  • Real Estate Agents
  • Restaurants
  • Retirement Communities
  • Wedding Vendors
Privacy Policy |  Rss
© 2025 Washingtonian Media Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Skip to content
Washingtonian.com
  • Search
  • Subscribe
  • Menu
Washingtonian.com
  • Subscribe
Reader Favorites
  • 100 Very Best Restaurants
  • DC-Area Events Calendar
  • Brunch
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
  • Washingtonian Events
More
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
Sections
  • News & Politics
  • Food
  • Things to Do
  • Washingtonian Events
  • Home & Style
  • Editors’ Picks
  • Events Calendar
  • Health
  • Longreads
  • Parenting
  • Real Estate
  • Shopping
  • Travel
  • Weddings
  • Best of Washington
  • News & Politics
    • Washingtonian Today
  • Things to Do
    • DC Welcome Guide
    • This Week
    • 100 Best Things to Do in DC
    • Neighborhood Guides
    • DC-Area Events Calender
    • Washingtonian Events
  • Food & Drink
    • 100 Very Best Restaurants
    • The Hot List
    • Brunch
    • New Restaurants
    • Restaurant Finder
  • Home & Style
    • Health
    • Parenting
  • Shopping
    • Gift Guides
  • Real Estate
    • Top Realtors
    • Listings We Love
    • Rave Worthy Rentals
  • Weddings
    • Real Weddings
    • Wedding Vendor Finder
    • Submit Your Wedding
  • Travel
    • DC Welcome Guide
    • Best Airbnbs Around DC
    • 3 Days in DC
  • Best of DC
    • Doctors
    • Apartment Rentals
    • Dentists
    • Financial Advisors
    • Industry Leaders
    • Lawyers
    • Mortgage Pros
    • Pet Care
    • Private Schools
    • Realtors
    • Wedding Vendors
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Subscription
    • Current & Past Issues
    • Features and Longreads
    • Newsletters
    • Newsstand Locations
News & Politics

DC Ranks Eighth in Green Cities; States Told Not to Ban Cell Phone Use: Morning Links

Must-reads from around Washington

Written by Kay Steiger
| Published on July 7, 2011
Tweet Share

States Told Not to Ban Driver Cell Phone Use: The Governors Highway Safety Association issued a report advising states not to ban cell phone use, since they say research on distracted driving is contradictory and inconclusive. It does, however, say that distractions are the cause of 15 to 25 percent of all car crashes, and that texting while driving is more likely to cause a crash than simply talking on the phone, WTOP reports. Both DC and Maryland have blanket bans on handheld devices while driving; Virginia has a ban on text messaging while driving. You can view the full report here.

DC Police Could Be Lax on Reporting Anti-LGBT Crimes: DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier agreed to meet with Councilmember Phil Mendelson after a council hearing yesterday about citizen complaints regarding LGBT issues. Community leaders have issued several complaints about the police's reluctance to report bias-related incidents and hate crimes required by the police department's own policy when responding to 911 calls. Lanier defended the department's engagement with the LGBT community, reports June Q. Wu at the Washington Post, citing the department's attendance at community meetings and public events. "We engage in every way we can," Lanier said at yesterday's hearing.

Gray Stepping Up Summer Jobs Safety: After two participants in DC's summer jobs program alleged incidents of sexual assault, Tom Sherwood at NBC4 reports Mayor Vince Gray promises to step up efforts to protect young people in the program. One 17-year-old alleged victim reported fondling by a file clerk at the DC Department of Employment Services, and a 19-year-old alleged victim reported Friday inappropriate touching by a building contractor. The DC Council pledges to hold a hearing on the issue.

DC Ranks High in Sustainability:
A new survey of 27 cities ranks DC eighth overall in green cities, putting the city in the number one spot for environmental governance, Aaron Morrissey writes at DCist. The report says the city has some work to do, however, when it comes to water conservation and waste reduction, where it ranked 18th and 24th, respectively.

Weather's New "Normal" Warmer, Less Snowy: The Capital Weather Gang has the skinny on the National Climate Data Center's new baselines, or "normals," for the Washington area. The area's average annual temperature has increased by 0.64 degrees, with the average annual low temperature warming by almost a full degree. Average annual snowfall dropped as well, from 15.2 inches to 14.5 inches.

Goats Mow Lawns in Gaithersburg: City officials in Gaithersburg are experimenting with two herds of Eco-Goats on the property of the Izaak Walton League headquarters on Muddy Branch Road, NBC4 reports. The goats are part of an effort to combat invasive plant spices that have sprung up on the property without using chemical herbicides.

Briefly Noted: Metro officials will  likely recommend the "U Street/African American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo" Metro stop's name to just "U Street/Cardozo" today. . . . Loudoun County will throw $150 million toward the $3.5 billion Dulles rail project. . . . Washington City Paper's Dave McKenna has some complaints about his beloved Upshur pool.

Subscribe to Washingtonian
Follow Washingtonian on Twitter
 

More>> Capital Comment Blog | News & Politics | Party Photos 

More: Capital CommentMorning Links
Join the conversation!
Share Tweet
Kay Steiger
Kay Steiger

Most Popular in News & Politics

1

The Missing Men of Mount Pleasant

2

Another Mysterious Anti-Trump Statue Has Appeared on the National Mall

3

Yet Another Anti-Trump Statue Has Shown Up on the National Mall

4

8 Takeaways From Usha Vance’s Interview With Meghan McCain

5

Every Bus Line in DC Is Changing This Weekend. Here’s What to Know.

Washingtonian Magazine

July Issue: The “Best Of” Issue

July Issue: The "Best Of" Issue

View Issue
Subscribe

Follow Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Follow Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Related

How Would a New DC Stadium Compare to the Last One?

The Culture of Lacrosse Is More Complex Than People Think

Did Television Begin in Dupont Circle?

Kings Dominion’s Wild New Coaster Takes Flight in Virginia

More from News & Politics

Trump Threatens DC Takeover, Says He’d Run the City “So Good”; Supreme Court OKs Mass Federal Worker Layoffs; and You Should Go Pick Some Sunflowers

Trump Pledges Support for RFK Stadium Plan, Ben’s Chili Bowl Will Strand Us Half-Smokeless for Months, and Pediatricians Are Suing RFK Jr.

Muriel Bowser Defends Her BLM Plaza Decision and Looks Back on a Decade as Mayor

Elon Musk Starts What Is Likely the First Party of His Life, Nationals Fire Longtime Management Team, and Washingtonians Got Carried Away With the Fireworks

Speaker Johnson’s Megabill Prayers Likely to Be Answered Before Holiday Weekend, Wrongly Deported Maryland Man Faced Abuse in El Salvador Prison, and We Found Some Yummy Nepalese Food

Pardoned J6er Will Join Ed Martin’s Justice Department Office, Trump Outlines Hypothetical Alligator Escape Plan, and We Have Fireworks Show Recommendations

The “World’s Largest Outdoor Museum” Is Coming to DC. Here’s a Preview.

A Cult Classic of Cannabis Brands Is Making Its DC Debut

© 2025 Washingtonian Media Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Washingtonian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Privacy Policy and Opt-Out
 Rss
Get the best news, delivered weekly.
By signing up, you agree to our terms.
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs