Posts tagged Traffic
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Traffic flows in waves
Sometimes, traffic jams pop up for seemingly no reason. There’s no accident blocking a lane of traffic—but everyone comes to a halt at the same spot. Why does this happen? Keep reading…
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Which way for one-way streets and reversible lanes?
Are one-way streets a good idea? What about reversible lanes? Is slower traffic safer, or does it create more pollution? Citizens in are debating these questions in the context of 15th Street in Logan Circle (which may return to two-way) and Connecticut Avenue in Cleveland Park (whose reversible lanes were the subject of recent debate). The discussion brings up many arguments, some… Keep reading…
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Smart transportation policy from Tommy Wells
Councilmember Tommy Wells (Ward 6, which includes Capitol Hill, Penn Quarter, and Southwest Waterfront) has not only been reading his Donald Shoup but his Streetsblog as well. His Web site bears the slogan, “for a livable and walkable community.” And he’s been pushing policies that indeed enhance livable communities. Keep reading…
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North Capitol: Competing visions for handling traffic
Capitol Quarter isn’t the only bland urban renewal project being replaced with townhouses. Last week, Express reported that developers have been chosen for Northwest One, which will replace the Sursum Corda and Temple Court projects near New York Avenue and North Capitol with mixed-use redevelopment that has the potential to become a walkable neighborhood. But… Keep reading…
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Ramp spaghetti on the Potomac
The National Mall in Washington DC is an American icon, visited by millions of tourists, but also somewhat threadbare-looking; since 2001, increasingly choked with security barriers; and gradually becoming overbuilt with memorials for every group with clout in Congress. The National Coalition to Save Our Mall is fighting these disappointing trends. Keep reading…
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The federally tilted playing field on transportation
The Washington Post recently ran an article exploring the impact of the Federal Transit Administration on transit projects. Fierce competition for the FTA’s limited transit funding and strict criteria mean that states are forced to make many changes, wise or unwise, to their projects to qualify. Virginia had to drop plans to put the Tyson’s Corner segment of the planned… Keep reading…
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Grander Army Plaza
Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza could be a terrific public square. Qt the northern end of Prospect Park, it was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux to be a gateway to Prospect Park, and features a beautiful arch modeled on Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. Keep reading…
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Closing the bowtie
Times Square is one of the most crowded pedestrian areas in the city. As I covered over a year ago, the Times Square Alliance, the local business association, suggested closing the cutover between Seventh Avenue and Broadway - the “bowtie”, to create additional pedestrian space between the two avenues. … Keep reading…
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Congestion pricing, pro and incoherent
Enjoying a new spate of publicity, the idea of congestion pricing rated a pair of columns, pro and con, in the Daily News. The pro article, by Paul White of Transportation Alternatives, laid out some clear arguments backed up by facts: London’s pilot program reduced traffic 18% and sped up travel by 30%, in addition to generating revenue for mass transit projects. Keep reading…
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Memorable Phrases for Parks
I’m in the bloggers’ area of the Parks1 Mayoral Forum. Up on stage, Democrats Gifford Miller, Virginia Fields, Freddy Ferrer, and Republican Tom Ognibene, are telling us why they all love parks. Keep reading…