Large retailers may have to pay more
In advance of Walmart stores opening in DC, the council will vote on a bill to require a higher minimum wage for large retailers. It would no longer apply only to stores of 75,000 square feet or more. (Post)
Food truck rules going down
A council committee will vote down proposed food truck regulations this morning. They think a requirement for 10 feet of sidewalk and the proposed lottery for spaces are unfair. (NBC4)
NPS stepping back on Penn
The National Park Service wants to work through the Downtown BID (or another group) to manage the sidewalks, parks, and events on Pennsylvania Avenue. DC has jurisdiction over the road itself, but NPS still wants to be able to have a say over changes like to the bike lanes. (WashCycle)
Utility problems
An ambulance broke down transporting a gunshot victim to the hospital; he died while waiting for another ambulance. An emissions control system had failed. … Residents around 11th Street, NW lost power overnight, and it’s going to be hot today. (Post)
Compare bikeshare geographically
If you map the world’s major bikeshare systems at the same scale, you see real differences between citis. Capital Bikeshare is a little more spread out than most of the other top bike sharing cities. (Atlantic Cities)
Companies quiet on transit nationally
When cities consider ballot measures for transit, business groups often advocate for them, but don’t speak up much in the national policy fights. (Streetsblog)
And ...
The Lincoln Memorial is 91. (Atlantic Cities) … WMATA’s legal counsel asks the Metro Hot Cars parody dating site to stop using WMATA trademarks. (City Paper) … Neither Terry McAuliffe nor Ken Cuccinelli are all that popular. (Post)
Top image: Photo by Mike Licht on Flickr.
Yes or no to urban chickens?
An Arlington task force will soon decide whether to allow egg-laying hens in residential areas. A group, the Arlington Egg Project, is pushing for the change; opponents formed a counter group, Backyards Not Barnyards. (ARLnow)
Lay off DC, national writers
A number of writers in recent months have criticized DC for its economic boom, supposedly at taxpayer expense. But that’s quite unfair, and plus, DC is becoming less dependent on the federal government, not more. (City Paper)
Induced demand for restaurants
The wait is 45-90 minutes at most restaurants on 14th Street on a Friday night. Why are the lines so long as restaurants keep opening? Actually, more restaurants can increase demand in an area rather than alleviate it. (City Paper)
Open a business for $1
St. Elizabeths Gateway Pavilion, a new open air market near Congress Heights Metro, broke ground yesterday. Mayor Gray hopes that $1 pop-up rent will attract business. (City Paper, Examiner)
New VRE station stalled
A developer has offered to build a VRE station at the new Potomac Shores development, between Quantico and Rippon, but lack of federal funding for a third rail
track has indefinitely held up progress. (Potomac Local)
Rail ridership ups and downs
VRE and MARC commuter rail continued to break ridership records in April of this year, while Metro ridership experienced a steady decline. More people are bicycling as well. (Examiner)
Cyclist diversity grows
Research shows that American bicyclists are no longer fitting the affluent white professional stereotype. Given the research, poor and racially diverse neighborhoods would benefit from bicycling infrastructure. (Atlantic Cities)
And…
Heat restrictions slow MARC and VRE. (Post) … A member of Mayor Gray’s cabinet might testify against the Skyland project, one of Gray’s priorities. (WBJ) … How will NoMA use $50 million for a park? (City Paper)
Top image: Photo by Karen Jackson on Flickr.
Police ticket U turns on Penn
Bill Walsh caught a cab driver on video making an illegal U-turn across the Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes… and then an FBI police officer put on his siren and pulled over the driver for the violation.
School buildings to charters
A new DC government website will help charter schools use vacant DCPS buuildings after 16 schools close this fall. All will go to charters, as the law requires, rather than some to city agencies. (City Paper)
Outer Beltway opposition grows
A former member of Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board speaks out against the Outer Beltway. The board delayed its vote at Rep. Frank Wolf’s request amid opposition in Prince William County. (Post)
Suburban versus urban poverty
Poverty in America is increasingly moving to the suburbs, especially in places with poor transit. Thanks to isolation and lack of services, that poverty is also far less visible and solutions more difficult. (Atlantic Cities)
Fragile Northeast corridor
A commuter train derailement in Connecticut injured 70 and shut down Amtrak and Metro-North service for days. Crowding on limited bus alernatives shows how much people rely on the Northeast Corridor with little alternative to handle the demand if something goes wrong. (Streetsblog)
Uber still hates regulations
Uber is fighting against another round of regulations, which require using one of several specific payment providers while Uber already has its own. It also doesn’t want to send GPS data to the Taxicab Commission. (Post, DCist)
And…
Glover Park residents don’t want a strip club on Wisconsin Avenue. (Post) … Here’s where the vacant property is in Ward 1. (New Columbia Heights) … Pedestrian crashes rise in Montgomery County. (WAMU)
Top image: Photo by Andé Gustavo Stumpf Filho on Flickr.
