Posts by Matt Johnson — Editorial Board Alum
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When condo bylaws prohibit bike parking
The bylaws of older condominium associations often hinder the ability for communities to evolve as the needs of residents change. Some condo associations grapple with this issue as more residents start to ride bicycles. Matt Johnson rents a condo in Greenbelt. His condo association’s rules prohibit storing bikes on balconies. But there’s nowhere else to store… Keep reading…
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On 16th Street, the cost of not adding bus lanes is $8 million a year
The Metrobuses on 16th Street NW carry half of all traffic during peak hours, using only 3% of the vehicles. But buses share street space with cars. If they had their own lane, WMATA could save close to $8 million a year. It goes without saying that it costs money to run buses. But it’s less obvious that the speed of a bus is directly related to the cost of providing the service. Keep reading…
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Metro FAQ: Why does Metro run express trains in one direction during single-tracking?
Twice this week, attempted suicides have caused single-tracking during busy times. In both cases, Metro sent trains in one direction express through the single-tracking zone. Why would it do this? The Metro system has two tracks on each line. There are interlockings, where trains can change tracks, every so often. Whenever they single-track, the track that’s open has… Keep reading…
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What Greater Greater Washington means to me
Almost 6 years ago today, I stumbled across a new urbanism blog, and my immediate reaction was, “why couldn’t I have thought of a creative name like that?” But more importantly, I was amazed at how great the content was, and how much of it the single author turned out. I subscribed right away. From the start, Greater Greater Washington was a great introduction… Keep reading…
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Comparing Metrobus and Metrorail farebox recovery is apples and oranges
Metro is planning to raise bus, rail, and paratransit fares this year, and last week Michael Perkins talked about the transfer discount. In the comments, some talked about the difference between bus and rail farebox recovery. But those numbers aren’t really comparable. “Farebox recovery” is the amount of operating expenses that fares cover. For example, if a… Keep reading…
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I tracked every Metro trip I made for two years, and here’s what I found
When you keep track, it’s funny what patterns appear in Metro trips. I’ve been doing it for 2 years. During that time, I have ridden 75% of the WMATA fleet, and been delayed about 2% of the time, but more so far in 2014. In February 2012, I decided to start keeping track of a few attributes of my trips on Metro. The primary motivation was to track the cars I’d ridden… Keep reading…
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Life is too important to give speed cameras a loophole
Vehicle speed kills. Even a small increase in speed can mean the difference between life and death for a pedestrian. But laws limiting speed camera enforcement make them less effective at making our streets safer. At 20 miles per hour, when a motorist hits a pedestrian, the pedestrian has a 90 percent chance of surviving the crash. At 30 miles per hour, the chance of survival has… Keep reading…
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Joseph Brown died trying to avoid a snow-covered path, and DC blamed him for it
Early Friday morning, 61-year old Joseph Brown was walking to Metro. The sidewalk he wanted to use on the Sousa Bridge was full of snow plowed off the street, and he chose to walk in the roadway instead. When a driver killed him, DC police gave him a posthumous citation. We’ve talked a lot in recent weeks about the failure of property owners to clear their sidewalks. Unfortunately,… Keep reading…
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Santiago shows a low-cost way to solve Metro crowding
When passenger crowding becomes problematic, many transit agencies look toward expensive engineering solutions. But sometimes, the situation can be improved with some low-cost techniques and education. That’s the approach Santiago took at one of its transfer stations. Keep reading…
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Lack of coordination blunts Dulles bus improvements
When the Silver Line’s first phase opens sometime this year, there will be three new or altered bus routes connecting its temporary terminus at Wiehle Avenue to Dulles Airport. While they all serve a similar purpose, they’ll have different branding and uncoordinated schedules. Keep reading…