Posts from August 2017
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Congress and auto industry move to ban cities from regulating self-driving cars
Autonomous vehicles should benefit cities, not the other way around, but legislation advancing through Congress would tie urban officials' hands when it comes to shaping AV policy. Keep reading…
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Breakfast Links: Smaller rents and smaller stores come to DC
The average cost of a one two bedroom apartment in DC went down by .4 percent this year. DC is apparently embracing smaller grocery stores. Hyattsville is undergoing a period of increased growth and development. Keep reading…
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Suburban neighborhoods are still struggling after the Great Recession. Here’s how we can fix that
Nearly a decade ago, the Great Recession wiped out house values across the region. Today, booming close-in, urban areas have basically recovered. But many further-out, suburban communities are still struggling. Here’s one example from eastern Montgomery County. Keep reading…
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Will paid parking come to Tysons Corner?
Ever since the Silver Line opened, property owners in Tysons Corner have worried that Metro commuters would park on their private lots. Charging for parking could eliminate this concern but a debate over possible parking fees illustrates the tension surrounding the urbanization of Tysons. Keep reading…
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After requiring paid family leave for workers, DC could take it away
Last December, the DC Council passed a bill that gives new parents eight weeks of paid time off. Now, some members of the council are working to repeal and replace the bill before it goes into effect. It must be enacted as it was passed—tens of thousands of DC workers and their families are counting on it. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Anacostia’s decaying homes are trapped in a power struggle
Four homes in Historic Anacostia are in desperate need of renovation, but are stuck without funding. The FBI and GSA will resume looking for a new location for the FBI's headquarters. DC's level of broadband access is surprisingly low. Keep reading…
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See America’s light rail and streetcars at the same scale
Back in 2014, I posted a graphic comparing all of America’s streetcar systems at the same scale. Many of you asked about light rail systems, so here they are, all at the same scale. Keep reading…
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Dulles Airport was originally supposed to be in Burke, but neighbors successfully stopped it
Three generations of DC area residents have grown up associating Dulles Airport with its Chantilly location. However, Dulles could have been located in Burke, were it not for a grassroots effort that convinced President Eisenhower to choose another site. Keep reading…
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Reduce train crowding on the cheap using real-time signs
New British trains have signs that tell riders where the least crowded railcars are. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: The downside of a higher minimum wage for Montgomery
Raising the minimum wage could mean 47,000 fewer jobs over the next five years for Montgomery. The Purple Line case is finally out of Judge Leon's hands and will now go on to the US Court of Appeals. A car dealership's mistake could mean a better Capital Crescent Trail. Keep reading…