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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Zimmerman, Hudgins pushed for public discussion of budget
The WMATA Board discussed proposed service cuts for Fiscal Year 2010 as a surprise addition to the agenda last week, but they almost didn’t discuss it in public at all. They will be reconvening on Thursday, January 7th to discuss the proposals. There is some urgency to make the changes since the longer Metro waits to cut, the worse cuts (or fare increases) must be to balance… Keep reading…
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2010 wish list for transit
Since many transit projects have either broken ground or are in the engineering phase in the region, it is important to create long-term visions that will continue to make Greater Washington Greater. Some projects are new, while others repeat from last year’s list because they were good ideas then and are good ideas now. Build a southern entrance to Columbia… Keep reading…
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A new late-night map to soften the blow of Metrorail cuts
The proposed cuts to Metrobus and Metrorail for the current fiscal year, which could go into effect as soon as January, include a plan to reduce rail headways to 30 minutes at night. Currently, trains come about every 20 minutes on each line. Where two lines run together, headways are about 10 minutes. The Red Line has scheduled headways of 15 minutes, but with trackwork every evening… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Consequences of snow
Sidesnowpiles; Two pedestrians die; You can’t save a space; Post ignores own staff and blogs to get story wrong?; Free parking means no parking; Arlington in DC all along?; And…. Keep reading…
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2009 wish list for transit, revisited
One year ago, I posted a 2009 wish list for transit projects in the region. In 2008, we reflected on the successes and failures of the first generation of transit-oriented development and revitalization of historic walkable urban places in the region. 2008 also drove home the dangers of car-dependent development, as historicallly high gasoline prices put fiscal strain… Keep reading…
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Infrequent airport buses offer a lackluster welcome
There are a variety of ways to get to Washington’s 3 airports. By far the most convenient way from downtown is to take Metro to nearby National Airport. But Metro does not make it out to Dulles or BWI International Airports. Passengers arriving on international flights face a lengthy ride into Washington from either airport, but the length itself is not the only impediment… Keep reading…
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Large buildings have no excuse for not shoveling
Property owners in DC, as in most other cities, are legally required to clear sidewalks adjacent to their property. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Spiral up, not down
Death spiral alert; Improve buses instead of creating new ones; Be Montgomery Planning Board Chair; Fairfax creates Dulles rail tax district; How to fight a project; Gun + snowballs = “inappropriate”; Let me off the plane. Keep reading…
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Delicious Metro
Reader Davew4 and his friends were making holiday cookies, and sent along a photo of this excellent one: Keep reading…
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Park and Planning closing commuter routes at dark
We don’t close main arterial streets at night even if a road is less safe. So why do many local governments close walking paths and bicycle trails, even ones that are used as commuting routes? Reader Bianchi wrote in with a report: My S.O. and I bought a house in Historic Hyattsville this fall. He uses the Northwest Branch bike trail to get to either West Hyattsville metro… Keep reading…