Posts about Transit
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WMATA Board approves fare hikes, no service cuts
The WMATA Board just unanimously approved a budget including a large fare hike but no service cuts. The decision came very swiftly after a 3-hour “lunch break.” Oddly, when members returned to the room their bellies didn’t seem to have grown as much as one would expect for people who’ve been eating for three hours. Could they have been debating budget… Keep reading…
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3 questions with Md. delegate candidate Scott Goldberg
Scott Goldberg is a candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates, District 16, which includes Bethesda. Scott lives in downtown Bethesda, and founded his own small property management company. At his campaign kickoff, he expressed his support for the Purple Line in addition to detailed visions for alternative energy initiatives in Maryland. After the event, he enthusiastically… Keep reading…
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Video animates streetcar on K Street
Even with the H Street streetcar project on track, it’ll be several years before the streetcar can extend westward to K Street. The K Street Transitway plan would reconstruct K Street to have dedicated transit lanes in the center. The original design didn’t include a streetcar, but anticipated adding one to the transit lanes in the future. The Downtown BID and DDOT… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Big votes on money
What’s in the DC budget?; Fares hike may be approved today; Motivated seller; N Street eclipse; How you talk about it matters; And…; Up in Maryland; In the west. Keep reading…
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You did it! Streetcars restored… mostly
DC Council Chairman Gray has restored most funding for the streetcars after being swamped with calls from constituents upset at his 2 am excision of the project. The budget amendment, introduced by Gray after lunchtime discussions with streetcar supporters including Public Works and Transportation Chairman Jim Graham, restores $10 million in FY2010 so that DC can move ahead… Keep reading…
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Metro isn’t the NYC subway, part 2: Don’t forget transfers
The Post’s Sunday editorial says that Metrorail fares are subsidizing bus fares. It points out that in places like New York, people pay $2 or more for a bus ride, compared to $1.25 for a SmarTrip bus ride here. It’s true that bus fares are very low, and as Michael Perkins has pointed out, they haven’t kept pace with inflation. Michael said that a $1.50 bus fare would… Keep reading…
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Gray cuts streetcars (now restored)
At approximately 2 am last night, Councilmembers received the proposed budget from Chairman Vincent Gray and his staff. Among the 11th-hour (or should it be 14th-hour) changes was a near-complete elimination of the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line. Update: The streetcar funding was subsequently restored. Last night, Council supporters and DDOT officials went… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Budget day
Soda, maybe; meters, no; Commuter tax? Just for government work; How high will your fare be?; 11th-hour transit operating aid?; Parking cap for BRAC?; I-66 getting slightly wider; Shoup@NBM again; Why Smart Growth is smart. Keep reading…
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A better strategy for Orange Line shuttle buses?
Metro will suspend service between East Falls Church and West Falls Church on Memorial Day weekend and the following two weekends for work on the Silver Line. Instead of shuttling passengers between these two stations, Metro could run sets of shuttles between East Falls Church and each of the three stations to the west. There are three stations west of East Falls Church on the Orange… Keep reading…
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Metro isn’t the NYC subway, part 1: Rapid rail vs. subway
Metro’s fare structure came under some criticism in the Post recently. A Sunday editorial argues that bus fares need to rise, while Dr. Gridlock says they are too complicated. Both cite other systems including New York’s, where all rides in the five boroughs, on rail, bus or a combination, all cost $2.25. The doc suggests we would never adopt such a system because… Keep reading…