Posts by Dan Malouff — Editorial Board
-
Enclosed malls fade from Washington region
Once the economic juggernaut of suburbia, enclosed malls are slowly dying all across America. The Washington region is no exception. This map shows 31 enclosed malls in the DC area, color-coded by status: green for malls that are still open, and red for malls that are closed or in the process of closing. Keep reading…
-
11th street “recreation bridge” would be tough to make work
When DC’s new 11th Street Bridge opens, its old spans will become unnecessary transportation infrastructure. The DC Office of Planning is considering converting one of the old spans into a park, filled with recreation amenities such as rock climbing walls, zip lines, and skate parks. Keep reading…
-
Introducing the two-stage bike box
As urban bicycling becomes more common, new types of infrastructure are being invented to help bikes safely mix with cars. The latest innovation is what’s called a “two-stage bike box.” Arlington is proposing one for this particularly confusing intersection: Keep reading…
-
Do DC’s planned streetcar routes need a few tweaks?
Is DC’s proposed 37-mile streetcar network perfectly planned already, or could a few tweaks to the routes improve the plan? The Streetcar Land Use Study released last month identified about a dozen potential route changes that might improve the system’s already impressive effects on development. The proposed changes adjust the details of streetcar routes to… Keep reading…
-
Metro’s proposed monthly pass could serve more riders
An unlimited-use pass could allow Metro to reward their most frequent customers and increase off-peak usage. But the pass needs to be well-designed if it’s going to succeed. A good pass system needs to work on SmarTrip, offer price levels that would work for many commuters, and provide enough of a discount to be worthwhile. System shutdowns for track maintenance and replacement… Keep reading…
-
Streetcars will benefit DC’s bottom line
Will DC’s streetcar system be worth its $1.5 billion expense? A recent study indicates that the answer is a resounding yes. One of the key differences between buses and streetcars is that streetcars induce land development. That benefits the city from a Smart Growth and urbanist perspective. It also turns out to be a big win for the city’s coffers. The DC Office… Keep reading…
-
Dulles Metro must go to Dulles Airport
It seems like a no-brainer that the long-planned Dulles Airport Metro line should include a stop at Dulles Airport, but to one key decision-maker, that remains an open question. At yesterday’s meeting of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), board member Robert Clarke Brown, a presidential appointee, suggested re-routing Phase 2 of the Silver Line… Keep reading…
-
Walk-up windows are good urbanism
A macaron shop looking to open in a small space in Georgetown is proposing to sell their sweets from an open window facing the sidewalk, rather than from an interior register. Customers wouldn’t actually go inside the shop, they’d merely stop outside it, and order through a large window. Hopefully the store will be approved, because walk-up windows are great urbanism. Keep reading…
-
Transit starts show we’re making progress
For many years in the latter half of the 20th century, few US cities were actively building new transit lines. Yet in 2012 alone, 31 US cities will either open, start, or continue construction on new public transportation infrastructure, mostly rail. As this map from The Transport Politic shows, the times, they’re a-changin’. Keep reading…
-
American bike sharing systems more than doubled in 2011
2011 closes as the last year that Washington will probably lead the nation in bike sharing stations after having the most in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, New York City will launch a 600-station system, dwarfing DC’s system. Here are the current US bike sharing systems, ranked by number of stations. The list is more impressive than last year’s version. Nationwide,… Keep reading…