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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Breakfast links: Statistics and reversals
Mode shares across the region; NextBus price tag: $15,000; ICC not free, people surprised; Catoe safe amid criticism; No giant bike; Stevens plan not pleasin’; F Street one-way plan on the way out. Keep reading…
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Mean streets: Tragic tracks this week
Last week was a tragic one for Metro, with two suicides. A man jumped in front of a Red Line train at Gallery Place and a 15 year-old committed suicide at the Columbia Heights station. Since these events, Metro has partnered with suicide-prevention groups to train station staff to identify and help those in distress. While speaking openly about what can be done to curb suicide is essential,… Keep reading…
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I just got a parking ticket
This afternoon, Greater Greater Wife and I parked at a metered space downtown to eat at an outdoor sidewalk cafe. I put a few quarters in the meter, which was about 10 feet from the cafe. When we finished eating, the meter wasn’t yet blinking “expired.” I turned around to say goodbye to her, walked over to the car, checked my email for no more than a minute, and then when… Keep reading…
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Streetcars on the “honor system”
Like most other rail street transit systems in the world, the DC streetcar should operate as a proof of payment honor system. This system requires passengers riding the streetcar to have proof that their current ride is paid for, but does not require riders to show their ticket until asked by an inspector. This system is extensively used in Europe and in various American cities like… Keep reading…
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Powering the streetcars, part 3: The hybrid solution
Previously, we looked at the various streetcar power systems in use worldwide and the visual impact of overhead wires. To summarize, overhead wires are cheaper and more proven, and government attorneys believe DC can overturn the ban on wires in the L’Enfant City on its own. However, NCPC and Congress may try to block such an action unless there can be a reasonable compromise. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Outdoor people and places
Car-Free photos; Anti H Street festival; Better pictures of the huge bike; High taxes for blight but not vacancy; MWAA now a road-widening agency?; A little relief on BRAC; NTSB: Fix the mystery track circuits; Grants grants grants; And…. Keep reading…
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Powering the streetcars, part 2: From web to thread
When many people think of “overhead wires” for streetcars, they picture the dense net of heavy cables common to many older systems. Modern streetcars, however, use very thin, single wires that are almost completely invisible. Keep reading…
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Park(ing) Day reminds us how society shapes public space
“Environments change…in the midst of these events, people remember the past and imagine the future.” — What Time Is This Place?, the late Kevin Lynch, Urban Thinker and MIT Professor Keep reading…
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Outrage against enforcement is unsafe at any speed
Over the past few issues of themail@dcwatch, longtime DC activist Gary Imhoff has defended speeding as acceptable behavior on city streets. On September 13, he referenced a Washington Times editorial which noted that the District’s speed and red-light cameras issued slightly more than double the number of tickets they did two years ago. The editorial also complained about… Keep reading…
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Powering the streetcars, part 1: The dilemma
In 1962, Washington, D.C. closed the last of its streetcar lines. Today, the District is working to resurrect its streetcar system. A starter line is already under construction in Anacostia, and H Street and Benning Road, NE have rails in the ground in anticipation of a future line. One of the most significant obstacles to planning a new streetcar system is the question of how to power… Keep reading…