Posts by Canaan Merchant — Elections Committee
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Bus stop or transit station? It’s not all the same thing
The more riders who use a bus stop, the larger and more amenity-filled the stop should be. That’s the message behind this nifty infographic from Arlington, showing the basic types of stops, and when they’re appropriate. Keep reading…
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Arlington’s streetcars will carry more riders than VRE or the entire Richmond bus network combined
Here’s the simplest reason to build a streetcar on Columbia Pike: Absolutely tons of people will ride it. The latest ridership projections show that by 2035 there will be more streetcar riders on Columbia Pike and in Crystal City than there are on VRE or riding buses in Richmond today. The latest ridership projections for the streetcar are huge. By 2035, 37,100 riders per… Keep reading…
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Million dollars no more: What’s in and what’s out of Arlington’s redesigned Columbia Pike bus stations
Arlington has redesigned and value-engineered a series of transit stations proposed along Columbia Pike, after the original prototype drew criticism for costing a lot and not adequately keeping out the weather. The new design is both less expensive and more effective. Keep reading…
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Two Virginia candidates want a referendum on the Columbia Pike streetcar. That is pointless and possibly destructive.
Two Virginia political candidates have called for a voter referendum on the Columbia Pike streetcar. This is a bad idea. Alan Howze, one of the two, is running for Arlington County Board in November’s special election. He just lost in a relatively low-turnout special election against John Vihstadt, who made the streetcar one of his main issues. The other is Patrick Hope,… Keep reading…
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With new mixed-use development, the “Little City” of Falls Church keeps growing up
The only way the City of Falls Church can grow is up. To expand its tax base, city leaders have been promoting mixed-use development and even blocking projects that aren’t mixed-use. This trend is taking another step with a new building under construction at 301 West Broad Street. Keep reading…
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Columbia Pike streetcar would generate $3 billion more benefit than enhanced bus
A new return on investment study shows that for the proposed Columbia Pike streetcar, the additional benefits of rail over buses far outweigh the additional costs. Streetcar opponents in Arlington have been arguing that better buses on Columbia Pike could provide as many benefits as streetcars, for much lower cost. This new study shows that claim simply isn’t true. Although… Keep reading…
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Columbia Pike streetcar becomes the central issue in Arlington’s special election
Arlington voters will pick a replacement for county board member Chris Zimmerman in a special election April 4 April 8. While the two candidates have a lot in common, their take on the Columbia Pike streetcar sets them apart. One calls it an important part of the county’s transportation network, while the other says it’s a waste of money. Democratic nominee Alan Howze,… Keep reading…
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CSG explains Metro Momentum in new video
The Coalition for Smarter Growth has just released a video supporting Metro Momentum, WMATA’s plan to increase Metrorail and Metrobus capacity, and a web tool to contact your local elected officials in support of funding Momentum. Keep reading…
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Arlington starts work on the region’s first BRT line
Alexandria is putting the finishing touches on their part of the region’s first Bus Rapid Transit line, the Crystal City/Potomac Yard Transitway, and Arlington has begun work on their section. The transitway’s first phase will open this summer, and it will be completely open in 2015. This project will speed up bus service along the Route 1 corridor between… Keep reading…
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Why Greater Greater Washington is important to me
Greater Greater Washington is holding a reader drive to fund our Associate Editor, who makes sure we get high-quality posts up every day. Some members of the Greater Greater Washington family have written accounts of why this community is important to them and to the region. Please support us today! I first stumbled across Greater Greater Washington when I wanted to see if there… Keep reading…