Okay, I don’t want to get into an argument about religious or 1st amendment expression, I just want to warn some of y’all about an annual traffic nightmare/ fun parade. Depending on who you are, where you live, what you’re doing and if you actually need to get anywhere will determine how you feel about it. I live on the other side of New Jersey Ave and I take the subway, so I don’t care.
Anyway here’s some of the announcement:
The United House of Prayer for All People will be celebrating its, Annual Memorial Day Peace Parade, on Saturday May 23, 2009. This year the parade has a theme, which has been coined “Return”, adapted by our leader, Bishop C. M. Bailey.
Historically, the parade route travels passing through Vermont Avenue, however, this year, the parade route will travel down 13th Street, NW, from U. Street, NW. The actual parade route is:
6th Street – Florida Avenue – 13th Street – Logan Circle – P Street – 7th Street – back to United House of Prayer for All People, 601 M Street, NW
Because the parade route has been slightly changed, we want to provide notification to the Community and thus, sought to have this communicated to Advisory Neighborhood Commission, ANC, 2-F, so as to not inconvenience the community.
The parade, lotsa black people, groups of young men with brass instruments, and maybe drums, will be snaking through the middle of Shaw starting around 11AM and possibly finishing up around 3PM. Avoid Rhode Island Avenue, and any other cross streets through central Shaw, if you’re in a car. Now if you’re on a bike, just try not to hit anyone, you can probably ride through the gaps.
Every time I encounter the parade, there never seems to be anyone from the city (MPD, DDOT, etc) directing traffic on Rhode Island. Since the church is alerting the community with announcements, I wonder if that will change.