Here we snow again
Officials are trying to stay on top of today’s snow business. DC’s Snow Team went into “ full deployment” overnight; Metrobus reversed its plan to offer limited service today. (WTOP) Paid leave on the table DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has a pared down version of DC’s family leave act which he hopes is more palpable. The draft version will go before a public hearing later this week and reduces the 16 weeks of paid leave in the original bill to 12 and puts a sliding scale for payout based on income. (WAMU) Failure to communicate Metro has temporarily removed two employees involved in last weeks incident on the Orange Line. The close call may have been caused by miscommunication between the train’s operator and a rail controller. (Post, NBC4) Feds pressure WMATA USDOT says it will withhold funding for transit from DC, MD, and VA if they can’t establish a new Metro safety oversight body on time. Meeting the 2017 deadline is tricky since it requires identical bills in three legislatures. (WAMU) No sidewalks, no peace A resident of Fairfax County points out that in many areas, there aren’t even sidewalks, let alone ones the county can clear after a snow. There, walking is dangerous all year round. (Post) Burnham Place will rise When might buildings rise over the railroad tracks north of Union Station? Not for a while - first, it needs a master plan, which could take through 2018. But the vision for the area once done is impressive. (UrbanTurf) Zoned in Georgetown What does DC’s new zoning update look like in Georgetown? It will be easier for new corner stores to open and for homeowners to add accessory apartments to their homes. (Georgetown Metropolitan) Bikeshare ideology The WashCycle debunks an argument against proposed changes which would make it easier for localities to use federal funds for bikeshare. The argument cites Capital Bikeshare as an example of mismanagement. (Daily Signal) Save the tree(house) DDOT says that the Capitol Hill residents who built a treehouse over the historic alley behind their home have to move the structure. The family wants to crowdsource the cost of moving the treehouse off of public space. (DCist) Moving on up? If only the solution to our housing crisis were as easy as this Superbowl ad makes it seem. (Post) Top image: Photo by Joe Flood on Flickr.
Legal fees
The Silver Spring Transit Center is finally open, but now Montgomery County is looking to sue the project’s designers and builders. County officials say they’re why the project took so long, and that they should have to pay for the budget overruns, which totaled more than $50 million. (WTOP)
Pay for safety
The DC Council says it pays to behave! The council passed a bill that’d pay stipends to offenders who don’t repeat, modeled on a successful California program. Mayor Bowser isn’t on board yet. (WTOP)
16th St bus lane
DDOT is moving ahead with plans for a dedicated bus lane on 16th Street NW. The S series, which runs there, is one of DC’s most crowded. To speed up service, the project will consolidate stops and let you pay before boarding. (Post)
Outsource MetroAccess?
WMATA may cut the cost of its MetroAccess program in Montgomery by outsourcing rides for disabled passengers to Uber and Lyft. Disability rights advocates, labor unions, and taxi drivers say it would be a bad deal. (WAMU)
Mix up on WMATA board
WMATA’s board just got a new chair, but more changes could be in the works if Transportation Secretary Foxx decides to appoint new federal reps. Of the 4 current ones, only 1 has experience in public transit. (WAMU)
A dying art?
If a warehouse art space becomes a luxury hotel, dozens of DC artists will need to go somewhere else. The building owner’s rezoning request includes some studio space, but arts supporters say it it won’t be enough. (City Paper)
Getting ahead, falling behind
Post-recession growth in the DC region lags behind other metro areas when you consider wealth and race, says a new study. The gap between DC’s rich and poor is the highest it’s been in decades. (DCist)
Slow riding is good riding?
There’s a correlation between slow-moving bikes and bike-friendly cities. When riding isn’t seen as being just for those who want to pedal fast, more people do it, and it’s easier to build infrastructure. (LEW) (Tip: LEW)
Top image: Photo by Beth Cortez-Neavel on Flickr.
On track and en route
Metrorail service is fully restored and Metrobus routes return with “moderate” service plan today. Capital Bikeshare will stay closed and will reopen on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis. (Post, DCist)
DC vs. NYC: snow edition
Why is it taking DC longer than NYC to recover from the same storm? NYC gets heavy snowfall more often, so it’s more prepared. (TPM)
Snow toll
The blizzard will cost the region hundreds of millions, but it won’t be worse than previous storms, partly because it happened to fall on a weekend. (WAMU)
Parking bully
This DC man says if you park in “his” space, he’ll bury your car in snow, and many have put up signs calling dibs on spaces they shoveled out. But clearing part of the street around your car doesn’t mean you own the space. (Post)
Igloo not up to code
A listing for a Snowzilla igloo in Brooklyn was removed from AirBnB for not meeting company standards. At $200 a night, the igloo appears to have generated real interest. (KC, NYBJ)
Jack’s the man?
