Posts by Dan Malouff — Editorial Board
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As streetcar work kicks into gear, details emerge
It’s going to be the summer of streetcar in DC, with increasingly rapid progress visible on H Street and at the vehicle testing site in Anacostia. At last week’s streetcar community fair, DDOT representatives presented the timeline for vehicle testing, gave line-by-line construction and planning status updates, and showed images of streetcar station signs,… Keep reading…
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Baltimore’s suburban downtowns emerge as more urban
Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Arlington are some of the best suburban downtowns in America. Baltimore’s suburbs, by comparison, have lagged behind. But with large infill projects coming to Towson and Columbia, Baltimore’s most walkable suburbs may soon catch up with DC’s. In Towson, 1500 new residential units have opened in the past 4 years, with… Keep reading…
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Vienna Metro town center won’t have a town center
Outside of Tysons Corner, Vienna MetroWest is Fairfax County’s greatest experiment yet in transit-oriented development. But now it appears developers have scaled back, and may build car-oriented retail instead. Keep reading…
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Metro riders need to know when service will be good again
Unlike its off-peak trains, Metrorail’s rebuilding program is moving full steam ahead. When will it actually be done? After years of deferred maintenance, WMATA is neck deep with major track work every weekend. The work is clearly necessary for Metrorail’s long term viability, but it’s awful for riders now. With headways approaching a half hour, weekend… Keep reading…
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Is the National Mall the place for risk-taking architecture?
DC’s art community was chagrined to see the Hirshhorn cancel plans to build an inflatable “bubble” to house seasonal events. This is a good time to ask, “what now?” The bubble would have been a striking sculptural statement, but is that what the National Mall should be? Should the Mall be a singular urban space, defined by consistent neoclassical… Keep reading…
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Watch 28 years of Virginia sprawl
Google’s global 1984-2012 satellite timelapse shows remarkable growth in Northern Virginia. Take a look. Keep reading…
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Lost rivers of Washington
Constitution Avenue used to be a canal, and two creeks used to flow through central DC. David Ramos produced a series of maps showing where they went. Keep reading…
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Langley Park transit center finally moving forward
Maryland has awarded a construction contract for the Langley Park transit center. Keep reading…
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15-minute map illustrates Baltimore’s best transit lines
Frequent transit maps highlight bus and rail lines that come at least every 15 minutes. They’re great tools that help riders easily identify the most convenient routes. Keep reading…
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Hoover christens Memorial Bridge in 1932 newsreel
Arlington Memorial Bridge opened in 1932, amidst the very depths of the Great Depression. It was a major event in Washington, which drew President Herbert Hoover, the first lady, and the vice president. This vintage newsreel illustrates the excitement. The newsman is particularly enthusiastic that the bridge is wide enough for “4 cars to pass abreast.” By… Keep reading…