Capital Bikeshare underpays workers?
The Department of Labor is investigating Capital Bikeshare operator Alta for allegedly not paying federal wages, as their contract requires, for nearly 2 years. (Post)
Food trucks protest
DC food trucks didn’t serve food in Farragut Square as a protest against proposed regulations. (Washington Times) … But restaurant owners say the trucks are exaggerating, and at designated vending zones like Farragut, many trucks could potentially still operate. (DCist)
Veterans crash
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are 75% more likely to die in car crashes after returning home than civilians. Possible causes include PTSD and the hyper-vigilance soldiers learn in daily combat situations. (Post)
Reverse commute trips rise
The number of Metro trips from the most congested core area outward has been rising. More reverse commute trips mean more empty seats filled in the reverse commute direction. (PlanItMetro)
Metro redesign gets a redesign
WMATA adjusted its station redesign plans afer preservationists criticized them for covering up a historic design. But officials say the stations need to adapt to riders’ needs. (Post)
Who’s the most anti-growth?
The Town of Chevy Chase votes today for council. The one challenger says the already anti-Purple Line incumbents haven’t done enough to try to obstruct the line or development around it. (Patch, Bethesda Now)
Vandalism plagues bus stops
Alexandria started installing new bus shelters, but vandals broke several glass panels, forcing the city to modify the design. (Arlandrian)
And…
If Congress allows online sales taxes, Mary Cheh and Jim Graham want to use the money to fight homelessness. (City Paper) … Another congestion study ranks DC-area traffic at number 9. (DCist) … Have you read Walkable City yet? (BeyondDC)
Top image: Photo by EuanFisk on Flickr.
Rs say no to Outer Beltway
6 Virginia Republican legislators came out against Governor McDonnell’s plan to build the Outer Beltway in Virginia. They say it’s too costly and will worsen traffic on I-66, which is the higher priority. (Examiner)
WaWa drama
Herndon isn’t the only critic of a planned WaWa at Old Ox and Oak Grove Roads. Loudoun’s Department of Planning criticized the proposal in a memo, saying a stand-alone single use is not compatible with the plan for the area. (WBJ)
DC cabs: red with gray stripe
The new design for DC taxis will be red with gray stripes, says the DC Taxicab Commission; the detailed design is not yet available. It will take some years before all cabs have the uniform colors, and some taxi companies vow to fight to keep their own colors. (NBC, City Paper)
Landmark Mall forgets peds, bikes
An Alexandria Transportation Commission representative opposes the current redevelopment plans for Landmark Mall, saying it lacks safe pedestrian and bicycling access from surrounding areas. (Patch)
Less foolish primary date
DC might move its primary date (again), to June. The current April 1, 2014 date invited jokes, would force candidates to collect petitions during the holidays, and would create 8-month lame ducks. (NBC)
Who’s running
Robert Bobb, City Administrator under Tony Williams, is considering a run for mayor. (Post) … Doug Gansler, Maryland Attorney General and likely candidate for governor, criticized the recent transportation funding bill. (Post)
Harder to FOIA Virginia
The Supreme Court unanimously upheld a Virginia law which limits FOIA requests to only come from Virginia residents. Many media organizations argued to overturn the rule. (Ars Technica)
And…
Parts of 3 Smithsonian museums will close due to sequestration. (City Paper) … A new Tumblr blog chronicles the worst Cleveland Park neighborhood complaints. (DCist) … Walk the future M Street bike lane with WABA on Monday.
Top image: Photo by afagen on Flickr.
This week’s Washington City Paper cover story quoted AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman John Townsend calling Greater Greater Washington editor David Alpert “retarded” and a “ninny,” and comparing Greater Greater Washington to the Ku Klux Klan.
Many other reporters, people on Twitter, and residents generally have clearly stated in response what should of course go without saying, that such personal attacks are beyond the pale.
Some may get the sense that there is personal animosity between Townsend and the team here at Greater Greater Washington. At least on our end, nothing could be further from the truth. We simply disagree with many of his policy positions and his incendiary rhetoric.
Spirited argument is important in public policy, but it should not cross into insults. When it does, that has a chilling effect on open discourse. Fostering an inclusive conversation about the shape of our region is the purpose of this site, but discourse must be civil to be truly open. That’s why our comment policy here on Greater Greater Washington prohibits invective like this. In our articles, we try hard to avoid crossing this line, and are disappointed when we or others do, intentionally or inadvertently.
The “war on cars” frame unnecessarily pits drivers against cyclists and pedestrians instead of working together for positive solutions. The City Paper article, by Aaron Wiener, does a good job of debunking that, and is worth reading for much more than the insults it quotes.
