Posts by David Alpert — Founder
-
Maryland has a speeding problem
Cities and counties across the nation have been pledging to “Vision Zero,” the idea that not a single person ought to die in crashes on our roadways. But many state transportation departments, including Maryland’s, continue to pay only lip service to making roads safe. Keep reading…
-
What’s more important, “neighborhood stability” or affordable housing?
At the Comp Plan hearing Tuesday, many people spoke about the need for building homes, including affordable ones, and protecting residents against displacement. But the hearing also laid bare a fundamental disagreement about what's more important: Creating needed housing, or “protecting neighborhood character”? Keep reading…
-
DCST and dockless bikeshare operators agree on principles for the future
Five companies now operate dockless bikeshare in DC (and two now offer dockless scooters). You locate a dockless bike with an app, unlock it from your phone, and ride it anywhere (or at least, anywhere allowed). These bikes have brought great benefits to riders… and also some complaints. Keep reading…
-
Have you rated 2018 primary candidate responses yet?
So far, 129 readers have used our rating tool to rate the responses of candidates to our election questionnaire over 2,800 times. That's amazing — thank you! Can you get us to 4,000? Keep reading…
-
A letter from DC Council chairman Phil Mendelson and five colleagues could imperil the Metro funding deal
A letter, released yesterday from DC Council chairman Phil Mendelson and five other council members, argues DC shouldn't pay what Virginia expects. That could lead Virginia or Maryland to pull back on their own contributions, leaving Metro with not enough money for needed repairs and upgrades. Keep reading…
-
A Rosslyn-Georgetown gondola would fill a real hole in our transportation system. Is it worth it?
While it might not be the most important transportation project in the whole region, a gondola connecting Rosslyn and Georgetown could be a worthwhile way to help people reach jobs and shops and reduce single-passenger car trips. Keep reading…
-
Should DC welcome new people, or try to turn back the clock?
Housing affordability isn’t going to improve on its own. Displacement isn’t going to stop on its own. If the government takes no action and makes no plans, we will end up with a city with very little income diversity and far less racial and ethnic diversity than today. Keep reading…
-
What do you think of candidates’ answers to our questions? Help us rate them!
GGWash sent a questionnaire to candidates for offices in Maryland, DC, and Virginia and we'd like to hear our community's views. To try to make this scientific, we created a little comparison tool that allows you to rate their responses. Give it a try! Keep reading…
-
Is anything old not “historic”? Preservation doesn’t have a good answer
The historic preservation office doesn't seem willing to reckon with the fundamental question about whether everything — regardless of merit — ought to be historically designated, or how to balance preservation against other needs. Is every story, about everything, worth preserving? Keep reading…
-
Destroying traffic cameras isn’t an answer. Making them more swift, certain, and fair is.
Criminology research says that “swift, certain, and fair” punishments work better than infrequent, highly punitive ones. No word on whether this may also make people less likely to smash traffic cameras. Keep reading…