Posts about District of Columbia
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Security bollards could also provide bike parking
Security measures are often antithetical to good urban design and vibrant city streets. But instead of hoping for them to go away, we can at least push for them to serve other uses as well, like doubling as bike racks. Foggy Bottom, where I live, has high security neighbors like the State Department, Federal Reserve, several high profile embassies, the IMF and the World Bank. … Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Safety and security first
DC water is safe (?); Lawyers Road diet successful so far; Close the Washington Monument; Arlington mural generates federal suit; Metro ridership lower than expected; Malls have way more parking than they need; Virginia not solving road funding problem; Changes coming to Jones Point; And…. Keep reading…
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How can Obama really do more for DC?
Yesterday, President Obama and Mayor-Elect Gray met for lunch. According to Gray, Obama said he “wants to do more for the city.” How can he do more? Obviously there are a number of federal programs that give out funding, whether discretionary or formula, and Obama could push for DC in many areas of the federal budget. But the President is very concerned about the deficit,… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Tensions on and off the bike
Enforce bike parking rules; Conflict is the bike story; Tensions in Hill East; Questions surround Big K site in Anacostia; A glimpse at MLK Memorial; More NoMA park responses; Raise my taxes, please; Toronto surrenders (to cars); And…. Keep reading…
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Make North Capitol Street a true gateway
North Capitol Street, framed by the Capitol dome and used by hundreds of commuters and visitors, stands as an oft-overlooked example of a highway mentality misapplied to an urban setting. To rectify this longstanding gash in the city’s fabric, DDOT should look into reshaping of the less appealing highway-like portions of North Capitol Street around Rhode Island and New York… Keep reading…
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Got any big ideas for the DDOT budget?
DC faces huge budget gaps, and every agency is being asked to make cuts, most of which take a little from everything. For DDOT, do you have any ideas for bigger cuts that should be considered, or revenue increases to look into? The DC Council held a marathon hearing yesterday to listen to feedback on closing DC’s massive budget gap. Most of the witnesses just asked for specific… Keep reading…
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College students deserve a voice in local government
In a city as disenfranchised as DC, it seems especially important to make sure that all residents have the opportunity to cast a vote. But one group is systematically denied a voice in local decision-making: college students. It’s true that students at schools like Georgetown, Howard, and Catholic are, in a sense, not permanent residents, and many of them may be unfamiliar… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Big steps for Metro
Metro recommends Red Line fix; Metrobus changes coming; More open data in DC; Evans wants to bring ‘Skins back; Fairfax ponders road takeover; Federal pay freeze would add up in DC; Alternate Metro map poster for sale; DC owed millions in property taxes; And…. Keep reading…
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Lost Washington: Childs fast food restaurants
On Massachusetts Avenue at North Capitol Street NW, close to Union Station, stands a rather striking SunTrust bank building. How did this stately little building with its big windows and rough, pumice-like walls land on this corner, and why is it put to such nondescript use? It’s lived a number of lives through the years. Designed as a restaurant, cheery and inviting, it… Keep reading…
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How can DC fix the liquor license process?
A number of businesses’ recent tangles with DC’s liquor license process has clearly shown the need for reform. The long saga of Hank’s Oyster Bar in Dupont Circle clearly demonstrates the flaws as well as some strengths of the current system. Back in 2005, Jamie Leeds wanted to open a restaurant on Q Street NW just east of 17th Street. However, a number of residents… Keep reading…