Afternoon links: Waterfront and beyond
Obama expresses low opinion of DCPS
President Obama said DCPS doesn’t measure up to Sidwell Friends, the pricey private school his daughters attend. DC’s public schools “are struggling,” he said. The president said this months after he let the DC school vouchers program lapse. (Post) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
‘Boat people’ in DC
Gangplank Marina on the SW waterfront is one of America’s largest houseboat communities. Residents are worried that a tsunami of SW redevelopment will wash them away. (Post) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
Longing for a SE/SW Boulevard
The SE/SW Freeway in DC eases the drive to Virginia but severely hurts livability in the DC neighborhoods it passes through. TBD astutely notes that Congress would likely attempt to scuttle any attempt to transform the freeway into a boulevard, as was done in San Francisco. (Tip: Eric Fidler)
Buses on Roadeo Drive
Metro hosted its annual bus “Roadeo” in which drivers test their driving skills and mechanics their repair skills. It’s a good way to honor skilled employees and encourage excellence. Congratulations to William Morgan, Locksly McKenzie and Truck Hoang in repairs and Joseph Bazemore in driving. (Post) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
The new highway lobby
The 2030 Group, run by wealthy suburban developers, is advocating for, you guessed it, more outer-suburban highways. However, they also advocate for a dedicated revenue source for Metro. (Post) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
Budget creativity in New York transit
Following bus and subway service cuts, New York is allowing private transit buses to replace lost routes, but not everyone thinks this is a good idea … NYC has also installed 10”-by-10” screens on the 42nd Street shuttle, and PATH trains already contain monitors that show ads and service updates. (NYT) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
Pricing not so bad after all
Research shows that congestion pricing in Stockholm became more popular after people experienced its noticeable reduction in commute times. Perhaps DC residents will demand citywide performance parking once we see how it frees up street spaces? (The Bellows via Market Urbanism) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
And…
Gov. McDonnell has restored voting rights to more felons than either of his predecessors (Post) … Area universities are embedding professors into student dorms. Expect a slew of peer-reviewed papers on the physics of keg-stands (Post) … Though we discourage needless sprawl, it can look quite stunning from the sky. (Streetsblog) (Tip: Eric Fidler)