Posts tagged Takoma
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DC takes steps to streamline solar power, but some still don’t take a shine to it
To help meet DC’s goal of generating 100% of its energy renewably by 2032 and 10% with solar power by 2041, a likely zoning change will make it easier to build community solar “farms” on the ground and atop garages. But, not surprisingly, some people object, wanting neighbors to have opportunities to speak up in opposition before any solar installations can be built. Keep reading…
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Residents east of Rock Creek want more traffic lights and protected bicycle lanes
DC is taking a comprehensive look at how to improve the transportation network in neighborhoods east of Rock Creek Park to make it safer and more accessible for all road users. Residents there want more bike lanes, traffic lights, and barriers to make streets more walkable and otherwise safe and useable. Keep reading…
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In a shift, front-facing solar panels win DC historic preservation approval
If a homeowner wants to put solar panels on a roof facing a street, is that a laudable step toward fighting climate change or an affront to historic preservation? With a recent preservation board ruling, DC's historic preservation system took one very small step toward tolerance of visible solar panels, at least in some cases. Keep reading…
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What’s more important, “neighborhood stability” or affordable housing?
At the Comp Plan hearing Tuesday, many people spoke about the need for building homes, including affordable ones, and protecting residents against displacement. But the hearing also laid bare a fundamental disagreement about what's more important: Creating needed housing, or “protecting neighborhood character”? Keep reading…
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Why is a small grocery store blocking a Takoma Park development project more than 20 years in the making?
The Takoma Park-Silver Spring Cooperative grocery store has been asking its 9,000+ members to lobby local officials to stall or cancel the Takoma Junction revitalization project. What gives? Keep reading…
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The Metropolitan Branch Trail is coming to Takoma…maybe
Ward 4 residents and bicycle riders of all stripes have been waiting for the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to complete a missing segment the Metropolitan Branch Trail between Fort Totten and Eastern Avenue for more than two decades. But some residents aren’t happy with proposed designs to make the trail a wide sidewalk in some places, and an on-street route in others. Keep reading…
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Upcoming Metro shutdowns signal a new, better approach to track work
On Thursday, Metro announced that three sections of Green, Red, and Yellow Line tracks will shut down for up to 15 days between August 2017 and May 2018 so that crews can perform trackwork. The shutdowns indicate that Metro may be shifting how it approaches track maintenance, going from using single-tracking and overnight maintenance that can mean drawing things out to simply shutting and getting a job done all at once. Keep reading…
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Washington links: Chinatown wants the streetcar now
Business owners in Chinatown say they're tired of the council promising a streetcar but not following through, Georgetown is making room for new housing for homeless families, and Mount Rainier is about to get more reliable cell phone service. Read the latest breaking stories from around Washington. Keep reading…
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Big win for buses: Mayor Bowser will fund better service on 14th Street and more
Since November, riders, allies, ANC commissioners, and Greater Greater Washington have been advocating for the 59, a bus that would operate similar to an express route along 14th Street NW. Today, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced her support, saying she’s included funding for the 59 in her upcoming budget. And there’s a bonus! She’s also pushing for a similar bus upgrade in wards 7 and 8. Keep reading…
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14th Street could get a faster bus line. Here’s how.
Buses that run along 14th Street NW are among the busiest in the city, and they’re often crowded and painfully slow. To better serve the skyrocketing residential and business population on the 14th Street corridor, WMATA has considered adding bus service that will run down 14th while only making a few stops Keep reading…
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Breakfast Links: Glitches stop switches and cause transit hitches
Metro's entire system faced delays Thursday morning due to an IT glitch that caused the Rail Operations Control Center to lose contact with track switches. Will a new middle school entice more Ward 4 residents to stay in the District? A new study examines whether mayors actually back up public statements about addressing inequality with programs. Keep reading…
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Our endorsements for write-in ANC candidates
There are 20 Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) seats this year with no one on the ballot: no candidate registered before this summer’s deadline. Write-in candidates for eight of those empty seats filled out our candidate questionnaire. Here are their responses and our endorsements. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: A scary ride?
Seeing red on the Red Line; How to be a bus rider; Union opts for re-training; Mixed-use outcry madness; MoCo’s land swap; Dog park drama; Gentrification of the sausage. Keep reading…
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A record number of people petitioned for a dog park at the Takoma Rec Center, but it’s still not happening
In December 2015, dog owners across Ward 4 submitted the largest petition ever to build a dog park in DC. But a small group of neighbors put up a big fight, and last week the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) made it official: no dog park. Here’s what happened. Keep reading…
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Whether you’re traveling from Virginia or Maryland, Capital Bikeshare isn’t just for short trips
People often rely on Capital Bikeshare for short, local trips. But not always; lots of times, they use the system to travel a little farther. These graphs show how often people use Capital Bikeshare to go between different groups of stations in the region and where exactly they travel to and from. Keep reading…
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It’s time to build housing at the Takoma Metro station
Metro has been trying for over a decade to spur development around the Takoma station in DC, but in the past, opposing neighbors and their elected officials have created years of delay. The project is ready to move forward again, and hopefully the cycle won’t repeat itself this time. What’s the problem? Since before the turn of the millennium, Metro has planned… Keep reading…
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These detours will help you bike during Montgomery County’s SafeTrack closures
As part of Metro’s sixth SafeTrack surge, trains are single tracking between Silver Spring and Takoma. To help those who use those two stations as well as the ones north of Silver Spring, Montgomery County has laid out a bike route that takes riders to the West Hyattsville Metro station, where trains are operating normally. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Metro madness
Check us out; Panic! at the Metro; Papal pressure; Walk for a change; The race is on; No crossing borders; Razor sharp; And…. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Fits and starts
Alternative B; At the crossroads; Sick; Staying still; Seeing green; Ride hail; Park district; Don’t rank me; Sled on. Keep reading…
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Otherwise-progressive Maryland elected officials choose exclusion at the Takoma Metro
In our region, in 2014, shouldn’t building housing on top of Metro stations be an uncontroversial idea? To many people and elected officials in Takoma Park, that’s only tolerable as long as you add a very small number of residents and don’t build anything larger than surrounding buildings. This attitude ensures that housing costs stay high and many communities… Keep reading…