Posts by David Alpert — Founder
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DC might buy and demolish the “Dave Thomas Circle” Wendy’s. Here’s what it should do next.
It might be DC's most awkward and hated intersection: the spot where New York Avenue, Florida Avenue, and several other streets all meet. But DDOT may soon redesign it. Here's how that would work. Keep reading…
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One myth and four questions about whether Metro can restore late night service
Should Metro keep closing at 11:30 most nights and 1 am Friday and Saturday, or restore the later hours it had until 2016? What about in the future? Can bus service fill the gap, or ride-hailing services like Uber/Lyft/Via? Keep reading…
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Is 18 months in jail for killing a cyclist lenient or not?
Phillip Peoples, driving his car at 12th Street and Constitution Avenue NW on September 24, killed Thomas Hollowell who was on a bicycle. Peoples was sentenced to 18 months in prison last month. Should the sentence have been more, or less? Keep reading…
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Maryland toll lanes won’t ease traffic, critics say
The Hogan administration is moving ahead with plans to construct new toll lanes on I-270 and the Capital Beltway in Maryland, while Virginia Governor Northam inked a deal to expand the state's toll lanes as well. But critics say that the plans are moving too fast, procedurally, while the actual highway may not move most drivers faster at all. Keep reading…
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See everyone who’s ever served on the DC Council on this timeline
Who was on the DC council when you were born (if you were born after 1975, when it first came into being)? How many people have represented your ward (if you live in DC) over time? Keep reading…
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In a shift, front-facing solar panels win DC historic preservation approval
If a homeowner wants to put solar panels on a roof facing a street, is that a laudable step toward fighting climate change or an affront to historic preservation? With a recent preservation board ruling, DC's historic preservation system took one very small step toward tolerance of visible solar panels, at least in some cases. Keep reading…
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How should DC weigh a protected bikeway versus parking in Dupont?
In 2005, the District Department of Transportation published MoveDC, an ambitious plan which included a future protected bikeway network including on 21st Street between western Dupont Circle and the National Mall. Now, 14 years later, DDOT is working to design and ultimately build this portion. Keep reading…
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These are the Virginia (and other) elections we’re watching
In 2019, the main political action (besides early jockeying for the US presidential nomination) is in Virginia, where the state House and Senate are on the ballot as well as many county supervisors. There are also elections in some Maryland municipalities. Keep reading…
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Residents and two museums take different sides at a contentious meeting about a Dupont bike lane
How can DC best get people on bikes safely through the west side of Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom? If people have been parking their cars nearly for free for years, do they have a right to veto changes to a street? Keep reading…
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A few Bowser supporters booed the mayor for suggesting fewer cars on 16th Street. Let’s applaud instead.
On Tuesday afternoon, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser gave a speech about her second term agenda that included some meaningful statements about making streets safer. In one spot though, some people in the crowd apparently booed when she suggested reducing car dependence. Keep reading…