Recent Comments

"now predicted to go below 2 bucks"

I hear out in the boonies that it is already below $2 and some places its below $1.80

by RJ in "Everyone benefits if we can leave our cars" on Nov 21, 2008 8:15 am  (link)

Hey Ned,
Thanks for rooting for my yuppie dreams. Guess what, when my mother was a little girl growing up in the Venezuelan Ranchos, quess what she was dreaming of??? While your intentions sound noble, you are a little naive. Keep up the fight, but whach out for those conspiracy theories.

by Thayer-D in Residents support the Purple Line at Bethesda/Chevy Chase hearing on Nov 21, 2008 7:43 am  (link)

While the ability to clearly outline all the difficulties ahead of us is essential to solving the problems we face, it's no substitute for visionary action based on empirical evidence. In other words, we can wait around fat and happy until our overlords (OPEC/speculators) decide to turn the screws on us, or we can begin the dificult process towards weening ourselves off foreign feul. Just like a headlining story today says "U.S. intelligence analyis predicts Moscow will benefit from oil boom while American influence wanes."
It's not just about vibrant and walkable mainstreets.

by Thayer-D in "Everyone benefits if we can leave our cars" on Nov 21, 2008 7:31 am  (link)

Environmental remediation of the Anacostia is a sticky situation even assuming you're willing to commit land & funds to it. There's just about everything in there (PCBs, human waste, light trash, heavy trash, heavy metals, P, N, lawn runoff, pesticides), and sedimentation rates are way too high for minor measures to be effective. Furthermore, low land gets too much polluted runoff to farm, and high land doesn't remediate runoff significantly in a small footprint. While it claims 51 used car dealerships, it also says only 68 vehicles have been towed. That's not a lot of area.

Are we, on the whole, interested in things like cleaning up the Anacostia/Potomac for wildlife around here? Does it have significant value to the city as a whole, more value than use of a significant amount of land? I have some idea of what could be done without depopulating the area, but it's rather radical and goes against the environmentalist grain. The place an urban river should serve in a metropolis is still a bit of an open question in my mind, as well - I'm scared that every acre of engineered, filled-in, floodwalled, parking-lotted, poisoned, channelized wetland that gets reclaimed here causes another five acres of virgin wetland or forest or or farmland to be paved over & developed in southern Maryland.

IMO, you could go either direction and have an improvement over the current state of the Anacostia: turn it into a small sewer like the Fleet River in London or turn it into a large wetland. The difference is that one gives you a lot of developable land, and one requires that the city give some up.

by Squalish in Breakfast links: tastes great, less filling on Nov 21, 2008 5:16 am  (link)

A study of interest:

http://www.princeton.edu/~ota/ns20/topic_f.html

The NCTA work was principally a staff effort,
although numerous consultants contributed over
the agency’s 5 years of operation. The most critical
portions of the NCTA 1962 report (system
planning, traffic forecasting, and engineering)
were done in-house. Darwin Stolzenbach, a
freeway opponent who had been a senior analyst
with Operations Research, Inc. of Silver Spring,
Md., guided the technical proceedings. Policy
control was exerted by a five-member advisory
board required by the 1960 Act. The chairman and
dominating force of this group was Frederick
Gutheim, a well-known architectural writer. As
Staff Director to Congress’ Joint Committee on
Washington Metropolitan Problems during that
body’s brief existence from 1958 to 1960, Gutheim
had turned out a series of planning reports on the
NCR that were strongly transit-oriented and representative of the then nascent wave of
antifreeway sentiment.
NCTA was instructed to cooperate with all
planning agencies in the region, but it pursued this
cooperation in informal ways. Those agencies that
disagreed with NCTA’s findings generally charged
that there had been little cooperation. In lieu of
producing a plan that conformed to each of the
often conflicting ideas of the various planning
bodies in the region, NCTA focused on the new
regional comprehensive plan published in 1961 by
the NCPC and NCRCP. This Plan for the Year 2000,
popularly known as the “Wedges and Corridors
Plan,” presented new population, employment, and
growth data and, most importantly, changed the
forecast for land use from the sprawl-like configuration
that had been assumed for the 1959 plan
to an organized radial network of growth corridors
separated by low-growth and greenbelt “wedges, ”
The data were plugged into a new traffic
forecasting model and the findings used to support
a regional transportation system featuring extensive
rapid transit service. A seven-line system 83-
miles long (a 50-mile increase over 1959) was
recommended for a total cost of $796 million, an
increase of $320 million over the 1959 plan. NCTA
called for 74 fewer miles of highway than the 1959
plan. No cost estimate was made, as it was assumed
that this mileage would be financed through the
continuing highway funding mechanisms and
would require no additional legislation. Proposed
express bus operations total about half the transit
mileage recommended in the 1959 report.

