Transportation
Greater Greater Washington writes about how people get around the Washington region, whether on Metro, buses, streetcars, driving, walking, biking, or any other method.
One of the region’s strengths is the wide range of options for travel. There are many walkable places in DC, Maryland, and Virginia where people could choose transit, walk or bike, or if they don’t have their own car, grab a shared vehicle or hail a ride. This reduces the need to own cars, saving people money and reducing traffic congestion.
As our region grows, it is imperative to continue to make these options safe, economical, and available to even more people. It is imperative to ensure safe sidewalks and bicycle infrastructure, expand transit options, and add housing near existing transit stations.
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Is privatization inherently bad or just botched?
I’ve repeatedly thrown barbs at Chicago’s parking privatization plan and LA’s proposed garage privatization, but haven’t fully explained why these are bad plans. Their flaws aren’t necessarily inherent drawbacks of privatization, but rather consequences of the way local governments use them for short-term, and short-sighted, gain by spending… Keep reading…
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The Transit Ombudsman: Reform the form
Readers of The Transit Ombudsman want Metro to provide easier, more effective ways for us to report issues that need attention. Better service equals happier riders. And happier riders will more readily push federal, state and local governments to increase their funding of Metro. Reader Adam F proposed that riders be able to contact Customer Service from the mobile site. The… Keep reading…
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How was your commute?
Did you commute this morning? How was it? Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Good luck getting there
Help Zipcar, make a few bucks; One more on Red, Orange; What happens in a storm; Privatization is magic!; Cities, ewwww(ing); Just 1 foot left for 3-foot passing; Walkable, photographable New York. Keep reading…
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Metrorail to run most service tomorrow
WMATA.com is currently only sporadically available, probably because everyone is trying to load the press release they just posted about tomorrow’s service. The short summary: Metrorail will open at 5 am and run on all lines except the Orange west of Ballston and the Red north of Medical Center. Trains will run with longer headways so prepare for crowds. Most but not all… Keep reading…
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Shoveling hall of shame: MarcParc
Reader Jeb sends along this particularly egregious example of failure to shovel. But in this case, they shoveled plenty, just not the sidewalks. Keep reading…
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Limited Metrobus and Circulator service resume
WMATA has restored service on 47 Metrobus routes: Keep reading…
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Should the federal government snowproof Metro?
Most federal employees are now in their fourth consecutive day without work. It costs $100 million per day in lost productivity to shut down the federal government. Keep reading…
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People whine, DC communicates, Metro less so
The region has now broken the all-time snow record, but that hasn’t stopped criticism of nearly every government response, from plowing to transportation to trash collection. We need to be patient with authorities. What separates some agencies from others, however, is the degree of communication, and there WMATA earns a few slaps on the wrist. Chris Matthews criticized… Keep reading…
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Potomac Yard Metro: “We can see the finish line”
At last Thursday’s Potomac Yard Planning Advisory Group (PYPAG) meeting, Alexandria’s Deputy Director of Planning and Zoning Jeff Farner joked that this will “probably” be the last one, which drew a few tentative chuckles from the group. The planning of Potomac Yard seems to have gone on for years if not decades. The goal for the product of over a year… Keep reading…