Posts by David Alpert — Founder
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Inclusionary zoning v. historic preservation?
Will developers start getting pinched between inclusionary zoning and historic preservation, and the wishes of neighbors? Will some push to weaken one or the other? Do we need to do that, or is that just an argument meant to increase profits? Keep reading…
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Breakfast bites
Obama, Clinton ride transit but don’t talk about it: Clinton and Obama both have good, though vague, plaforms on transportation policy, writes the Philadelphia Daily News. But transportation hasn’t been an issue in the campaign, while America needs visionary thinking in transportation. One thing’s for sure, but not in the article: McCain is much worse, by… Keep reading…
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DCUSA 1910
Too bad we don’t still have this building housing an “Eastern Market-style market” at the DCUSA site. Keep reading…
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Evans’ church bill goes beyond RLUIPA
There have been great and thoughtful comments on my post last week about the Keep reading…
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Some cities reduce traffic camera safety for profit
Studies have questioned whether red-light cameras increase safety, arguing that they cause motorists to stop too quickly. One thing’s for sure: if the city deliberately makes the yellow light extra short to catch motorists and raise revenue, that definitely hurts safety. And it turns out some cities did just that. Via BoingBoing. Keep reading…
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WalkingTown DC schedule
April 26-27 is WalkingTown DC, a weeekend full of walking tours of neighborhoods all around DC from Takoma Park to East Washington Heights, alley tours of Capitol Hill, H Street, and Blagden Alley, tours of new development on the Southwest Waterfront and historic forts in Upper Northwest, tours of art downtown and in the Metro, eating and drinking tours, bicycle tours, and more. Keep reading…
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Finding the right buffer
As I wrote on Monday, DC Office of Planning is considering a “buffer zone rule” that would require parking in multi-unit apartment buildings if they are within 400 feet of a low- or moderate-density residential building. As I argued, that rule is too broad. Keep reading…
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Suburban supermarket and strip mall dropped in Congress Heights
Ward 8, Washington’s southernmost and poorest ward, had not a single supermarket from 1998 until December 2007, when a new Giant opened in Congress Heights. Unfortunately, that Giant looks like it came straight from Atlanta, with seas of parking in front that are never full. Keep reading…
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Get these stinkin’ pedestrians out of my drive-thru Wendy’s!
The Wendy’s at Court House Metro closes at 10, but the drive-through stays open until 2. Should pedestrians walk up to the drive-thru window? Stand between cars to “wait in line?” Go elsewhere? Read the debate at Metroblogging DC including a dose of good old “blame the pedestrians for risking injury by invading the sacred car-only realm.”… Keep reading…
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Hidden and sunk costs fool drivers
When weighing driving against public transit, people consider time, the stress of driving, and the possible discomfort of crowded subways or buses. When it comes to cost, though, it’s easy to go astray. Metro’s cost is immediate, while the cost of wear and tear on the car is only paid in repairs and eventual replacement of the car. That leads to faulty thinking like this… Keep reading…