by The Overhead Wire in Why was Arlington so ahead of its time? on Nov 21, 2008 1:38 am  (link)

how about, instead of farmers' markets, we turn them into public garden space. we don't really need (and can't sustain) that many markets, but we could use more space to plant food.

of course, there might be issues with stuff in the soil there (like petroleum-based messes), and that mitigation could be difficult. but, getting rid of the asphalt would also mean less impervious surfaces and less storm runoff into the anacostia river.

by IMGoph in Breakfast links: tastes great, less filling on Nov 21, 2008 12:56 am  (link)

I really really really don't think that it's a good idea to raise a gas consumption tax during the time of an economic downturn. It makes no sense politically or economically.

The time to do this was in the late 90's when: A- gas was really cheap and B- the economy was robust enough to absorb the tax.

by Tim in "Everyone benefits if we can leave our cars" on Nov 21, 2008 12:12 am  (link)

Phil, I think monkeyrotica was referring to the senior citizen building at 15th & U Streets. Anyway, DC IS (and has been) one of the most walkable cities curb cuts and all. There are curb cuts on just about every block. So, what's the big deal?

by Lou in This alternative is technically impossible because neighbors would complain on Nov 20, 2008 10:43 pm  (link)

I found your comments above slightly misleading and insulting. I spoke in in Opposition to the trail, as did many others. While you gave a good presentation, my math does not show pro purple in the majority. Moreover, contrary to your summary characterization, I am not a NIMBY. My house is not on the trail, but I still oppose the light rail purple line AT THIS POINT due to fiscal, not NIMBY reasons. I was not alone. I understand the need for mass transit but there are some serious flaws with the DEIS that should be addressed before the state commits 1.6 BILLION taxpayer dollars. If the inadequacies are addressed and the best alternative remains the rail on the trail, so be it, but that has not been shown as of yet. I also appreciate hostility to NIMBY concerns, but we should also try to respect that this is people's backyard we are talking about and insist that MTA meet is promises of noise mitigation, like grass tracks. We owe this to our fellow residents. The "that is their problem" attitude is just as bad as the strict NIMBY attitude you complain about. Finally, as it stands, there is no secure funding for the trail or many of the noise and visual mitigation measures that have been advertised- this is from the text of the DEIS - not just propaganda, I can cite the pages to you if you like. I think it is completely reasonable to put MTA's feet to the fire on this issue and demand truth in advertising. They are selling this as a trail along the rail with grass tracks and landscaping - but there right now there is no guarantee of a trail. These issues impact not only Chevy Chase, by residents along Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring, as well as all trail users. Just to give this some perspective. Regardless of people's positions on the purple line, I think it is a good thing that young and old alike came out in numbers to let their voices be heard. Cheers.

by Not a Nimby in Residents support the Purple Line at Bethesda/Chevy Chase hearing on Nov 20, 2008 8:21 pm  (link)

if one can think of a political strategy to convince the American public that a gas tax akin to Great Britain's would be beneficial, then real movement can be made on mass transit and smart growth. Otherwise, the economic downturn will keep gas prices low and discourage anything but the CITSR (cheapest in the short run - at least in terms of what people perceive) alternative. And of course, cheap now only means we pay later (greater dependence on foreign oil, sprawl traffic).

