Posts about District of Columbia
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Struck in DC this week: 7 pedestrians, 2 cyclists
“Safety is number one at DDOT…The pedestrian is the most vulnerable because they’re the slowest and they have no armor. The cyclist is second-most vulnerable. And so you really have to…make sure that you’re protecting the most vulnerable people first.” - DDOT Director Gabe Klein on the Kojo Nnamdi Show, August 4, 2010. Keep reading…
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Mendelson, Ray and Brown debate our questions and others
Yesterday, News8/TBD held a TV debate between Councilmember Phil Mendelson (at-large) and his two challengers, Clark Ray and Shadow Senator Michael D. Brown (not at-large Councilmember Michael A. Brown, who’s not up for reelection). They also invited me to ask two questions via Skype. You can watch the debate on video below. My questions come at the beginning of the second… Keep reading…
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Then and Now: Columbia Road @ Sherman Avenue
The historic image below dates to January 5, 1921, and shows the aftermath of a motor collision at Columbia Road and Sherman Avenue. The crash involved Battalion Fire Chief Timothy J. Donohue, who was injured, receiving a cracked jaw, several broken ribs and lacerations on his face, head and body. Donohue was 63 years of age at the time. He rallied and recovered from his injuries. Donohue… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Taking it to court
Livable, walkable, safety, jobs; Small crowd, Giant opposition; Policy poor for Purple; Arlington still steamed over HOT lanes; Replacing two cars with ten bikes; Get da dish on da trees; It may be safer, but it’s reckless. Keep reading…
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DDOT to clarify where to wait for New Hampshire bike signal
Last week, DDOT opened new contra-flow lanes on New Hampshire Avenue for cyclists. But several bikers have reported not knowing where to wait at the intersection with 16th Street in order to trip the bike signal. Cyclists are supposed to wait on the chevrons immediately behind the stop line, but there is no information telling them to do so. DDOT has plans to make this clear. The… Keep reading…
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Should urbanists be nervous about Vince Gray? Part 5: Who would Gray hire?
Adrian Fenty says he focuses on the big picure and hires “A+” people. I’d say some are A+, some A-, a few B- or C. Would Vince Gray hire A+ people? Would he keep some of Fenty’s on? Would he hire even more A+ people than Fenty has? I wish Gray would come up with a list of cabinet appointees now, because it would make the decision of who to vote for for Mayor much easier. Keep reading…
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Lunch links: Happy hour grab bag
Join us for happy hour tonight; Making the grade; How Wells is urbanism doing in Ward 6?; Hey! I’m walkin’ heah; East of the river, west of recognition; What’s in your development?. Keep reading…
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The interesting story of the Dumbarton Bridge
It’s easy to ignore a thing of beauty when you pass it every single day. It’s even easier to ignore it when you cruise over on top of it in a bus or car. The “it” in question is the Dumbarton Bridge, and today I want to stop and take in the bridge’s beauty and tell its interesting story. Georgetown was formed in 1751, decades before the founding of the District… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Don’t take this sitting down
Comment on VDOT’s proposed bike policy; Seatless subways; Performance parking in the park; SmartBenefits in the bike lane; Empty seat on the board; A founding father of Metro passes away. Keep reading…
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Lost Washington: The Arlington Hotel
Quick, what was the swankiest hotel in Washington in the 1880s and 1890s? Was it the Willard? No, sorry; the Willard that we know hadn’t been built yet. The National or the Metropolitan? No, they had peaked earlier in the century as well. The best hotel, in many people’s view, was the Arlington, located on Vermont Avenue just a block from the White House. The site, between… Keep reading…