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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Dinner links: Chronicles of hypocrisy
Another suicide?; Wah, the monorail wasn’t working; Libertarians against property rights; Hyland v. Keam on transportation; High-speed map of rail; Yet another transportation subsidy: general aviation airports; Keep those bus passengers away from our walkable town. Keep reading…
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This date in history: First airplane crash
During the flight trials at Ft. Myer on September 12, 1908, tragedy struck. At a height of 75 feet, on a turn, one of the new nine foot propeller blades broke. The machine pitched to the ground resulting in the death of Lieutenant Selfridge and the painful injury of Orville Wright. The collapsed Wright airplane was photographed just after it struck the ground. This was the first… Keep reading…
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Ped access at Medical Center now secret “traffic and pedestrian” project
The saga of the Medical Center Metro access project just gets stranger and stranger. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Government keeping you down
Have a tip for the links? Submit it here. Keep reading…
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Mean Streets: Hit-and-run becomes kill-and-run
Last week’s controversy surrounding the removal of the ghost bike should remind us that people from all walks of life die every day while using our region’s transportation system. While we often hear of car crashes or injury on the roads, the impact of these tragic occurrences often becomes dulled by their regularity. Therefore, we’re inaugurating a new… Keep reading…
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Arlington pilots new meters
In some Arlington locations, drivers are now able to pay for parking by credit card, right at the curb. Unlike the multi-space pay and display meters showing up around the region, these parking meters are conveniently located right at each parking space, and do not require the driver to place a receipt on their dashboard. Keep reading…
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Metro’s buffet line effect: Proceed directly to dessert for best results
When a Metro car breaks down or becomes otherwise delayed on the Metrorail system, it creates a logjam of trains behind it. Even after the incident clears, it can take over an hour to return service to normal. Metro could speed up this process with strategic use of express trains. With only two tracks on each line, it is difficult or impossible to reroute the trains that are behind… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Routes to school and the route for a school
Bright future for Hine; Stifling routes to school?; Buses vs. people; Camper bike; Wisconsin without Circulator?; Not your father’s affordable housing; McCain, Coburn: Everything but highways is “wasteful”. Keep reading…
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Pedestrian Metro access suddenly turns into grade-separated interchange
Today is the deadline for the region to submit its application for the federal competitive TIGER grants. Eagle-eyed Montgomery County residents noticed a strange and sudden change in the proposal: money for better access to the Medical Center Metro station became a pedestrian underpass under Rockville Pike, and then morphed into a “multimodal” underpass that will… Keep reading…
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Win $1000 from Safeway; walkers, bikers not eligible
Safeway and a local radio station are giving away $1000 to 14 people. All you have to do is put a sticker in your car’s windshield; they’ll randomly pick out cars parked in the parking lots of Safeway stores to be the winners. Keep reading…