Sayonara
Metro Chief Safety Officer James Dougherty has resigned. The move came after board members said they had “no confidence” in Metro’s safety department. (WAMU)
Changing course
The WMATA Board of Directors agreed to look for a management and restructuring consultant to help change its workforce culture. The decision appears to be a small victory for DC and Maryland board members who have been pushing for a turnaround specialist to run the agency. (Post)
Time to say goodbye?
Metro is once again threatening to cut the 5A, the only direct bus route from DC to Dulles Airport. Maryland helps subsidize the route, and claims this is unfair since it fully funds the B30 bus to BWI. (Post)
Help needed
When a 911 call went out yesterday in Southeast DC, the nearest ambulance was seven miles away. The child later died in the hospital. This is not the first time this year that DC’s ambulance corps has been stretched too thin. (Post)
Taking the leap?
Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille narrowly lost the Democratic primary to councilmember Allison Silberberg in June. He has an announcement scheduled Sunday at Waterfront Park, and some suspect it’s to launch a write-in campaign. (Post)
Experimenting
New housing in Jersey City, like many other cities nationwide, is very expensive. To fix this problem and offer more affordable housing, the city will push for mixed-income developments all across town. (CityLab)
Planning for tomorrow
More and more, cities are prioritizing access and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. As a result, fewer people are driving in inner cities and residents are getting healthier. (The Economist)
A new challenge
Erratic human behavior is the latest, and possibly biggest, hurdle for driverless cars. The cars are designed to follow traffic laws in ways that humans often do not, and that is creating problems for Google and other companies. (NYT)
And…
A woman walking was struck and killed by a vehicle at a busy Alexandria intersection on Thursday. (Post) ) … Do “Walk” buttons at intersections actually work? (CityLab) … Metro will be doing a lot of track work over Labor Day weekend. (Post)
Thank you
Today’s Breakfast links mark my last set for Greater Greater Washington. I will be enrolling in an urban planning Masters program starting this fall. It has been a pleasure to contribute to the site and help foster healthy debates among its visitors. Thank you for reading! -RD
Top image: Photo by John Bencina on Flickr.
Crisis “management”
After the smoke fatality in January, WMATA had some PR firms pitch them on how to deal with “adverse search results,” discussion that “continues to progress unfettered into negative spaces,” and @FixMetro’s criticisms. (City Paper)
Cracks slow construction
Last month construction crews found cracks in the girders that will hold the Silver Line tracks near Dulles Airport. The cracked girders may need to be replaced and could further delay the second phase of the Silver Line. (Post)
Safety drill not up to snuff
WMATA invited ANC Commissioner Denise Krepp to observe a Metro safety drill. She says the drill exposed “shocking gaps” in Metro communications and handling of disabled passengers. (PoPville)
What to do about murders?
Muriel Bowser wants to put more police on the street and increase some penalties to try to fight the jump in murders. Activists protested, saying her approach will not work and there needs to be more job training. (DCist)
More bikes, less congestion
Traffic congestion dropped 2-3% in areas around Capital Bikeshare stations. It increased slightly in areas next to those with docks, suggesting that drivers might avoid streets with a lot of cyclists. (Planetizen)
Free rides for kids
This year, Fairfax County high and middle school students can ride Fairfax Connector buses for free to get to school. This follows the announcement that DC students can now ride Metro for free. (FABB, CBS DC)
A fair housing fix
For over 60 years, fights over fair housing initiatives have helped concentrated poverty persist. To fix the problem, we need strong advocates and a new political strategy that fits today’s urban landscape. (Dissent Magazine)
Transportation conundrum
Boston’s Green Line extension will cost $1 billion more than estimated. It’s tough to find the money to both fix old transportation infrastructure and build new connections. How can we fix infrastructure financing methods? (CityLab)
And…
Henry Kay is leaving his post at the MTA today. Kay was instrumental in planning the Purple Line. (Post) … Making turns from the L Street protected bike lane is confusing. Gear Prudence explains the best way. (City Paper) … For one day, Paris will prohibit all cars from driving in the city. (Forbes)
Top image: Photo by Abraham Puthoor on Flickr.
The SSTC, finally!