Sorry to be a downer, but I'm reading that gas prices are now predicted to go below 2 bucks a gallon (although our military tax to protect the oil fields where we get the gas isn't going down, but i digress).

by stevek_fairfax in "Everyone benefits if we can leave our cars" on Nov 20, 2008 7:31 pm  (link)

It is unfortunate that the internet has become a tool that can be very quickly used for passing along information that is sometimes inaccurate. Anne Arundel County Police have verified that information currently circulating in several emails regarding Arundel Mills is not correct. Visit http://www.aacounty.org/police/ to view AACPD's press release.

Arundel Mills is part of the community and what happens in the community, unfortunately sometimes happens at the mall. The Arundel Mills area has experienced a few incidents during the last two months. However, during this same time period over two million people have safely visited Arundel Mills.

The safety of Arundel Mills shoppers and employees is our top priority and something we take very seriously. Arundel Mills offers vehicle, bike, Segway and foot patrols and operates an extensive CCTV system 24/7/365. Arundel Mills offers security related services such as escorts and direct dial access to security from all mall pay telephones. The center utilizes off duty police officers that supplement the Anne Arundel County provided police officers based in and around Arundel Mills and works daily with the Anne Arundel County Police to ensure the safety of our customers and employees.

Security involves everyone. Arundel Mills encourages everyone, regardless of where they shop or visit, to use common sense safety tips such as always locking vehicle doors, never leaving valuables visible in a vehicle, being aware of surroundings, and being prepared with keys in hand when walking to and from any shopping center. If something just doesn't look right, they should return to the building and ask for assistance or call 911.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Anne Arundel County Police at 410-220-8610 or Arundel Mills at arundelmillsinfo@simon.com.

by arundelmillsinfo in I thought criminals took transit? on Nov 20, 2008 7:21 pm  (link)

I thought the rationale for closing Franklin was this new program to move homeless into their own housing. Now that's not even happening? And Franklin's closed? Snap! Fooled again.

by Jazzy in On the calendar: modern, new, and fast on Nov 20, 2008 6:45 pm  (link)

Well that was fun.

by Cavan in Residents support the Purple Line at Bethesda/Chevy Chase hearing on Nov 20, 2008 6:24 pm  (link)

I am done. I will leave you like minded folks alone now.

by Ned in Residents support the Purple Line at Bethesda/Chevy Chase hearing on Nov 20, 2008 6:00 pm  (link)

Ned's speculation about ridership is baseless. The actual models built by actual transportation professionals show far higher ridership on the rail line than the bus line. If Ned (or anyone) is going to argue that the models are wrong, they'll need far more convincing arguments than have been put forth here so far.

by BeyondDC in Residents support the Purple Line at Bethesda/Chevy Chase hearing on Nov 20, 2008 5:50 pm  (link)

I'm not familiar with all your examples. But the ones I am, it seems more like reprogramming public space to be better and more engaging public space. That's useful and worth doing of course. But it's different than converting lanes of asphalt into new public space as they did in NYC.

by FourthandEye in Why can't we do some of this? on Nov 20, 2008 5:50 pm  (link)

King of Spain,

This rail is not being built for low wage workers. They will be priced out of the area quickly. It it being built for the bourgeoisie. I am sure the developers really want to construct and rent affordable housing along this line. Please save that bologna for someone else.

And the workers that Wayne sees riding on the CCT, forget it, they will have to move once Langley Park gets gentrified.

Thayer-D's NYC yuppie dream will come true.

Your words have exposed you as the phonies you are. You are not for the poor "menial laborer" you are for the Takoma Park style yuppie who would be scared to death to go anywhere near a Brazilian "favela" or a Venezuelan "ranchito".

Pathetic

by Ned in Residents support the Purple Line at Bethesda/Chevy Chase hearing on Nov 20, 2008 5:50 pm  (link)

The end of Penn Ave @ M St, Washington Circle, Farragut Square, the triangles in front of 2000 Penn Ave and the IMF, the circle @ Mass & Vt & M & 14th, or the one @ VA & NH & I-66 in front of the Watergate, actually, make that everything around the Kennedy center and Watergate, etc etc.

You might say: they already have some benches. That is true, but they are very depressing places. And hard to get too.

