Posts by David Alpert — Founder
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Watch the evolution of Amtrak from 1971 to 2011
Today, Amtrak turns 48. This slideshow shows how passenger rail service has evolved over the decades, using maps from Malcolm Kenton and the National Association of Railroad Passengers. Keep reading…
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Alfonso Lopez and Julius Spain vie to represent the Columbia Pike area
Most of the state legislative primary battles in Northern Virginia are in the state Senate, which hasn't been on the ballot for four years. There's one House of Delegates primary in our region, for the 49th District, where veteran and Arlington NAACP President Julius “JD” Spain is challenging sitting Delegate Alfonso Lopez in the Democratic primary. Keep reading…
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Why “people biking need to follow the law more” is bad safety advice
When issues of bicycle and pedestrian safety come up, it's common for many people, including well-meaning ones, to suggest those road users ought to “follow the law” more. Some of those comments arose again after the deaths of Dave Salovesh and Abdul Seck, even though both were innocent bystanders while their killers were evidently breaking laws themselves. Keep reading…
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See what the four candidates for Fairfax’s Lee District think about the big issues
Fairfax County's Lee District ranges from the west side of Route 1 to Springfield and Newington. Current Supervisor Jeff McKay is vacating the seat to run for Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Four Democrats — Kelly Hebron, Larysa Kautz, Rodney Lusk, and James Migliaccio — want to take his place. Keep reading…
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Who do you want to represent Loudoun and Prince William in Richmond?
Virginia Senator Dick Black (R) is retiring, and two Democrats and one Republican hope to take his place to represent a district comprising most of Loudoun County and some of Prince William. The partisan makeup of these two counties has been shifting rapidly in recent years, making this a significant race in control of the General Assembly. Keep reading…
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The cycling community grieves as a driver kills Dave Salovesh, an outspoken critic of DC’s inaction on road safety
Dave Salovesh, a friend to many DC transportation advocates and known to many more as @darsal on Twitter and a GGWash contributor, was killed by a speeding driver Friday morning. According to news reports, the driver of a stolen van, Robert Earl Little Jr. was racing from police when he hit a blue Hyundai at 12th Street, kept driving, crossed the center of the road, and then struck and killed Salovesh. Keep reading…
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Which Commonwealth’s Attorney candidate do you think is best?
Commonwealth's Attorneys are the county prosecutors in Virginia. In Arlington and Falls Church, there's a race between the seven-year incumbent, Theo Stamos, and challenger Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, for the Democratic nomination. Keep reading…
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Candidates for Fairfax Chairman talk housing & transportation. What do you think?
Jeff McKay, Tim Chapman, Ryan McElveen, and Alicia Plerhoples are all running for Chairman of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors. They've told us what they think about important issues on affordable housing, development, road safety, and transit in Fairfax County. Tell us what you think about their answers. Keep reading…
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Why we’re going to keep writing about racial and gender equity even if some commenters really hate it
When we write about race, gender, and similar issues on GGWash, we often get more irate comments than the typical article, even a controversial one. I'd like to say a few things about that based on one highlight of the 2018 YIMBYtown conference in Boston last year, a workshop on inclusion by Angela Park. Keep reading…
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Urbanist Villain of the Week: The Shay resident who killed go-go music in Shaw
A MetroPCS store at 7th Street and Florida Avenue NW in DC has been playing go-go music on outdoor speakers since 1995. Now, it's stopped after a resident of a new, fancy apartment building complained. Keep reading…