The Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway could lose its reversible rush-hour lanes, which the National Park Service says creates a dangerous "racetrack environment."

Why it matters: The commuter thoroughfare goes through a delicate weekday choreography, where all four lanes flip southbound in the AM rush hour and reverse direction in the PM.

State of play: NPS is taking public comment on its proposal to end that nearly century-old tradition.

• The four-lane road would be evenly split between north and southbound lanes 24/7. New permanent medians would be added.
• In addition, NPS is proposing building a roundabout where the parkway intersects with Shoreham Drive and Beach Drive. Traffic signals and/or a roundabout are also being considered at the Ohio Drive intersection, along with improved pedestrian crossings.
• The Rock Creek Park multi-use trail, between P Street and Virginia Avenue, would be widened.

By the numbers: About 50,000 drivers use the parkway on an average day.

• There have been 5,999 total crashes from 1990 to 2020, according to NPS. An average of 194 crashes a year.
• Though reversible lane hours account for just 19% of the parkway's traffic volume, 31% of the crashes occurred during that time.

"Reversals create confusion for drivers and 'racetrack' environment," an NPS presentation says.

• U.S. Park Police face "significant risks" when they confront traffic twice daily to set up cones and wooden sawhorses to redirect the flow of traffic.
• NPS says it costs the police department about $600,000 to $800,000 annually.

What's next: NPS is taking public feedback until May 2.

• The project is in the study phase and could begin construction in 2028.

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Alex Ovechkin netted goal No. 895 to smash Wayne Gretzky's all-time record on Sunday.

• Ovi scored in the second period against the New York Islanders. The away crowd erupted while the new goal king dove on the ice in jubilation.
• The 39-year-old, grizzled superstar's longevity is stunning — he's had 14 40-goal seasons, including three since turning 35, per The Athletic.

🏒 Ovechkin had tied the record on Friday and celebrated with teammates and family at Cafe Milano.

• Postgame, Gretzky told Ovi: "Get to 900."

The Trump administration must return a man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador to the U.S., a judge ordered Friday.

The big picture: Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadorian national living in Maryland legally, was detained by immigration officials and erroneously deported despite a prevailing court order saying he could remain in the U.S.

Driving the news: U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said Abrego Garcia must be brought back from an El Salvador prison by midnight Monday, per the court order.

Context: Abrego Garcia was stopped on March 12 by immigration agents who wrongly told him that his status had changed.

• He was questioned about gang affiliation and transferred to a Texas detention center before being taken to El Salvador.
• Abrego Garcia has not been convicted of gang-related crimes, though he was accused of such in court.
• The Justice Department later said that "although ICE was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was removed to El Salvador because of an administrative error."

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Rainstorms are getting more intense in D.C. amid human-driven climate change, a new analysis finds.

Why it matters: More intense precipitation events can cause flash-flooding, landslides, dangerous driving conditions and other potentially deadly hazards.

The big picture: This comes as April is expected to bring more rain to the area after a particularly warm and dry March, says Capital Weather Gang.

By the numbers: Hourly rainfall intensity increased 15% in D.C. between 1970 and 2024, per a new report from Climate Central, a research and communications group.

• We're not alone: Nearly 90% of the 144 locations analyzed saw an increase.

How it works: The researchers divided each location's total annual rainfall by its total hours of annual rainfall, using NOAA weather station data.

• That approach quantifies how much rain fell for each hour it was raining in a given year — in other words, rainfall intensity.

Between the lines: Human-driven climate change is resulting in warmer air, which holds more moisture and thus can drive more intense precipitation.

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🪧 About 100,000 people protested the Trump administration at the National Mall on Saturday, organizers of the "Hands Off!" rally said, exceeding the 10,000 originally expected. (Axios)

🚔 A driver who hit a pedestrian and crashed into a utility pole early Saturday morning near U and 11th Street was arrested. Police said seven people were injured and that the driver of the Audi A5 was charged with DUI and reckless driving. (WTOP)

🏗️ A nearly-decade-in-the-making development project broke ground in Georgetown last week. A five-story condo building is replacing an empty lot and former gas station at 2715 Pennsylvania Ave. (UrbanTurf)

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The newest DMV billionaires are a duo who just took their energy company public, joining Forbes' annual list along with a handful of other locals.

Why it matters: Two dozen billionaires on the global list have local ties.

Follow the money: Mike Sabel and Bob Pender are founders of Venture Global Inc., an Arlington-based liquefied natural gas company that went public in January (good timing), Washington Business Journal reports.

• Sabel, a former investment banker who lives in D.C., and Pender, a D.C. attorney who lives in Falls Church, both rank No. 323 on Forbes' list — with net worths of $9.1 billion.

Newcomers include Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang, United Therapeutics founder and CEO Martine Rothblatt, Salamander Collection CEO Sheila Johnson, and fast casual restaurant entrepreneur Ron Shaich, who is chairman of Cava.

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