Public Policy
The many local governments in the Washington region take actions every day that affect our downtowns and neighborhoods and the quality of life in our cities and counties. Greater Greater Washington writes about the public policies that influence our region and how they promote (or prevent) a growing, inclusive region with walkable urban neighborhoods.
Many different types of public policy influence where and how people live, work, and play. Education, which is one of the biggest reasons people choose a place,can help ensure the success of the next generation. And the environment is vital to preserving a livable region for our descendants.
Public safety and social justice issues affect how people of different backgrounds interact in our public places and whether people feel welcome. Health, food, and jobs are all vital parts of making our region thrive. And our governments make many budgetary and fiscal decisions that shape all of this.
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Is there a tea party urbanism?
Many conservatives, especially tea party conservatives, strongly believe in removing powers and taxes from the federal government and transferring power to states and localities. At the moment, this view has strong support in Congress, especially the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Is this necessarily incompatible with the goals of urbanists, even… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Shooting ourselves in the foot
APTA says scrutinize bag searches; Wealthier DC residents registering guns; The ICC’s mixed blessing; People coming into DCPS; Metro escalators are worse than they used to be; What should go at Rhode Island Avenue?; Home rule history has its ironies; Green homes bad, books good?. Keep reading…
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Enforce sidewalk shoveling, especially for large properties
This morning at 10 is a DC Council hearing on Tommy Wells’ and Mary Cheh’s bill to fix the enforcement rules for unshoveled sidewalks so DC can realistically write tickets. Now that Tommy Wells is chairing the committee, chances for passage are very good. Below is my testimony. Mr. Chairman, My wife has knee and ankle problems which have been a struggle for several… Keep reading…
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Interactive video shows buses, walksheds and more
The town of Rotherham, in Yorkshire, England, has a terrific interactive video showing off their transit, walking, and bicycle accessibility. Keep reading…
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Ped/bike safety enforcement stories, part 2: Nancy Szemraj
At Friday’s hearing on pedestrian and bicycle safety enforcement. Nancy Szemraj explained how her daughter was hit last June, while crossing Connecticut Avenue at Macomb Street, by a driver running a red light, and suffered long-term physical and emotional scars. Keep reading…
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Maryland transportation “lockbox” has a big hole
Maryland is considering raising its gas tax. This long-overdue measure would allow some of the general revenues now subsidizing highways to go to the Purple Line, the Baltimore Red Line, and MARC expansion instead. This need has unfortunately gotten mixed up with a proposal, originating mostly from the highway lobby and its supporters, to put transportation money into a “lockbox.”… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Virginia all-in for roads
VA senate passes McDonnell’s roads plan; Wider roads top priority in new report; More “design by fire truck”; DoD should be chipping in for transportation; Evans unfazed by Snyder lawsuit; Development team selected for New Carrollton; Pepco frustration continues, MoCo eyes other options; More research says cities safer than suburbs for kids; Remembering freedom bus rides; And…. Keep reading…
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Afternoon links: Fascinating juxtapositions
Diffrent Democrats’ attitudes on bike lanes; Different councils’ reaction to Walmart; Urbanist-economic bloggers discuss tea party article; Refute traffic engineers, get investigated?; Roundabout works, residents admit; New Hampshire could limit student vote; ICC to Georgia opening soon. Keep reading…
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Two views on road safety from east of the river
At Friday’s hearing, two community representatives from neighborhoods east of the river spoke about bicycle and pedestrian safety. Their views, though, could not have been more different. ANC 8A01 Commissioner Anthony Muhammad, whose district centers on Minnesota Avenue and Naylor Road in the Fairlawn neighborhood, criticized DC spending money on bicycle lanes… Keep reading…
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Ped/bike safety enforcement stories, part 1: Alice Swanson
Many people who had been hit while walking or bicycling, or the families of those killed while walking or bicycling, testified at Friday’s hearing on pedestrian and bicycle safety enforcement. Keep reading…