Posts by David Alpert — Founder
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Jealous beats Baker for governor, Alsobrooks wins in Prince George’s, and Montgomery executive is too close to call
Ben Jealous beat Rushern Baker to be the Democratic pick against Maryland governor Larry Hogan in November. Angela Alsobrooks was nominated (and essentially elected) the next Prince George's county executive, while in Montgomery, the race was down to a mere 452 votes separating Marc Elrich and David Blair, with thousands of absentee and provisional ballots yet to be counted. The Maryland primary election is not over! Keep reading…
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Myth busting: DC Home Rule prohibits a “commuter tax,” but that’s not why we don’t have congestion pricing
Why aren't there tolls on the Potomac River bridges? Why doesn't DC have a congestion charge to drive downtown, like London does or New York has considered? Is it because the Home Rule Act prohibits a “commuter tax?” It's a common argument, but isn't the reason. Keep reading…
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To make ride-hailing work for urbanism, here’s what needs to happen
Ride-hailing services like Uber, Lyft, and Via have grown meteorically since launching just a few years ago. Meanwhile, transit ridership nationwide is declining, and some studies posit a direct connection. As a result, many transit supporters have sharply criticized these services. Some fears are warranted, but ride-hailing is also offering people a valuable transportation service. Keep reading…
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Huge improvements for safety, cycling, and walking on C Street NE are back on (cycle) track
C Street NE near RFK Stadium is a mega-street with fast-moving traffic. A project to calm traffic and make it better for walking and bicycling is moving forward, after transportation officials almost cut back the project but reversed course in the wake of community uproar. Keep reading…
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We correctly described Marc Elrich’s wrong-headed, non-progressive Montgomery County land use ideas
Marc Elrich, a candidate for Montgomery County Executive, has been saying Greater Greater Washington took his words out of context in an opinion article, “Why Marc Elrich is not the right choice for Montgomery County Executive.” We did not misrepresent him, and stand by our reporting. Keep reading…
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DC votes for change in tipping, no change in elected officials
DC voters are pretty happy with their incumbents, based on results of Tuesday's primary, re-nominating Mayor Bowser, Delgate Norton, and all DC Council incumbents. Meanwhile, voters approved a change to the tipped minimum wage, 55-45%. Keep reading…
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Understand Montgomery County politics on two dimensions with this graphic
Voters in Montgomery County and across Maryland will cast primary ballots on Tuesday, June 26. This graphic, posted to Daily Kos by Eric Hensal, visually arranges candidates for Montgomery executive and council, along with Governor Larry Hogan, based on common donors. Keep reading…
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DC sets new goals to be sustainable
In 2012, DC released its Sustainable DC plan, with ambitious goals for sustainability in energy, trash, transportation, and much more. Now, officials are updating it, and they have a new set of goals for you to look at. What do you think? Keep reading…
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Justin Wilson beats Allison Silberberg in Alexandria, other Virginia results, and election news from around the region
Justin Wilson defeats Allison Silberberg for Alexandria mayor, while Matt de Ferranti and Jennifer Wexton prevail in their primaries in Arlington and VA-10, respectively. Plus, Valerie Ervin drops out of the governor's race, more Mendelson vs. Lazere, and more election news. Keep reading…
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Why people don’t wait for a walk sign, in one video
Why don't people walking just obey traffic signals? Some signals are clearly timed around moving vehicles and not around the needs of people on foot, as this video shows. Keep reading…