Posts tagged DcRSS
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U Street almost became strip malls and office parks — here’s how
Planners in the 1950s wanted to replace large swaths of central Washington with freeways. Canceling those plans saved the city not just from the freeways themselves, but also from an equally stunning plan to demolish thousands more blocks alongside said freeways and “renew” them with a suburban landscape of strip malls, office campuses, and apartment towers. Keep reading…
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DC’s new protected bikeway on K and Water streets punches above its weight
The importance of building a regional trail network is obvious to people who walk and bike the regions trails. But in this video, I ask a different question: Who is this new bikeway serving? Keep reading…
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Why do Barry Farm and DC General residents fight to stay even in bad conditions?
Residents of DC General and Barry Farms share a lot of common concerns. Their homes are crumbling. Their environments are toxic. And they don’t trust DC’s plan to fix it. Keep reading…
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DC is incentivizing driving by subsidizing parking for its employees
Despite its goals of reducing car commuting and carbon emissions, the District of Columbia is undercharging hundreds of DC government employees for workplace parking and allowing hundreds more not to pay for their parking spaces at all, a new report from the Office of the DC Auditor shows. Keep reading…
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Hey WaPo, it’s not a debate: we need more homes
Recently the Washington Post published an article entitled “In expensive cities, rents fall for the rich - but rise for the poor.” With a headline like that, it’s easy for opponents of YIMBYism (which broadly calls upon expensive cities to build more homes) to declare victory. But YIMBYism isn’t wrong — we’re just letting the margins dominate this debate. Keep reading…
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Four lessons from riding a scooter on a longer trip
Scooters are great for short trips, but what about trips of a few miles? I tried, and learned these lessons. Keep reading…
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These five R’s can help DC reduce its trash
Thoughtfully managing waste at a household level is an important component of keeping our city clean, and it's easier than you think. Keep reading…
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Video: DC’s pop up bus lane gets national attention
This summer the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) installed a temporary bus lane on Rhode Island Avenue NE to help move both regular buses and shuttle buses faster while that section of the Red Line is shut down. Inspired by the quick turnaround, national bus advocacy organization TransitCenter made a video about the project. Keep reading…
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Metro gave white supremacists special treatment, despite its earlier promise
Metro brought white supremacists downtown to the Unite the Right 2 rally in what was functionally a private railcar on Sunday, August 13, despite earlier statements saying it wouldn't provide special trains or cars to rallygoers. Keep reading…
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What does a regional trail network in Washington actually look like?
Trails like Four-Mile Run in Arlington; the Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis in Prince George’s County; and the Marvin Gaye Trail in Washington all help people stay active, connect neighborhoods and workplaces, and support sustainable modes of transportation. Unfortunately, most of the time jurisdictions build their own trails without considering the greater network they feed into. Keep reading…
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National links: Transit agencies and ride hailing companies — best frenemies?
More and more transit agencies are partnering with ride hailing companies, but there are still concerns about the latter's impact on transit. San Franciso is getting a glorious new transit terminal. How the ancient Roman Vitruvius helped shape the way modern cities are designed. Keep reading…
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DC fixes two dangerous spots on the M Street bikeway. For FedEx, though, “we’re still waiting.”
A turning truck driver killed cyclist Jeffrey Long at New Hampshire Avenue and M Street NW in DC in July. In response, the District Department of Transportation took out three parking spaces and filled the space with flexible posts to prevent parking. But that's not the only trouble spot on the M Street protected bikeway, as Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Mike Silverstein explains in this video. Keep reading…
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Don’t make this Little Falls Parkway crossing deadly again
After a cyclist was struck and killed by a driver at the intersection of the Capital Crescent Trail and Little Falls Parkway in late 2016, the local parks service put in temporary measures to slow traffic in the area. So far this “road diet” has been successful, and the parks service is considering what elements to make permanent. However, some want to return to four lanes. Keep reading…
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Skateboarding is good for cities. So why is it a crime in DC?
People of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and incomes skateboard in DC, especially young people. That’s a good thing: studies show skating is an effective youth development strategy that lowers crime, fosters creativity, and reduces childhood obesity. Skating is good for cities too. The presence of skaters adds life and interest to ill- or underused public spaces. Keep reading…
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E-bikes reduce driving, Uber finds, and that’s good for everyone
Uber, the ride-hailing service, is normally not going to blog excitedly about how something is reducing the use of Uber. But they did say that recently, because the thing reducing Uber use is JUMP, the dockless electric bike service Uber purchased. Keep reading…
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Election links: The Montgomery County Executive race just got more heated
Nancy Floreen submitted an abundance of petition signatures to get her on the MoCo Executive ballot, there are echoes of Chris Christie in Larry Hogan, why Dems are slow to embrace Ben Jealous, DC ponders what to do about its low voter turnout, and more in our election link roundup. Keep reading…
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Rigid DC election requirements keep DC college students off the ballot
For many candidates, gathering 25 signatures is as simple as knocking a few blocks worth of doors, or standing outside a large apartment complex in their Single Member District. But for college students, whose districts consist solely or mostly of dorms, getting 25 signatures is next to impossible. Keep reading…
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Bloomingdale is now a historic district, despite the ANC and neighborhood votes
The Historic Preservation Review Board voted unanimously to designate Bloomingdale a historic district two weeks ago at its July 26 meeting. This went against the opinion of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) and a neighborhood poll paid for by the Bloomingdale Civic Association where 55% of the respondents were against becoming a historic district. Keep reading…
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How the Washington Branch Railway and the Camden Line shaped the region’s suburbs
In this series, I'm going to look at the history of the passenger rail lines leading into Washington from Maryland and the suburban communities that grew up around them, starting with the Washington Branch Railway and the Camden Line. Keep reading…
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What if our region had a seamless platform for buses, bikeshare, ride-hail, and more?
If you’re like me, you use a SmarTrip card, a Capital Bikeshare dongle, and half a dozen apps on your smartphone to access ridehail, bikeshare, or carshare — and none of them communicate with each other. That leads to time wasted toggling back and forth, especially if a trip requires more than one service. What if you could manage all of these in one place? Keep reading…