My point: there is a lot of waste real estate in downtown DC. With just a bit of good will, they can be turned around in wonderful areas. As long as you're willing to give pedestrians a bit more leeway.

Freedom Plaza (Penn between 13th and 15th) is the only place where I sometimes see people hang out. So that's the only only one I can think of that's somewhat successful.

by Jasper in Why can't we do some of this? on Nov 20, 2008 5:44 pm  (link)

2 reasons why we won't see federal spending on transportation infrastructure:

a- people in non-urban areas will, in an time of economic downturn, not be very enthusiastic about funding which would mainly benefit urban area

b- the time-lag issues involved with investments in infrastructure and the macro benefits.

by Tim in "Everyone benefits if we can leave our cars" on Nov 20, 2008 5:19 pm  (link)

"Other regions need to be built up and Amtrak needs to fulfill its national mission."

Exactly. Right now Amtrak doesn't serve Phoenix, Vegas, Louisville, Nashville, Tulsa, Colorado Springs or Columbus. You can't go directly from Detroit to Toledo, from Albuquerque to El Paso, from Memphis to Little Rock, Houston to Dallas or Austin, Omaha to Minneapolis etc...

And some cities only get one train a week. My hometown only gets three.

It's woefully incomplete.

by David C in Breakfast links: tastes great, less filling on Nov 20, 2008 5:19 pm  (link)

It's only $10 for members. I'm sure they would give you the discount on your word.

David

by David Alpert in On the calendar: modern, new, and fast on Nov 20, 2008 5:13 pm  (link)

$20? Yikes. That's pretty pricey. I just submitted an application to DCPL a couple weeks ago, but haven't gotten any membership packet yet. I wonder whether I can argue for a discount?

by Reid in On the calendar: modern, new, and fast on Nov 20, 2008 5:05 pm  (link)

I'm with Cavan on this.Much of the agenda that I have seen in the particular historic district that I live in is geared towards parking preservation, fighting the new trolley system, fighting density or appropriate infill, coming out against car sharing [ it takes away parking from those who wish to have multiple cars] and in general, NIMBYism from a lot of old farts who want to have a nice suburban style enclave in a city that was once a lot more populated and denser than it is now. These same people do nothing when mom & pop stores close and are turned into residences- thus contributing to the car dependency and increase in driving.A real focus on preservation- and less on these other issues- as well as a sense that the historic people are not out to punish people for doing basically miniscule things to their homes needs to come about. Many old timers are against preservationists as they are seen as people out on some kind of power trip.All of this must change and we need to come into the 21st century and get away from a car- centric vision of the city as it should be.

by w in HPO writing new rules for establishing historic districts on Nov 20, 2008 4:50 pm  (link)

On the ouster of Amtrak President Alex Kummant. Former Post reporter Don Phillips (who used to cover the rail beat there before he was let go in a buyout) says Kummant was fired--i.e., allowed to "resign"--due to a disagreement with Amtrak Board chair Donna McLean over an "arcane accounting matter." According to Phillips, there was no fundamental disagreement about the direction of the company. To the extent Kummant was an incrementalist, I agree with that. Kummant came from freight railroad Union Pacific and understood what it takes to get the existing railroad network in most of the country to work for both passengers and freight. The Northeast (between DC and NYC) already has plenty of rail service--unless you think two trains per hour isn't enough. Other regions need to be built up and Amtrak needs to fulfill its national mission.

by Paul Wilson in Breakfast links: tastes great, less filling on Nov 20, 2008 4:40 pm  (link)

I agree with you WMATA surely must be thinking about a link at Mt Vernon with the new M St Blue Line. They have to want to reduce the congestion on the Red Line caused by people transfering. Union is less important as a transfer - but I have to think that will come as well. All they have to do is come down G.
As far as their current Brown line. That is aburd to think they would give a new color to a temporary service. people will be looking for it then have to read to find the service hours. let the regular commuters at the extremities of the lines do the reading, your ideas to use a faded yellow at Springfield Franconia are dead-on.

by bob previdi in What WMATA is really suggesting on Nov 20, 2008 4:24 pm  (link)

Another way to reduce parking impact: Stop apposing those who want to build light rail to your doorstep.

by Squalish in Breakfast links: tastes great, less filling on Nov 20, 2008 4:23 pm  (link)

Thanks for the plug for Charlie's Place. In the past two months, they found housing and/or jobs for two dozen of their clients.

