Posts about VirginiaRSS
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Arlington waters down, passes accessory dwelling legalization
After hearing numerous arguments by residents against legalizing accessory dwellings, the Arlington County Board passed the proposal, but not without first watering it down further. According to the Sun Gazette, the Board amended the proposal to only allow 28 accessory permits per year (the number planners had estimated people would apply for) and to require an owner to live in… Keep reading…
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Arlingtonians: speak up for accessory dwellings
Tomorrow, the Arlington County Board is having a hearing on the proposal to legalize accessory dwellings. This would allow homeowners (but only those who live in their homes) in single-family neighborhoods to create an apartment for two people (like a garage apartment). Keep reading…
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Best places to live… if gas were still $1.50
Money has one of those silly rankings of the best places to live in America. Columbia, Maryland is #8; Hunter Mill, Sully, and Burke, Virginia #19, 25, and 31 respectively; Gaithersburg #29, Reston #37, and Rockville #66. Keep reading…
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The parking front of the commuter “war”
Ryan Avent points out that on the same weekend the Post ran the awful Weiss article calling DC’s pro-pedestrian policies a “war on commuters,” the Post also reported that Tysons planners and developers plan less parking. Funny, I wonder why Weiss didn’t write about Fairfax’s “war on commuters.”… Keep reading…
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Lower speed limits, wider lanes won’t fix the GW Parkway
It was designed as a scenic, recreational “gateway” to Washington, but the George Washington Parkway has become a major commuter highway—and a dangerous one at that. The Post discusses the road’s inherent conflicts between its scenic, curving, historic character and the inevitable dangers of high-speed traffic on a narrow road right at the Potomac’s… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: thanks for emailing tips edition
Sausage makers talk trains: Northern Virginia’s Congressman Jim Moran is holding a town hall on called “From Roads to Rail” on Monday evening, July 7th in Tysons. House Transportation Chairman James Oberstar will speak too. Thanks bfox! Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Interesting ideas from the past edition
Mall plus plus: The July 2006 issue of Washingtonian presented a vision for the National Mall that would create landfill and new canals behind the Jefferson Memorial to create space for new memorials and a relocated Supreme Court; the VRE tracks would also be buried to restore Maryland Avenue as a mirror of Pennsylvania. Thanks Nick! Keep reading…
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Fairfax fills open space between strip malls with another strip mall
Fairfax Boulevard, in the City of Fairfax, is almost wall-to-wall strip malls. Many of them aren’t doing well, though; there are numerous vacant or closed stores. What to do? In Fairfax, the answer is: build another strip mall! Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: upset neighbors edition
Yes, Virginia, widening means more asphalt and fewer trees: In addition to the constantly rising public subsidy, Northern Virginia communities are discovering that the Beltway HOT lane construction will consume more land and clear more trees than residents had anticipated. Maybe some of the Fairfax Supervisors should have paid more attention to the project before it was approved? Keep reading…
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Why was Arlington so ahead of its time?
Roger Lewis writes in the Post about Arlington’s foresight in building the Orange Line where it did: Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: transportation across the nation edition
Only in Portland? Hundreds of people gathered to tear up an underutilized parking lot and replace it with a community garden. Streetfilms created a video of the festivities. My favorite part is the dancers on stilts wielding giant jackhammers. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: streets for people edition
Outdoor seating causes rapes? Cleveland Park ANC Commissioner Frank Winstead was in top form Monday night to oppose late-night outdoor seating at Comet Ping Pong, arguing that it would “turn [the neigborhood] into Adams Morgan, with the murders [and] the rapes.” From Marc Fisher’s summary, it sounds like Winstead’s crusade and the resulting publicity… Keep reading…
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Our transportation priorities
BeyondDC wrote about the latest Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), released by MWCOG’s Transportation Planning Board. This summarizes all transportation projects through 2014 that the region’s governments have funded or plan to fund. Keep reading…
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Which of these things is not like the others?
Today’s Post has a story about airport “backtrackers”, commuters from Loudoun who drive through Dulles Airport and buy a cup of coffee so they can use the cheaper and less traffic-choked Dulles Access Road and the carpool lanes on I-66 as solo drivers. If only there were another alternative for them to take to get to work… something that would be quicker than… Keep reading…
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Greater Baltimore & Washington Transit Future pocket version
I’ve created a new version of the Transit Future map, with some updates, at the request of Maryland PIRG. This version is smaller, without all the station names, so it’s easier to see everything at once. Click on the map for a bigger version. Keep reading…
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This bus stops here only during full moons and days with an ‘r’ in the name
Arlington’s CommuterPageBlog has the story of a poor Metro rider who tried to connect to an Arlington bus at Court House Metro. No signs tell riders where the stop is. He eventually found the stop, but no bus; it turned out (amid some confusing signs) that this bus stopped in a totally different place on weekdays. Keep reading…
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Connolly wins
Gerry Connolly won the primary in Virginia’s 11th yesterday by 18 points. My progressive friends are disappointed, but Byrne’s apparent signals to Fairfax NIMBYs over Tyson’s redevelopment would have made me very nervous to have her in Congress. Keep reading…
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VA-11 candidates on traffic, transit, and density
Tomorrow, Democrats in most of Fairfax and northern Prince William County will vote for a nominee to run for the Congressional seat in Virgina’s 11th district, currently held by Tom Davis. Since Northern Virginia has been trending Democratic and the Republicans lack a top-tier candidate, there’s a good chance the Democratic nominee will win in the general. Keep reading…
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Alexandria still into Potomac Yards station
The Post reports continuing movement by the City of Alexandria toward putting an infill station on the Yellow and Blue Lines at Potomac Yards. The WMATA 2030 map I made for WMATA contains this potential infill station as well. Keep reading…
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Non-conforming goats
An Arlington homeowner bought two goats to serve as pets and as cleaner, quieter lawnmowers. Only problem is, goats are not allowed by zoning. BeyondDC asks why goats are necessarily worse than dogs or motorized lawnmowers. Maybe there are other public health reasons, but we also have many zoning laws without a compelling basis. Keep reading…