Dear Friends and DPW/DDOT Family:

On behalf of Mayor Williams, we extend our deepest thanks to all of you who reported for work Tuesday and remained on the job, despite the turmoil that gripped the entire District of Columbia. While other parts of the city government closed, many of you elected to stay on duty or stand by in case you were needed - and some of you were.

This is a national time of mourning. While we grieve in our hearts, neither DPW nor DDOT can suspend or even pause the delivery of our services. The best thing that we can do to help the Mayor and the District reclaim a sense of normalcy is to keep doing our jobs - collecting the trash, cleaning and repairing the streets, trimming trees and facilitating the movement of people, vehicles and goods around our city. Our presence in the neighborhoods and along major thoroughfares - doing what we do everyday - demonstrates beyond mere words that DC remains strong.

We all need the assurance that our lives will return to normal, even as we struggle with this violent crime and our sense of loss. As we resume our daily routines, we begin to reassure ourselves as well as the residents of this great city.

Sincerely,

Leslie A. Hotaling, Director of Public Works
Dan Tangherlini, Acting Director, Division of Transportation