I was released from prison and into a shelter house. I had good behaviour in the shelter house so I was out of there in a week. Now I’m back at home hearing my mother’s mouth about what was I thinking and what was I doing. So I lied to her and told her nothing. I found the gun and the police arrest me for it. Now I have been home for a month and felt like I needed to finish what I started so I went out and sold drugs so that I can get me another gun. Me having the gun always made me think was this the same thing that had my father in and out of jail and should I forgive him. Also I start feeling like the man again and start doing all the things that had incarcerated me the first time. This went on about two months and I ended up being incarcerated again. Same charge in less than three -months from the last time. I was incarcerated the whole summer and was released back home with my mother. Me going through all of these things made me realize that having guns and drugs wasn’t me, that was my father. Me seeing that things in the house have changed and gotten better, I chose to keep my head into school and I made it all the way to 12th grade. If it wasn’t for my father I would never been the young man I am today. Now when I see men I show them respect because you never know what somebody has been through unless you take the time to talk to them. Now some men are my role models such as my stepfather, Office Buck and Barack Obama, because these are men that want me to do positive things in my life and want me to be something in my life. Also gave me my heart to share stories like this with people I have never met before. After I graduate from Ballou Senior High School I am going to join the Air Force and start my life from there. Thanks for reading my essay. l
More Transportation East of the River
T
An Update from DDOT Director Terry Bellamy
he District has seen major improvements in transportation in the last few years, including the expansion of the DC Circulator bus system, and the launch of Capital Bikeshare. In keeping with the ‘one city’ theme of Mayor Gray’s administration, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has been working to ensure that our neighborhoods east of the river get their share of that transportation expansion. Here’s an update about exciting new and still expanding transportation options that are available for our residents east of the river. The DC Circulator, DC’s local bus service connecting neighborhoods within the District, crossed the river in October of last year with a new route that runs from the Potomac Avenue Metro Station to Skyland and the Good Hope Marketplace Shopping Center via Barracks Row. The Circulator is a clean, comfortable ride and costs just $1 (or 50 cents for seniors/disabled)! You can ride anywhere throughout the Circulator’s network of five routes and transfers to other Circulator buses and Metrobus are free within 2 hours if you use a SmarTrip card. If you are transferring to or from Metrorail, you’ll get a 50 cent discount with your SmarTrip card. Children under the age of 5 always ride free of charge, as do DC public school students with the DCStudent Travel Card. For more information about the DCStudent Travel Card, call the School Transit Subsidy Program at DDOT at (202) 673-1740.The Potomac AveSkyland via Barracks Row Circulator route is currently running its summer hours, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays . For more information about the DC Circulator’s routes, fares and hours of operation, visit www.dccirculator.com or check out the map located at bus stations along the routes. In addition to making stops at the Anacostia, Eastern Market and Potomac Avenue Metro stations, the new route also connects to six Capital Bikeshare stations. Bikesharing is the newest
form of public transportation to hit the District. There are 15 stations located east of the river with more on the way. Over 165 Capital Bikeshare stations are located across DC and Arlington County and bikes are available 24/7. The bikes are easy to use and membership costs just $75 a year. With membership, every trip under 30-minute is free – simply pick up a bike at one station and drop it off at any other station in the system. Monthly ($25), three-day ($15) and one-day ($7) memberships are also available. I know that $75 can seem like a big cost when you pay it upfront, so a few months ago the Capital Bikeshare program launched a new monthly installment plan, allowing members to pay just $7 a month when they commit to an annual membership. A credit or debit card is required to purchase membership, but we understand that not everyone has one. A new partnership with Bank on DC is making it easier for anyone to become a Capital Bikeshare member. Everyone is welcome at Bank on DC, even if you have never opened an account before or have had problems with an account in the past. Both new and existing Bank on DC members are welcome to a $50 annual membership rate for Capital Bikeshare. For more information about Capital Bikeshare, including membership rates and a station map, visit www. capitalbikeshare.com or call 1-877-430BIKE (2453). For information about the Bank on DC program, visit www. capitalbikeshare.com/bankondc. Most readers are probably already familiar with Metro’s rail and bus systems – and for many, these may still be the best bets for getting around – but additional options like the DC Circulator and Capital Bikeshare give you the freedom to choose what works best for you. Here at DDOT, we are always looking for better ways to serve the transportation needs of our residents. For any questions, comments or concerns, please contact us at (202) 6736813 or by email at ddot@dc.gov. We’re also always accessible on Facebook and Twitter. l CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM H 39