Recent Posts
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Bike smiles by the Flickr pool
Here are our favorite new images from the Greater and Lesser Washington Flickr pool, showcasing the best and worst of the Washington region. Keep reading…
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Montgomery no longer a homogenous suburb
Two weeks ago, former Montgomery County Councilmember Rose Crenca was quoted by the Examiner as saying that people who don’t want to live in a suburb should leave the county. I watched her testimony at a recent County Council hearing on the CR (Commercial-Residential) Zone, where she first made the comment, and this exchange afterwards between her and sitting Councilmember… Keep reading…
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Better service jobs are the path to fixing unemployment
Training is often touted as the solution to the growing skills mismatch that separate the jobless from growth sectors like health care. But training is an unrealistic solution when 36% of DC residents are functionally illiterate. As we move to a post-industrial economy, are the jobs that had previously provided avenues to the middle class for less educated Americans… Keep reading…
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Map contest winners, part 4: Bus lines on the rail map
The entries in our map contest were all great and unique. But one map stood out for a particular feature: showing bus lines. That map, Map N, by David Alpert, attempted to include major bus lines on the rail map, in the spirit of maps like Boston’s MBTA. David’s map took 2nd place in the people’s choice part of the contest, with 208 first-place votes, and received… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Let’s play politics
GOP would privatize Northeast Corridor; House committee would halt St. E’s; Bill has a few BRAC fixes; Gas tax holiday for holidays?; Bulova wants GMU precinct; Barry, Brown tussle; Carjackings raise questions; CaBi opens eyes; And…. Keep reading…
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Confusing Metro elevator signs simple to fix
Small signs to find elevators and inconsistent labels on elevator buttons make it hard to navigate the Metro system. Better signage could do a lot to help passengers needing to use elevators. Last month, we featured a letter from Denver resident Deena Larsen, who attempted to use Metro in a wheelchair without much success. For riders unfamiliar with the system, it can be extremely… Keep reading…
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Map contest winners, part 3: Double bubbles and subtitles
Our jury liked Map G’s continuing the “bold lines” of the current map, but three thick lines just won’t work with the current small circle symbols for stations. What choices are there? One option was devised by Matt Johnson, author of Map L and the 3rd place finisher in our jury’s voting. He showed stations with multiple circles, one on each of the… Keep reading…
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Station expansion and “reverse rider rewards” could address Capital Bikeshare capacity needs
Capital Bikeshare has been so successful, bikes or open docks are getting harder to find at popular stations. But a large round of expansion, discussed at a public meeting last night, and a new “reverse rider rewards” program may soon help keep the system in balance. At last night’s meeting, Councilmember Muriel Bowser praised the program, saying that it… Keep reading…
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“Assaulting a police officer” may not mean what you think
Recently, a horrifying video surfaced of Metro Transit Police slamming a man in a wheelchair to the ground where he began bleeding from the head. WMATA said the man fell out of his wheelchair while “resisting arrest” and was “arrested for assault on a police officer.” But do you really know what “assaulting a police officer” in DC means? Quick… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: DC Council’s endless day
And…; Redistricting map released; Budget passes with bond tax; Many customers not charged for bags; DC passes on real estate taxes; Carjackings occur at WMATA garages; Asian population grows sharply; One juror’s thoughts on the map contest. Keep reading…