After years of delay, the Silver Spring Transit Center is finally opening. Metro plans to start operations on September 20th. (Post)
Crime keeps climbing
Homicide and armed robbery rates are up 20% in DC this year, and officials aren’t really sure why, though they’ve blamed everything from synthetic drugs to increased gang violence. In response, the city has increased police presence on the street. (City Paper)
Stagnating rents
A large supply of new apartments has helped keep rent increases low in the Washington region. Over the past year, apartment rents rose only 1.4%, well below the national average of 3.9%. (WBJ)
What’s next for White Flint
Our very own Dan Reed talked about the future for the defunct White Flint Mall, and suburban malls across the nation, on the Kojo Nnamdi show yesterday. (WAMU)
Cities bring safer cycling
According to a CDC report, DC is a safer place to bike than any of the 50 states. The report also suggests that the addition of extensive bicycle infrastructure to many cities has helped lower urban fatality rates. (TheWashCycle)
Remembering Marion Barry
The Barry Commemorative Commission wants to honor Marion Barry by renaming the UDC student center, Ballou Senior High School, and Oxon Run Park, and by erecting a statue near the Wilson Building. (City Paper)
Make the peds pay
The pedestrian plazas in New York City’s Times Square have seen an increase in the number of topless women panhandling. Instead of solving the actual problem, Mayor de Blasio has suggested removing the plazas entirely. (NYT)
Houston, we have a solution
Houston has reworked its bus system to focus on frequent service and connections between jobs and housing. If successful, Houston’s blueprint could be applied to other sprawling American cities. (The Daily Beast)
And…
A group funded by the Koch brothers is trying to undermine Boston’s MBTA. Sound familiar? (Streetsblog) … According to the Mythbusters, driving while talking on a hands-free headset is just as dangerous as talking on a cell phone. (Post) … National had more passengers than Dulles this year, but BWI beat them both. (WBJ)
Top image: Photo by thisisbossi on Flickr.
Fewer feds raises revenues
The federal government is shedding property holdings and that’s helping DC raise revenue. The market share of tax-exempt commercial properties, most of which are federal property, dropped from 49% to 47% in the past ten years. (WBJ)
Smile, you’re on camera
Metrobus will install video monitors that show surveillance footage on 22 buses on the X2 line in an attempt to deter crime. The X2 is one of the busiest and most dangerous routes for bus drivers. (City Paper)
Paying for permitting
A private permit expediter, a person hired to get permits approved quickly through DCRA, has been charged with bribing three DCRA employees with “lunch money” in exchange for faster service. (City Paper)
Downsizing
While median home prices are rising in the Washington region, home prices fell 2.1% over the past year in Montgomery County. Experts say the luxury home market is down while demand for downtown Bethesda condos is up. (Bethesda Beat)
Bridge rebuilding
Repairs to the Memorial Bridge will begin later this month. The National Park Service closed lanes and sidewalk space in May after finding that the bridge’s secondary support beams were not meeting load-bearing standards. (Post)
MARC moves to diesel
The MTA is looking to replace its MARC electric locomotives with diesel locomotives. The electric fleet has not been very reliable, but the engines can reach higher speeds than their diesel counterparts. (Baltimore Sun)
Beautification Day no more
DCPS will not host “Beautification Day,” an annual event to spruce up its schools, this year because they want to encourage sustained support from community partners rather than a one-day effort. (Post)
Like father, not like son
While Donald Trump has made a career out of constructing luxury buildings, his father Fred Trump built housing for lower- and middle-income families throughout New York City. (Post)
Top image: Photo by NCinDC on Flickr.
Another tough day for Metro
Metro had to evacuate passengers from a train outside East Falls Church after the tracks lost power this morning. Trains are still single tracking in the area and several trains have been offloaded in other areas. (NBC Washington, Post)
Derailment details
Yesterday’s derailment occurred as the train was switching tracks, but Metro still doesn’t know the cause. Service has been fully restored in the affected area. (Post)
No CaBi for College Park
College Park is launching its own bikeshare system after it was unable to reach a deal with Capital Bikeshare. Activists are applauding the step but are worried about a lack of broad integration. (Post)
Bike injuries up
Serious cyclist injuries went up across the board last year in the DC area, but it might just be due to better reporting. Check out how the injury rates changed by demographic, time, and location. (TheWashCycle)
Why we run reds
A survey found that drivers and cyclists break the law at nearly identical rates. When it comes to running red lights though, cyclists will break the law to feel safer, while drivers break the law simply to save time. (PRI)
Crime trends
DC may be in the middle of a summer crime wave, but the Urban Institute shows how violent crime rates in DC have fallen dramatically over the past 20 years. (City Paper)
Goat mowers return
Goats are back at the Congressional Cemetery! 30 goats will graze the cemetery, clearing it of excess weeds and brush in a gentle and environmentally friendly way. (Washingtonian)
Top image: Photo by Jim Larrison on Flickr.
