Councilmember Jarrett Stolfes presented a draft support letter Oct. 29 asking the Mount Rainier mayor and council to send formal comments to the District of Columbia's Department of Transportation (DDOT) supporting proposed quick-build safety changes on Eastern Avenue.

Stolfes summarized DDOT's notice of intent, which he said responds to a recent fatality: proposals include road-narrowing, curb/median work near 20 Eighth Street, and a no-right-turn-on-red rule at affected intersections. Stolfes said the changes in DDOT's plan generally cover the stretch between Russell Avenue and Thirtieth Street and that ANC 5B01 on the D.C. side has echoed the council's recommendations.

Stolfes and other councilmembers focused on parking removals and commercial-vehicle impacts. He said DDOT's original proposal primarily removed parking on the west side of Eastern Avenue; the council recommended extending removals on the east side where large commercial vehicles have been parked illegally and create visibility and safety hazards. "A lot of those vehicles are also too big to tow," Stolfes said, arguing the parking removal targets non-residential commercial parking that creates safety risks.

Councilmember Luke Jesik and others asked for clarity about which blocks and whether removals would affect resident parking. Stolfes clarified that parking north of Russell (near Caywood Gardens) is not affected, but the project area south of Russell toward Thirtieth Street would see the proposed removals. He said DC typically implements quick-build treatments within 30 to 60 days after the close of the comment period, suggesting near-term change if DDOT adopts the plan.

The mayor asked for council assent; councilmembers signaled approval and staff were asked to put the council's points on letterhead and transmit them to DDOT and other recipients. The discussion repeatedly framed the item as intergovernmental coordination: sidewalks and roadbeds are in D.C., but Mount Rainier representatives said collaboration has produced earlier safety improvements. The meeting transcript does not record a roll-call vote; the council indicated consensus and instructed staff to send the letter.