When pressed, Townsend told Wiener he wants to back away from the “war on cars.”
“I regret the rhetoric sometimes,” he says. “Because I think that when you use that type of language, it shuts down communication with people who disagree.”
We hope Townsend, his colleagues, and their superiors also regret the things he said about David and Greater Greater Washington. We look forward to the day when AAA ceases using antagonistic language and begins working toward safety, mobility, and harmony among all road users.
In the meantime, residents do have a choice when purchasing towing, insurance, and travel discounts. Better World Club is one company that offers many of the same benefits as AAA, but without the disdain.
Cities go on high alert
In the wake of bombings at the Boston Marathon, Metro Transit Police stayed on patrol into the evening. (ARLnow) … Transit systems across the country are increasing security. (USA Today) … DC government officials know of no credible threats to DC, and today’s Emancipation Day parade will continue as planned. (DCist)
Mara profited from past donors
Patrick Mara had a deal with a conservative group to solicit the donors to his 2008 campaign and get a cut of the money. Mara says it was no big deal, while some lawyers say it could have violated the law. (Post)
Unbuilt VA highway already creating sprawl?
A developer who owns 737 acres in Loudoun County wants to rezone it to hold over 800 houses. It’s right on the planned Bi-County Parkway, a segment of the Outer Beltway which the McDonnell administration is pushing, and shows that inducing sprawl is indeed the likely consequence. (WBJ)
This garage is convertible
Douglas Development is building a 1,000 space garage on New York Avenue NE as part of an office development. The design will allow one day converting it to apartments instead if there’s demand and better transit. (City Paper)
DC gov subsidizes parking more
The DC government subsidizes parking for some employees, charging $140 a month even where the market rate is much higher, but doesn’t offer a comparable benefit for transit or bicycling. (Examiner)
Sidewalk wars come to Hyattsville
Hyattsville wants to put sidewalks on every street, but in one neighborhood, some residents think it would “would spoil the suburban charm” of the area. It’s a familiar argument in many communities. (Post)
Big verdict for unsafe bus stop
A jury awards $90 million from Prince George’s schools after a driver killed a 13-year-old girl crossing the street to a bus stop. The jury found the schools didn’t adequately provide safe transportation. (Post)
Metro fights fatigue
WMATA will combat fatigue by limiting overtime and starting a fatigue awareness campaign. The $5 million program covers maintenance workers and power technicians but not bus drivers and rail operators. (Examiner)
And…
Anthony Brown met with federal officials to talk about funding the Red and Purple Lines. (BBJ) … The Park Service may reduce late-night hours for restrooms and rangers on the National Mall. (WTOP) … DC United is again looking at Maryland for a stadium.
Top image: Photo by tracktwentynine on Flickr.
WaWa = poor suburban planning?
WaWa wants to build a 5,330 square foot store in Loudoun County, near the Fairfax line, but Herndon objects to “piecemeal strip development” not far from future Silver Line stations. (WBJ)
Georgetown against 7-Eleven
The Georgetown ANC reviewed design plans for a second 7-Eleven store in the neighborhood, at Wisconsin and P. Some neighbors aren’t excited about the store, preferring a baby store or bagel shop. (Patch)
Metro getting cameras
Metro plans to increase the number of cameras watching stations, parking garages and for the first time ever, Metrorail cars. Federal money will pay part of the $6.5 million cost. (Examiner)
DC gets more digital
DDOT launched a new website that tries to teach drivers about tips and regulations to drive in an urban area. The goal is to eliminate traffic fatalities. … MPD’s crime map site also returns with crime data back to 2011.
Arts can draw tourists?
David Grosso suggests a distinctive art installation to draw people off the National Mall and into DC neighborhoods. (Examiner)
Logan Circle talks parking
Parking meters will likely charge into the evening on 14th Street in Logan Circle, as they do downtown today. Residents asked about smaller RPP zones, but DDOT’s Damon Harvey was noncommittal. (Borderstan)
Standing up to “Amtrak bullies”?
A Railway Age says a recent spate of national columns, which endlessly criticize Amtrak for not making a profit, ignore that no transportation system makes a profit and Amtrak ridership has grown significantly.
Transit relieves parallel traffic
Transit does relieve congestion, but primarily on roads that parallel heavy transit corridors, a Berkeley researcher concluded by analyzing the 2003 Los Angeles transit strike. (Atlantic Cities)
And…
Construction began on the streetcar around Union Station. (DCist) … Maryland has one of the least walkable state DOT headquarters. (TSTC) … Beltway HOT lanes will be free this weekend. (Post) … The Circulator now runs later. (WAMU)
Top image: Photo by Lou FCD on Flickr.