Posts from May 2016
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Here are the answers to whichWMATA week 83
On Tuesday, we posted our eighty-third photo challenge to see how well you knew Metro. I took photos of five Metro stations. Here are the answers. How well did you do? This week, we got 21 guesses. Eight of you got all five. Great work, Peter K, Solomon, FN, Stephen C, AlexC, dpod, Travis Maiers, and We Will Crush Peter K! Keep reading…
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Walk signals are bad for walking
To make streets walkable, we need to re-think the basic principles of how people on foot and people in cars share the roadway. This is the third post second in a multi-part opinion series. Conventional wisdom says that walk signals make crossing the street safer for people. But they actually make walking slower and more dangerous. Keep reading…
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What we know and what we don’t about last week’s Federal Center SW explosion
Last week, after an explosion at Federal Center SW, someone at Metro’s Rail Operations Control Center denied Metro safety workers access to inspect the track. Also, while the explosion happened just before 7 am, the station didn’t shut down until the afternoon. This doesn’t reflect well on Metro’s safety culture, but we also don’t have all the details. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: A different track
ICYMI; Bring on the buses; Homeless families on the rise; Car2go2more places; From retail to residence; Tall Oaks short on retail; Make the grade; Gaithersburg, the most diverse city; Traffic nightmare or hidden art?; And…. Keep reading…
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The feds tell Metro to rearrange its maintenance plans
That SafeTrack plan of maintenance and shutdowns you learned about last week might be out the window, or at least significantly changed. The Federal Transit Administration just instructed Metro to do maintenance on three sections of track before starting on its SafeTrack maintenance plan. In a letter the FTA just sent WMATA, FTA demands that Metro rearrange priorities to first… Keep reading…
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In Playa Del Coco, Costa Rica, riding a bike is a way of life
As a transportation nerd, I spent part of my recent vacation in Playa Del Coco, Costa Rica observing how people move through the main street. What I noticed most was the bike culture, which resembled organic chaos where everything still managed to run smoothly. Keep reading…
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A law that blames you, instead of the driver who hit you, could soon meet its end
In 2008, a driver in a minivan hit me (Tracy) when I was riding my bike on Connecticut Avenue, fracturing my pelvis in three places. The driver’s insurance company denied my claim because of a law that says if you’re even 1% at fault, you can’t collect anything. The good news? DC is moving to change this. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Be safe or shut down
Have a tip for the links? Submit it here. Keep reading…
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Want to add a small apartment to your house in DC? That will soon be allowed.
It used to be that many homeowners in DC weren’t allowed to build a small apartment, called an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), onto their property. Under DC’s new zoning code, they will soon have the right to build some without seeking special permission. Keep reading…
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Think you know Metro? It’s whichWMATA week 83
It’s time for the eighty-third installment of our weekly “whichWMATA” series! Below are photos of five stations in the Metro system. Can you identify each from its picture? Keep reading…