WMATA will likely make DC Councilmember Jack Evans its next board chairman. Evans has criticized the board’s size, fractiousness, and lack of oversight, and says he would push for more federal money for Metro. (WAMU, Post)
Return of the gondola
A Rosslyn to Georgetown gondola might be slightly closer to becoming a reality. Arlington County officials are considering joining Georgetown and DDOT in a partnership to study whether the project would be feasible. (WTOP)
Dig it…
Businesses relied on carpools and nearby employees to stay open during the storm. (Eater DC)… Crews from Boston looked right at home clearing snow in Anacostia. (Post)… Watch a video of McLean neighbors shoveling out an entire block. (YouTube)
Top image: Photo by kyle tsui on Flickr.
In riders’ shoes
WMATA GM Paul Wiedefeld rode the Orange Line in rush hour Tuesday, which was messier than usual. He said Metro did a better job telling passengers about delays Tuesday than it had earlier in January. (WTOP, Post)
Metro-oriented development?
WMATA expects development near Metro stations and ridership to go hand in hand. Foggy Bottom had little activity 10-15 years ago and low ridership; now, it’s thriving and a lot of people ride. (WAMU)
VA’s transportation priorities
Plans to add HOV toll lanes on I-66 are a top priority for Virginia’s transportation secretary. He also wants a second entrance to the Ballston Metro and to widen Route 1 and Route 28. (WTOP)
Vision Zero in Montgomery
Montgomery County will develop a Vision Zero plan to end traffic fatalities. Strategies could include more speed cameras, lower driving speeds on roads, and higher fines. (Bethesda Beat)
Too much trash
Public trash bins are overflowing, and some residents say it’s because apartment landlords aren’t paying for private trash pick-up, which the law requires. One ANC asked DCRA to step up enforcement on landlords. (WJLA)
Soccer schemes
DC United’s architects just released 3 drawings of a design for the team’s new soccer stadiumpossible designs
Affordable in Virginia
Governor McAuliffe is stepping up funding for affordable housing in Northern Virginia, to the tune of 550 apartments across 5 new projects.
The risk of walking
On average, one pedestrian died each week of 2014 in our region. Overall, 53 people on foot died in car crashes, up from 45 in 2013. (WTOP)
And…
A second bathroom adds a whole lot of value to DC homes. (WTOP)… Mark your calendars for these twenty-three events that will cause congestion. (Post)
Top image: Photo by Alyson Hurt on Flickr.
More new leadership for WMATA
The WMATA Board of Directors will select a new chair this week. The top contenders are Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce president Jim Corcoran and DC Councilmember Jack Evans. (Post)
Thumbs up to bikshare
Fairfax County will launch bikeshare in Reston and Tysons. The system, part of Capital Bikeshare, could be running this year. (Reston Now)
Metro fares
People whose Metro commutes cover 6+ miles keep riding even when fares go up. That means cutting long-distance Metro fares wouldn’t add enough new riders to pay for the loss. (Post)
Tree house trouble
A Capitol Hill resident built a treehouse that hangs over the historic alley behind the house. DDOT allowed construction, but unhappy neighbors say that was in error and are working to stop a lasting permit. (Capitol Hill Corner)
How Virginia gets to work
More Arlingtonians use transit than anywhere else in Virginia, and Charlottesville has a ton of people who walk… though most of them are probably students on their way to class. These interactive charts have lots of great data about how Virginians get to work. (StatChat)
Crystal City housing
Co-living residential space in NYC offers everything from common areas for yoga to Sunday night supper for residents. Last year, Arlington approved plans for a similar project in Crystal City by the same developer. (Urban Turf)
Crime in 2016
DC has already seen more crime including robberies, assaults, and thefts, than it had at this time last year. (DCist, MPDC)
A streetcar in NYC?
Advocates say that a 17-mile streetcar line from Brooklyn to Queens would serve 15 million riders and produce billions in new tax revenue. The proposed line would run in areas ill served by existing subway. (NextCity)
Fair pay for Uber
Uber drivers in Detroit make 30¢ per mile, which they say isn’t nearly enough to live on. Uber isn’t all that concerned about driver wages because in the future, the company hopes to stop using drivers altogether. (Pando)
And…
Allegiant Air will offer direct service from BWI to select cities beginning in the spring. (Post)… Japan keeps a rural train station open for just one passenger. (CityLab)… DC millennials are a lot like people in other generations: Most drive to work alone. (WBJ)
Top image: Photo by Richard Ricciardi on Flickr.
