Posts about Roads
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The Washington Post wants to widen Maryland highways with toll lanes - but who do they represent?
Maryland Senate Bill 229 proposes to extend to the entire state a right which is currently granted only to the nine counties of the Eastern Shore—local veto power over the construction of new toll facilities. Unfortunately, the Washington Post Editorial Board attacked SB 229 as being against the will of the people in a piece that was short on facts and long on rhetoric. Keep reading…
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2020 begins with a stark reminder about our dangerous roads
At the start of the new year, many of us wish to celebrate the babies born at the stroke of midnight, but in our area families and friends are mourning four people who lost their lives while traveling the streets of DC––three east of the Anacostia River. Worse yet, in all of these cases, there have been community requests and/or studies of potential fixes that haven’t yet been implemented. Keep reading…
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Decode the interstates: What highway numbers actually mean
Why is I-95 named I-95? What about I-395, or I-270, or I-66? There’s a logical system behind it all, and it’s easy to learn. Keep reading…
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If you put the Capital Beltway around other cities, how far out would it go?
The Beltway is one of the Washington’s region’s most well-known geographic features. Its ring around DC forms an unofficial boundary between the region’s core and rim. Would that hold true if it were around another city? How does the Beltway compare to other ring roads? Keep reading…
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MDOT head Pete Rahn was hostile to transit. Will his replacement be better?
Maryland State Secretary of Transportation Pete Rahn suddenly resigned on Monday, leaving behind a legacy on transit includes cancelling Baltimore’s Red Line and axing Montgomery County’s Corridor Cities Transitway. Rahn is heading back to his native New Mexico, where he’s been commuting from since Governor Larry Hogan tapped him to lead MDOT in 2015. Keep reading…
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How much are we paying drivers to park in Adams Morgan?
Imagine that the District of Columbia owned a one-bedroom apartment in Adams Morgan. The market rent for that apartment is $2,300 per month, but the city lets you live there for $18 per month. The city is giving you an incredible deal, allowing you to use a prime piece of real estate at an absurdly low price. Keep reading…
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Plans for “Dave Thomas Circle” get a missing crosswalk back; does it need more?
DC is moving closer to fixing one of its most vexing intersections, the triangle of New York Avenue NE, Florida Avenue NE, and First Street NE, which collectively surround a Wendy’s and have earned the nickname “Dave Thomas Circle.” Officials presented a new design for the intersection which includes some significant fixes to address resident and business requests. Keep reading…
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This safe streets group wants to support people traumatized by traffic violence
Here are the numbers. In 2019 alone, there were 25 traffic fatalities in DC. This number is down 19% from last year. However, if you pull back a bit you see that from 2014 to 2018 pedestrian fatalities have been on the rise. Keep reading…
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This new package of bills aims to make Richmond’s streets safer for all users
Watching the Pulse bus drive off as you wait to cross the street, traversing treacherous sidewalks and dangerous streets, waiting for a bus that never comes—these experiences are all too common in Richmond, where there’s an emerging consensus that the city’s streets need to be fixed. Keep reading…
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Tysons may convert the inside of a highway cloverleaf into a park
The highway-riddled edge city of Tysons is on a 50-year mission to transform into an urban center. That means it needs to reduce the cars on the road and add amenities that people in cities are accustomed to, like walkable grid streets, trees, green and public space, and more multimodal transportation options. One way it may transform the area is to convert the Route 7 and Route 123 highway interchange into a large public green space that welcomes people on foot and bike. Keep reading…