Recent Posts
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Breakfast links: Welcome to July
Trackwork for July; Virginia will pay; WMATA TOD on the Web; Red no more, still little; Transparent windows = light pollution?; For streetcars before against them, or always for them?; How many taxis?; Not so protected. Keep reading…
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Dinner links: High to the sky
Airport insecurity; VA legislators try transit; Lego buildings at NBM; Teens jaywalk because bridge is inconvenient; Use Metro passes?; Costs going up in Arlington; $175/month for bike parking?; Bait bikes: police tool or entrapment?. Keep reading…
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GSA considering ground-floor retail
The U.S. General Services Administration wants to upgrade and expand their current headquarters, on the block between 18th and 19th and E and F Streets, NW. They are considering two options: one fortress-like, and the other adding ground-floor retail to engage the street. Lydia DePillis noticed the NCPC staff report for the project, which NCPC will review tomorrow. The… Keep reading…
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My favorite streets in DC, part 1
Last week, I listed some of my least favorite streets in DC (part 1, part 2). But the District also has many of the finest city streets in the world. From Georgetown to Anacostia, Waterfront to Brightwood, Chevy Chase to Brookland, The Mall to the Atlas District, Washington, DC has hundreds of fascinating streets that exude the spirit of the nation and the soul of the city’s… Keep reading…
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Give input on new railcars, WMATA governance
Tomorrow, the WMATA Riders’ Advisory Council is holding a public meeting on the design of the 7000 series railcars, the next generation cars WMATA will be shortly purchasing. Riders have often asked for more opportunities to talk directly with WMATA staff on important issues. The design of the 7000 series cars is one issue very important to riders. Last time we discussed… Keep reading…
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Metro FAQ: How will Silver, Orange, Blue fit at Rosslyn?
Rosslyn is a major bottleneck in the Metro system. Because the Orange and Blue Lines intersect at Rosslyn, the station can be a source of backups, especially if there are any problems. Metro’s switches can handle a train every 135 seconds — 26 trains per hour — and that is the current throughput at Rosslyn. Ridership has been growing on the Orange Line, and some… Keep reading…
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Washington’s unbuilt highways
This is a map of the Washington that almost was. If mid-century planners, dedicated as they were to driving and the clearance of historic neighborhoods, had their way. It is a map of the highway network proposed for Washington during initial planning of the Eisenhower Interstate System, in 1958. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Transit power
Another MARC screwup; Overhead wires approved by Council; Let me out!; Unsuck DC Metro riders; Very early fare hike news; Gray for Smart Growth, not bike lanes?; LaHood the superstar. Keep reading…
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Metro will look at the “invisible tunnel” “later this year”
The idea of a virtual tunnel between the two Farragut stations on Metrorail was the subject of several posts on CommuterPage and here about two years ago. The idea is to allow passengers to exit one Farragut station and enter the other within a set period of time, counting the whole thing as a single trip rather than two trips. Given that Metro is currently making significant changes… Keep reading…
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What’s wrong with quoting AAA?
I spent a lot of time thinking about what exactly bothered me so much about Ashley Halsey’s Saturday article on New York Avenue speed cameras, AAA’s response, and Cornell Professor Isaac Kramnick. After all, on the merits, I agree with AAA. Speed cameras are an important tool to ensure road safety by making drivers slow down when there are pedestrians and cyclists,… Keep reading…