DC Streetcar opening February
DC hopes to open the streetcar for passengers on February 20th, or even possibly sooner. Pre-revenue service tests ended this week but the project still needs final approval from Fire & EMS. (WAMU)
Not in your backyard
A Montgomery County man is ready to go to court over an ice skating rink he built in his backyard. Neighbors
Many area residents support him, but he doesn’t have permits or required bathrooms and zoning doesn’t allow it. The county has proposed moving the rink. (Post)
A dedicated rowing lane
One Library of Congress worker rowed to work on the Anacostia (plus a bike ride on each end) for 15 years, ten months a year. He’ll soon retire, ending his 90-minute commute from Cheverly. (Bay Journal)
Fight Baltimore’s blight
Gov. Larry Hogan will allocate $75 million$700
Reston speed bump
Plans to build a new neighborhood north of Reston Town Center hit a snag: a 42-year-old deed requires 10 of the 50 acres to remain undeveloped. (Reston Now)
Walk dangerously
A sidewalk on the King Street Bridge in Alexandria might me the worst, or at least the most confusing sidewalk in northern Virginia. It even runs in the median. (TheWashCycle)
The math on housing policy
Tax deductions for mortgage interest benefit mostly affluent homeowners. Eliminating the deduction would free funds to expand housing vouchers to all low and middle income households in the US. (CityObservatory)
Wi-Fi in the City
New York is launching LinkNYC, the largest, fastest public Wi-Fi project in the world. The street-side internet hotspots are about the size of a bus stop and will be equipped to make free outgoing calls and charge electronics. (Gizmodo)
And…
Six Metrobus riders were injured Monday after a driver cut off the bus. (Post) … Supporters of Vincent Gray are conducting a poll of possible 2016 council matchups. (City Paper) … The Paris fragmented area gets a regional governing body. Could something like that work here? (CityLab)
Top image: Photo by DDOT DC on Flickr.
Population pace
DC is on track to have more people than it ever has, passing the mark set in the 1950s, within the 20 years. DC was the third fastest growing “state” in 2015, according to new Census data. (Washingtonian)
A new station
Alexandria’s proposed Potomac Yard station is now officially part of the Metro system, as WMATA approved the station location. It should open in 2020. (Post)
Assault on the Red Line
A group of teens randomly attack attacked a man on Metro’s Red Line during Monday’s evening rush. (Post)
Funny but not funny
Sidewalks are closed for the Washington Post building’s demolition, and people are walking in the 15th Street bike lane as a result. “DC’s 37th most popular bicycle commuter blog” uses humor to say something serious: This is dangerous, and it shows a lack of foresight. (Sharrows DC)
Home for the holidays
Montgomery County has successfully housed all of its homeless veterans, just 3 months after the County Council committed $500,000 dollars to the cause. Homelessness is on the rise nationally, and in 2015 DC had the largest increase in the homeless population in the nation. (Post, Al Jazeera)
Zoo changes
The National Zoo decided to open later and close earlier without getting feedback from the public, and its director says pedestrians are to blame. Residents want to freeze the change until the Zoo hears concerns from the public. (Move On)
Tis the season
If your business is located in DC and you’re behind on a license or registration, you’ll be able to renew in 2016 without late fees before the end of February. Fines for infractions like illegal construction, however, will still apply. (City Paper)
Gun law change
Virginia used to recognize concealed carry permits from all 50 states even though some have lower standards for obtaining them. Now, you have to have a permit from the Commonwealth to carry a concealed handgun there. (Post)
Get serious
Bicycle and pedestrian injuries and deaths are on the rise even while incidents as a whole are declining. The Government Accountability Office hopes the Feds will recognize role that road design plays in endangering people. (Next City)
Top image: Photo by Selbe Lynn on Flickr.
Final countdown to DC Streetcar?
The DC Streetcar is entering “pre-revenue operations,” which will take 21 days. After that, the fire department could sign off for passenger service by mid-January, or ask for further changes. (DCist)
Money for Metro
A spending deal in Congress restored federal funding for WMATA. The federal $150 million a year contribution toward Metro repairs had been cut in earlier versions of the budget bills. (The Hill)
FTA’s naughty list
The Feds ordered Metro to fix more than 200 safety issues, most of which Metro has known about for years. The directive calls out basic tasks like replacing fire extinguishers, but also bigger issues like bad communication. (Post)
Body camera bill passes
The DC Council mandated that police wear body cameras. An amendment to the bill allows officers to view camera footage before writing their report, except in cases involving police shootings, but most footage filmed in public space will be available to the public. (City Paper)
Block the vote
Opponents of a higher DC minimum wage say the Board of Elections doesn’t have authority to make the issue a 2016 ballot initiative. That thinking calls into question the validity of all DC elections since 2012. (WAMU)
Duty calls
With 70,000 DC residents ignoring jury summons last year, DC’s rate of jury participation is half the national average. The Council for Court Excellence has new recommendations aimed at improving response rate and jury service. (WAMU)
Metro responsibly
MillerCoors wants to sponsor free rides on Metro rail and bus on New Year’s Eve. Metro also recently lifted a ban on alcohol advertising, though Maryland still prohibits it. (Post)
Vacant no more
DC Councilmember Elissa Silverman wants stronger and more efficient enforcement of laws around vacant properties in the District. She proposed a bill that would encourage owners to put vacant properties to use. (PoPville)
Repair and rebuild
A non-profit DC bike shop is teaching kids to repair bikes and building job skills and self-esteem in the process. (WAMU)
And…
Seattle is the first city in the US to allow Uber drivers to unionize. (VICE)… What do you call a man who shuts down a major freeway to propose to his girlfriend? (Post) … Vince Gray may want a “do-over” on the 2014 mayoral election. (WAMU)
Top image: Photo by mariordo59 on Flickr.
