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A busy stretch of Route 1 in the Woodridge neighborhood of D.C., just south of Mount Rainier, is slated to get a pedestrian-activated traffic control signal designed to make crossing safer.

Called a high-intensity activated crosswalk, or HAWK signal, the pedestrian crossing light is normally dark but runs through a red-yellow-green cycle when the crosswalk button is pushed or a sensor detects a pedestrian nearby.

Plans for this new traffic signal are in the works for the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue Northeast and Thayer Street Northeast, where a number of storefront shops and restaurants reside, including Zeke’s Coffee roastery, Provost, Art Enables, and the new Emma’s Torch cafe.

HAWK signals are considered better for motorists than stoplights since they only turn on when pedestrians are using the crosswalk, so they don’t slow traffic, though some drivers say they find the signals confusing as they aren’t entirely like normal stop signals and some argue that a regular full traffic signal would be preferable.

Still, they are one solution to help pedestrians cross safely, a concern for a wider, high-volume roadway like on Route 1. Data suggests that they reduce crashes and increase driver compliance with crosswalk laws.

This is especially important as the U.S. has seen a dramatic uptick in pedestrian deaths, especially at night, since 2009, according to government fatality data.

HAWK signals are one solution to making Route 1 safer for pedestrians, along with asphalt art, curb extensions, and reducing roadways.

There is a HAWK signal in College Park, where the Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail intersects with Campus Drive, although Maryland transportation planners have opposed them in the past.

Meanwhile, local ANC Commissioner VJ Kapur said in a comment on Instagram, “there’s still time to improve the outcome of this intersection, including to push DDOT for a full traffic signal which would make a much bigger impact.”

You can visit Kapur’s page here to learn more about the work being done to help improve this intersection and others nearby.

To learn more about HAWK signals, click here for a helpful guide.

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Longtime late-night hangout D.P. Dough will return to College Park on Monday, Dec. 18., at 4200 Hartwick Rd., on the first floor of the Terrapin Row apartments next to the Amazon hub.

The Columbus-based calzone chain was long a favorite of University of Maryland students out late because it stays open until 3 a.m.

“We can’t say thank you enough as we are truly excited to announce our reopening!” the eatery wrote on Instagram.

An earlier location nearby closed in 2020, sparking a wave of concern among students and alumni that College Park was losing some of its old-school college town character. It reopened on Hartwick Road in January then closed temporarily over the summer.

As the city and the university have pushed to make College Park a “great college town,” a wave of new construction of student and post-graduate apartments have pushed out smaller mom-and-pop shops and hangouts in favor of more large national chains.

Since then, Marathon Deli has reopened in a new location, Ledo Pizza has reopened under new management and Cornerstone Grill successfully raised money to avoid closing.

Other eateries near D.P. Dough’s new location include Roots Natural Kitchen and Bandit Taco, which opened earlier this year and are both located in the new Aster apartment building along with Prince George’s County’s first Trader Joe’s.

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Route 1’s Discovery District research park, located on the eastern edge of the University of Maryland‘s campus, scored a big win this week as the Washington Commanders football team announced its office is moving in.

The NFL team will be moving its front-end staff to the fourth floor of a new office building at 4600 River Rd., a short walk from the planned M Square Station of the Purple Line light rail slated to open sometime between 2026 and 2027.

“Moving our headquarters will provide exciting new spaces to take in home games and will provide for greater collaboration for our business staff and partnership with the University of Maryland,” said Commanders President Jason Wright in a statement.

The office space will include workers on the Commanders’ human resources, sales and marketing teams, among others.

The 150-acre research park started by the University of Maryland is already home to staff for the Food & Drug Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the American Center for Physics, but the Commanders adds another name-brand that can help lure new tenants.

It’s also a win for Maryland officials who are hoping that the team doesn’t leave the state as its new owners look for a new stadium location.

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Whether you’re looking for a new sport or a fun alternative for date night, you can try axe-throwing not far from the Route 1 corridor.

Located at 2419 Evarts St. NE, just over the border from Mount Rainier, Bad Axe Throwing is a Canadian company that bills itself as “the world’s biggest urban axe throwing club.”

The venue hosts  axe-throwing leagues, private parties and couples for an activity that it argues is comparable to going bowling — or a heavier version of darts.

Though it’s long been a part of timber sports competitions, axe throwing as an urban activity started to take off in the U.S. around 2014, around the time that the “lumberjack chic” fashion trend became popular.

But axe throwing has proven popular, with Kick Axe Throwing near Union Market, Throw Social in Ivy City and Kraken Axes near Penn Quarter.

Regular axe throwers say it’s a good workout for your arms, core, shoulders, and leg. It can also make a fun first date because it’s nicer than a bowling alley and odds are that neither of you are experienced, so you’ll be evenly matched.

Bad Axe Throwing first opened in northeast D.C. in 2017 and also has locations in Waldorf and Alexandria, Va., as well as throughout the country and in its native Canada.

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A store that exclusively sells goods made by Maryland artists and crafters opened today in College Park, just in time for holiday shopping.

Located at 7401 Baltimore Ave. in the new city hall, Shop Made in MD is a sister store of Shop Made in D.C., which started in 2017, and Shop Made in Virginia, which followed in 2022.

A smaller Shop Made in Maryland outpost sells items out of a colada cafe in Cabin John.

The 2,300-square-foot College Park location features everything from prints from local artists to home goods like mugs, travel bags, candles and jewelry made by more than 120 Maryland residents. It had a soft opening Thursday, with a grand opening planned for Friday.

“We’ve had a lot of students come in today, looking to see what we’re doing,” general manager Darren McNulty told the Hyattsville Wire.

The shop is also home to a cafe with pastries, espresso drinks with coffee from A Toda Madre, kombucha, Yerba mate and selections from Westminster Winery, Sapwood Cellars and Distillery Lane Ciderworks.

Shop Made in Maryland will host regular classes on crafts for amounts ranging from $20 to $150. Along with a regular Wine & Watercolors on Fridays, there are also upcoming classes on things like ornament-making, painting an advent calendar, wreath-making and stitching snowflakes.

The store is holding a soft opening Thursday and a grand opening runs from Friday, Dec. 8, through Sunday, Dec. 10, with a special reception from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday.

Normal store hours will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

If you’re a Maryland resident interested in having your wares sold at Shop Made in Maryland, you can apply here. Applications are reviewed quarterly.

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A new Aldi grocery store is now open in Berwyn Heights.

Located at 8904 62nd Ave., across from the Beltway Plaza Mall, the latest outpost of the rapidly expanding German discount chain is scheduled to hold its grand opening Thursday, Dec. 7., but shoppers were allowed inside on Wednesday.

“We’re excited to open our first ALDI store in College Park and introduce local customers to a new, more affordable way of shopping,” said Aldi regional vice president Jeff Baehr.

Aldi, which has another store in West Hyattsville, is locked in a tight competition with fellow German grocery chain Lidl, which opened its College Park store a mile away in 2019 and will soon open a new location in Mount Rainier, as both have targeted the East Coast for expansion.

The secret to Aldi’s success is a relentless focus on keeping prices low. Stores are small — an average of 12,000 square feet compared to the 45,000 square feet for a traditional grocery store. You have to pay a quarter to get a shopping cart and bag your own groceries.

The store will give a gift bag and a gift card with an unknown value on it to the first 100 customers as part of its grand opening Thursday and shoppers can enter a raffle through Sunday.

The Berwyn Heights Aldi will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily and has curbside pickup and delivery options available.

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