Data-based sting
DC has started using crowd-sourced data from its Vision Zero program to enforce traffic laws in problem spots, starting with Georgia Avenue and Lamont Street NW last weekend. (City Paper)
Affordability counts
A new 18-person “strike force” will strategize on how to keep 8,000 DC housing units affordable after their federal subsidies expire in the coming years. DC has also funded construction for 1,000 new affordable units. (WAMU)
Keep the warehouses
Prince George’s County wants to transition into an office-based economy, but warehouses are still its most valuable real estate. The push toward same-day delivery models means that’s not likely to change anytime soon. (WBJ)
Hard choices
The Leesburg Town Council was faced with a choice: demolish four historic buildings to expand the Loudoun County courts, or keep the buildings but lose the county seat. The Council decided to preserve its status as the county seat. (WBJ)
Schools shift credit
This fall the DC State Board of Education will determine whether testing and course equivalents, like internships, can replace classroom time and bring up graduation rates. (Post)
Highway funding fixes
Congress passed yet another 3-month extension for the Highway Trust Fund to keep money flowing to road, bridge, and transit projects. The Senate also passed a long-term, bipartisian highway bill. (USA Today)
I hate the interstate
Conservative pundit Reihan Salam says we should stop pouring federal money into our highways. States should manage highways so they can then set transportation priorities and funding mechanisms, he argues. (Slate)
And…
A study shows that commuter ferries between Alexandria and DC are feasible. (Alexandria Times) … A San Francisco police captain’s promised crackdown on bicyclists coasting through stop signs had one unintended effect. (SF Weekly) … Check out the 100-year-old infrastructure that runs the New York City subway. (Gizmodo)
Top image: Photo by thisisbossi on Flickr.
Ineffective rules
A pop-up architect says the DC Zoning Commission’s new height rules will not affect the vast majority of existing or planned pop-ups and that a design review process would have been more effective. (Post)
The rest is history
To stop a developer from expanding three rowhouses into pop-ups on Grant Circle, local residents nominated the circle for historic preservation status. The developer has sued, claiming abuse of the preservation process. (WAMU)
What access?
One-third of all bus stops in the Washington region are not handicap-accessible. And even though jurisdictions are making fixes across the region, many retrofitted stops still lack accessible pathways. (Post)
Montgomery steps up
Montgomery County will commit an additional $40 million toward building the Purple Line within the next five to six years. To finance this, the county will reprioritize projects in its Capital Improvements Program. (Post)
Metro cuts will wait
Metro tabled a public hearing on proposed schedule changes to increase Blue Line service and reduce service on four other lines until September. Any service change will require a series of public hearings first. (Post)
Simple solutions
At the Rhode Island Avenue Metro stop, Metro wants to add a pedestrian walkway that would bring more than 2,000 Edgewood residents within the 1/2 mile walk shed and provide much easier access to the Metro. (PlanItMetro)
Remaking suburbs
Is it worthwhile to retrofit suburbs into urban spaces? Some feel that it’s better to focus on urbanism in dense places only, while others point out that retrofits are often necessary due to space constraints in urban areas. (Streetsblog)
And…
The guy who pulled the emergency lever on a train and snarled commutes on Wednesday was apparently separated from his small child. (Post) … The Arlington County Board approved plans to build a more walkable Rosslyn. (ArlNow) … The Senate’s six-year transportation bill only has three years of funding. (Streetsblog)
Top image: Photo by Mr.TinDC on Flickr.
New deadlines
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced the state will approve a winning bid for the Purple Line by January 15th of next year and that construction on the Purple Line could begin as early as May 16th. (Post)
Highway veteran
To oversee his $2 billion Maryland highway investment, Governor Hogan brought on Gregory Johnson to run the State Highway Administration. Johnson has 32 years of highway experience and comes from the Michigan DOT. (Post)
On the waterfront
The Southwest Waterfront will have office workers during the day. The American Psychiatric Association announced it will move its 300 employees to new office space there from its current offices in Virginia. (Post)
Vision zero kick-off
DC is asking people about their experiences on the streets. As part of the Vision Zero initiative to end traffic deaths, the District also has a crowd-sourcing tool to find dangerous pedestrian, driver, and cyclist conflict locations. (City Paper)
Green schools are too much
DC’s plans to create more green, energy efficient, and LEED certified schools may hit a roadblock. The DC auditor, looking into school renovation costs, questioned the price tag for meeting these green goals. (Post)
Transportation bill moves
The Senate will soon debate a six-year highway funding bill including TIGER grants. The Senate almost removed the popular program from the bill. The House already passed a five-month highway funding extension. (Streetsblog)
The other side of the tracks
Railroad tracks and highways have long divided cities. They have often intensified racial segregation by providing a physical barrier to separate neighborhoods. (Post)
Shifting right
The Supreme Court’s fair housing ruling from last month may have an unexpected side effect: turning liberal, urban, white areas into conservative enclaves that try to keep others out of their neighborhoods. (CityLab)
Frequent driver miles
Oregon will implement a pilot program that charges vehicles by miles traveled instead of paying a gas tax. With a growing number of electric and hybrid vehicles, the state wants all vehicles pay for road usage. (Business Insider)
Top image: Photo by Maryland GovPics on Flickr.