DC’s vision zero
The biggest news to come out of the DC Council’s hearing on new road safety bills was from DDOT. Director Dormsjo announced that the mayor intends to release the District’s Vision Zero plan next week. He also said new regulations will go into effect Friday to increase fines and create slow zones. (WAMU)
Idaho stop in DC
At the same hearing, the Council heard testimony about letting cyclists yield instead of stop at stop signs. It was one of the few controversial proposals. MPD and the insurance industry don’t like the idea. (Post)
Region together
Governor Terry McAuliffe, Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Maryland State Senate President Mike Miller are concerned about three economic development issues: regional competition, dependence on public sector jobs, and congestion. (WBJ)
Dulles subsidy
Governor McAuliffe wants more money for Dulles in the next state budget. McAuliffee wants a $50 million dollar subsidy for airlines in hopes that lower cost will attract customers, likely from Reagan National Airport. (Post)
Richmond to Washington, faster
Higher-speed rail between Richmond and DC would be a major step toward high-speed rail in the Northeast. Officials want to consolidate stations in Richmond and add a third track to keep the project feasible. (Post)
Send us your poor and educated
A Montgomery Council member wants to establish a county student-loan refinancing authority, the first of its kind, to attract young, college grads to Montgomery County. Meanwhile, a new interactive map shows that the county has a relatively low delinquency rate. (WAMU, City Lab)
DC 2215
Two hundred years from now, New York Avenue could be a fruit orchard; at least according to the DC based Future Cartographic Society. The group presents their idea of DC’s future landscape in a new map and app. (WAMU)
Programmable architecture
Who says buildings should be permanent? Architects could use nanobots in architecture to program structures to change shape, function and style at command. (aeon, KC)
And…
Four teams submitted proposals to design, build and operate Maryland’s Purple Line. (Post)… Mayor Muriel Bowser swaps her working class neighborhood for something more upscale. (Post)… Metro is on a national search for a Chief Safety Officer. (DCist)
Top image: Photo by duncan blackwood on Flickr.
Metro budget bliss
Metro’s newest budget doesn’t ask for fare increases or more money from cities and counties. But WMATA Board member Jack Evans says that the jurisdictions still need to pony up more to expand capacity. (WAMU)
Peace out, paper fare cards
As of today, no Metro stations sell paper fare cards. But you can still use paper fare cards through the beginning of March. (Post)
Out of gas
Montgomery County says new, large gas stations must move farther away from the residential areas they serve. A new law prohibiting stations near residential areas takes effect amid a long, contentious fight over a proposed gas station in Wheaton. (Post)
Paid leave pushback
DC businesses criticized DC’s family paid leave proposal at a DC Council hearing, but struggled to offer alternatives or fixes. The measure has strong support among the Council and residents and will likely pass in some form. (WAMU)
Metro as a PPP
Could privatizing Metro and getting rid of parking fix DC? Former DDOT director Gabe Klein says we need more public-private partnerships and stricter parking limits to address transportation and affordability in DC. (Washingtonian)
Toll foes
It may become harder for states to get a special exemption to add tolls to existing highway lanes. Typically, states can only toll newly built lanes. (The Hill)
Sweet community
A group of Capitol Hill residents want to know how DC arrests compare to prosecution rates. The group is hosting a bake sale to finance their costly Freedom of Information Act request. (NBC4)
TOD without the T?
Transit oriented development reduces traffic, but not necessarily because more people are using transit. Less parking, greater travel and housing options, and density may reduce vehicle ownership and trips. (ACCESS)
Bad design is deadly
US traffic fatalities are on the rise, and while there is good evidence that bad roadway and community design contribute to traffic deaths, some government agencies and even engineers seem slow to catch on. (Better Cities)
Top image: Photo by su-lin on Flickr.