New Year’s links: When the sun goes down, this man steps up
A day - or night - in the life of DC’s new nightlife director
Shawn Townsend has only been on the job for a few weeks as the District's new nightlife director, and so far, he's been gathering input from a wide range nightlife stakeholders and residents on a variety of issues ranging from noise complaints to transportation. (Marissa Lang / Post)
“Passive House” is great for the environment and housing affordability, too
What sets a “passive house” apart from others are strict environmental standards that cut down on heating and cooling costs. With their simple, modern construction, these types of housing units also present an opportunity for affordable housing. (Lloyd Alter / Treehugger)
A year in review of the region’s transporation news
2018 saw a lot of big news on the transportation front, including dedicated funding for Metro, Amazon''s selection of Crystal City for one-half of HQ2, variable tolling on I-66, the rise of electric scooters, and outrage over an uptick in pedestrian and cyclists deaths. (Jordan Pascale / WAMU)
Commuters have a tough time connecting to the Internet on Amtrak, bus services
Inconsistent WiFi coverage on Amtrak and many bus services have left some frustrated commuters to devise their own solutions like creating apps to connect to mobile networks when coverage is spotty or purchase better data plans. (Faiz Siddiqui / Post)
RIP for right on red at many DC intersections
Motorists in DC won't be able to turn right on red at about 100 intersections by July of next year. The move is intended to improve safety for pedestrians cyclists, who have seen several high-profile fatalities due to collisions recently. (Ashley Halsey III, Luz Lazo / Post)
There’s a patron saint for everything - even tunneling
Even though the practice of constructing tunnels have gotten safer over the years, work crews building tunnels for the Purple Line, DC Water, and projects around the world always keep a statue of Saint Barbara, the patron saint of tunnelers, nearby for protection. (Katherine Shaver / Post)
VRE, MARC make progress toward positive train control despite missing deadline
Both the VRE and MARC will miss today's deadline to implement positive train control, which automatically stops or slows trains that are too close to another train on the tracks or moving too quickly. While both rail systems have made progress, MARC is still coordinating with Amtrak, and VRE is addressing software issues. (Max Smith / WTOP)
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