Transportation
Photo by marlordo59 licensed under Creative Commons
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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Relocate bus stops to save time
In the Washington area, most bus stops are located on the “near” side of intersections. While there are some advantages to this type of location, relocating stops at certain intersections could speed bus trips and increase passenger safety. One problem with buses on crowded streets is that at signalized intersections, traffic backed up from the signal keeps buses… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Cutting, stopping and slowing
Board members talk Catoe, budget; Where to cut instead of Ride On; Stop in Burke, stop on the highway; Smart rhetoric, dumb behavior; Barnesville no longer speedsville; Sulu on the subway; Factors that drive not driving. Keep reading…
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DDOT piloting credit card meters
DDOT is piloting new parking meters that accept credit cards and coins. The meters will be installed on high-usage blocks around 14th and U, H Street NE, Judiciary Square, Friendship Heights, and Brookland. DC recently raised meter rates in “high demand zones” to $2 an hour, which isn’t that much compared to the cost of a typical store purchase or restaurant… Keep reading…
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Wells wants to legalize night parking near corners
DC has a secret law that only select residents know about: It’s actually legal to park closer to many corners than the signs say. Or actually, it used to be, but the law expired, according to Councilmember Tommy Wells’ office. Unfortunately, the DC Secretary doesn’t keep laws up to date online, so it’s difficult to get all the details. At most corners,… Keep reading…
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Metro Rapid, or what we could’ve had if Catoe had stayed
It’s rush hour in Los Angeles, but I’m sitting on a bus, flying past the BMWs lined up on Wilshire Boulevard. When we reach an intersection, the light turns green. Cars swing out of the right lane to let the bus pass. And before my eyes is a parade of famous landmarks: Miracle Mile, Rodeo Drive, the beaches of Santa Monica at sunset. This trip is why I was disappointed that… Keep reading…
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Wheaton Costco would exacerbate poor walkability
Montgomery County economic development officials want to spend $4 million to add a Costco to the Wheaton mall. There are plenty of problems with this. For one, the County Executive is continuing their habit of making plans in secret and trying to lock them in before anyone can object. They briefed the Council in secret and are trying to get approval without a hearing. The Executive… Keep reading…
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Cyclist treatment: MPD 1, MoCo police 0
An SUV driver intentionally drove over a cyclist because the driver wanted to turn right and the cyclist was in the way. She continued to use the horn, then looked at me as she pulled forward into me, catching my rear wheel beneath her front left fender. This forced me and the bike down onto the pavement. I rolled away as she continued to drive across my bike, narrowly missing… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Clear the bottleneck
16th Street bus-bike lanes!; Beltway is 3rd worst; ever heard of rail?; Where would they grow the pot?; No VA gas tax hike; Recently-repaired MARC loco breaks down; Lots of independent stores in Georgetown; Is the car a civil rights instrument?. Keep reading…
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There’s “no secret plan,” but we can’t reveal the plan
Montgomery BRAC Coordinator Phil Alperson posted an impassioned denial about the secret Beltway widening plans Cavan discussed earlier. However, his denial actually seems to admit that there is such a plan. Alperson writes, First, let me be clear that there is no plan, secret or otherwise, to widen the Beltway or construct a ramp into the Bethesda Naval Hospital campus. However,… Keep reading…
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Beltway widening plans should not be a secret
Back in October 2009, residents found out about a secret plan to switch federal funds granted for pedestrian and transit improvements around the Medical Center Metro into funding the construction of a 4-lane automobile underpass under Rockville Pike. After receiving documents from a Freedom of Information Act request, the Action Committee for Transit has found that… Keep reading…