Posts from August 2018
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National links: How to “go Dutch” and build bicycle-friendly cities
Even the Dutch faced big political hurdles to building a bicycling city. How would our cities be different if they were designed by mothers and other diverse people? Portland's bus islands could solve the problem of buses swerving into bicycle lanes to pick up riders. Keep reading…
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One of WMATA’s early employees tells us what Metro was like in the 70s and 80s
What was Metro like in its early years? I posed that question recently to Harry Barley, who worked at WMATA from 1974 to1996 in a wide variety of roles. Before retiring from a four-decade career in transportation, Barley agreed to an oral history-type interview about WMATA in the 70s and 80s. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: This heat map will show which DC neighborhoods get the hottest
This heatmap study of DC shows that lower-income neighborhoods deal with hotter temperatures. A pre-Civil War mystery may have been solved: the transportation revolution could have made people smaller. DC's Attorney General is suing some auto repair and sales companies for polluting the Anacostia. Keep reading…
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Throwback Thursday: Why can’t the feds telework on extremely hot days?
Federal government workers in the Washington region are allowed to telework when it snows. Why aren’t they encouraged to do so on extreme heat days? Keep reading…
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What land takings will be required for Hogan’s Beltway and I-270 widening?
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan's plans to add lanes to I-495 and I-270 would widen these roads significantly. Some homes and other buildings may have to be demolished to make room, but government officials seem to be dodging the question about just how many. Keep reading…
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Help us find urbanist candidates in DC’s ANC race and around the region
To advance urbanist principles, we need qualified, thoughtful local elected officials who support our values. This fall, we're working hard to identify the most urbanist candidates in DC's hyper-local but influential Advisory Neighborhood Commission races and others around the region. Can you support our effort with a donation today? Keep reading…
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DC will extend its dockless pilot, but without allowing more bikes and scooters
The District's dockless bike and scooter “pilot” program will continue for another three months, with little expansion but some more new restrictions. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Some employers discriminate against people with long commutes
Some DC hiring managers discriminate against applicants with long commutes, a new study finds. Virginia is spending a lot of money on Metro, and some NoVa officials want that money back for road projects. Capital Bikeshare is getting electric bicycles, but it's not clear when. Keep reading…
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Montgomery County police and local media call pedestrians who were killed “lazy”
Last week DC-based television station WJLA/ABC7 published an article titled, “7 pedestrians killed by vehicles in Mont. County since June 1, laziness a key factor.” The victim-blaming continues beyond the lazily-reported headline. Keep reading…
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How the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad and the Penn Line shaped the region’s suburbs
Much of DC beyond the original L’Enfant city and Georgetown consists of “streetcar suburbs,” namely late-19th and early-20th Century communities that grew up around streetcar lines. This week we’re digging into the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad and the Penn Line. Keep reading…