Another option, please
WMATA will seek extensive public feedback on planned rail service cuts and bus route changes. DDOT chief Leif Dormsjo is concerned that WMATA will only present one option to the public, a plan that makes substantial service cuts, for improving train schedules. (Post)
Purple Line delayed again
Maryland pushed back the deadline for private partners to submit proposals for building the Purple Line, again. Officials say the push to November will give bidders time to incorporate the state’s cost-saving changes. (Post)
White flag
It appears that Chevy Chase will reluctantly accept the Purple Line after spending $480,000 to kill the project. Residents are now worried that Governor Hogan’s cuts will remove noise barriers and buried power lines. (Bethesda Beat)
The People’s House
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton asked the Secret Service and the National Park Service to limit the closure of streets and public spaces around the White House to make it easier on pedestrians and bicyclists. (Post)
Construction blocks
Bethesda will hire an inspector to reduce unnecessary street and sidewalk closures due to construction. They’re also making new rules on when construction can close down streets and sidewalks and for how long. (Bethesda Beat)
Better buses
Streetscamp participants shared a laundry list of ideas with Metro on how to make buses better, including improvements to service, facilities, fleets, usability, and marketing. (PlanItMetro)
Stamp of approval
The National Capital Planning Commission approved the Kennedy Center expansion and the Eisenhower Memorial. The memorial still needs to secure $162 million in funding. (WBJ, Washingtonian)
Strike snarls commutes
A Tube strike in London yesterday forced millions to find alternatives for their commute. Train drivers held the 24-hour strike over work schedule changes planned for when the Tube adds 24-hour service later this year. (Post)
And…
A lawsuit over a fence along the Purple Line route will go to Maryland’s state Court of Appeals. (Post) … Compared to the rest of the country, $100 won’t go as far in the DC area. (DCist) … After the tragic murder on the Metro last week, people questioned what kept other passengers from trying to intervene to save the victim. (Post)
Top image: Photo by Susan Sermoneta on Flickr.
Purple haze
Leaders for Montgomery and Prince George’s counties were happy when Governor Hogan conditionally approved the Purple Line, but they expressed concerns over being asked to pay for more of the project. (Post)
Red riot
The Baltimore Sun wrote a scathing editorial after Governor Hogan canceled the Red Line light rail project. The newspaper says the project would have lead to more jobs and development, yet even $900 million in federal support couldn’t save it.
Highway work
Governor Hogan committed an additional $1.35 billion for Maryland’s highways and bridges. In the Washington region, this will include I-270, the I-95/I-495 interchange at the Greenbelt Metro, and US-1 in College Park. (Post)
Metro’s next steps
After receiving the FTA report, the Metro board stated that it would quickly respond to the FTA’s required actions and perform a complete review of the understaffed Rail Operations Control Center. (Post)
Worth the cost
In 1969, before Metro was built, a study estimated that commuter time savings from the Metro would be $186 million per year. The actual benefits have been three times higher than estimated, when adjusting for today’s dollars. (PlanItMetro)
Need parking?
A proposed 200-room hotel on K Street had no plans to build parking. However, the Board of Zoning Adjustment is not on board, with Chairman Lloyd Jordan saying the no-parking trend has begun to “multiply and mushroom.” (Curbed DC)
Bad roads
A new analysis says that DC has the worst roads of any state in the nation - 92% of roads were in poor condition. DC officials dispute the rating, stating a comparison between states and a city is inherently unfair. (Post)
Fair housing win
The Supreme Court surprisingly ruled that racial housing discrimination can still be addressed under the Fair Housing Act. The court ruled that disparate impact may still inform housing policies. (CityLab)
And…
Developers want more height and density in downtown Bethesda. (Bethesda Beat) … DDOT is looking to fully reopen the 16th Street bridge on July 1. (Post) … Washington has the third worst commute of any city in the nation according to the Census Bureau. (WBJ) … VRE fares are rising by 4% starting next month. (Potomac Local)
Top image: Photo by Maryland GovPics on Flickr.