Their case load is up 30% this year, and the economy is getting worse. Their donations are down. It's been a tough year.

If they get 55 more walkers Saturday, they'll get a ten thousand dollar bonus, which will pay for a lot of hot meals and social services.

We may disagree on many things here at GGW, but I hope we agree to help those private agencies that work hard, spend money wisely, and are effective in helping the least among us.

Please join us Saturday.

by Mike Silverstein in On the calendar: modern, new, and fast on Nov 20, 2008 3:39 pm  (link)

I'd very much enjoy reading a post on the panel event no matter which of those it turns out to be (persuasion or evaluation).

by Arlen in On the calendar: modern, new, and fast on Nov 20, 2008 3:36 pm  (link)

@thm

That would explain it, thanks.

by Steve in On the calendar: modern, new, and fast on Nov 20, 2008 3:36 pm  (link)

It Does! Like a Claes Oldenberg sculpture with a function.

by Bianchi in On the calendar: modern, new, and fast on Nov 20, 2008 3:31 pm  (link)

@Steve,

I think DCPL=DC Preservation League here, not DC Public Libraries.

by thm in On the calendar: modern, new, and fast on Nov 20, 2008 3:31 pm  (link)

I've always thought the Pan American Health Organization building looked like a giant automotive air filter.

by Chris S in On the calendar: modern, new, and fast on Nov 20, 2008 3:23 pm  (link)

I find specifics more thought provoking to discuss/debate rather than saying "pretty much anywhere". Does anyone have any?

Seems to me that in the east end of downtown, other than maybe Pennsylvania Ave NW, there isn't anywhere wide enough to put a plaza in the middle of a the street that doesn't already have a triangle park or traffic circle. I don't think our roads are as wide as NYC. They mention to cross 23rd it was the length of two football fields. We don't have that here. You could probably put a modest sized landscaped median on Connecticut but not a big median plaza for lounging.

Many of the streets they show in the segment seem to have been take down from 3 lanes in one direction to 2 lanes in that direction. Drivers can adapt to that more easily than the drop from 2 lanes to just 1. On a major corridor you need the second lane because often one lane is blocked by a driver trying to turn.

by FourthandEye in Why can't we do some of this? on Nov 20, 2008 2:56 pm  (link)

Curious that DCPL chooses to sponsor a discussion about Modern Architecture but not at the Mies "gem" that is their own main facility.

Somehow Forgey's presence does not auger well. He has an odd tendency to suggest that modernist buildings in obnoxious proximity to a well liked traditionalist building somehow complement or enhance it (eg, the MLK library near the National Gallery or the Third Church and St. John's Episcopal.) Makes one wish a building could sue for defamation.

by Steve in On the calendar: modern, new, and fast on Nov 20, 2008 2:54 pm  (link)

Although Ned is speculating all over the place, they will pay more if it means they can get home to their families, or get to their second jobs on time so the boss doesn't scream at them for getting stuck on Jones Bridge Road. Most people who bus commute have passes with slightly reduced fares, anyway.

Me, however, I want developers to get rich building buildings next to transit. They'll have to generate demand for their units, so they'll hire an agency to market urban living and working, thus making transit more cost effective. Win-Win, Baby!

by The King of Spain in Residents support the Purple Line at Bethesda/Chevy Chase hearing on Nov 20, 2008 2:30 pm  (link)

It would seem that the new language would be a step in the right direction to alleviating fears that are similar to the ones I expressed in my previous comment.

by Cavan in HPO writing new rules for establishing historic districts on Nov 20, 2008 2:22 pm  (link)

I would just like to politely point out that no "Bus Rapid Transit" line in the United States has a daily ridership of 68,000 people per day.

by Cavan in Residents support the Purple Line at Bethesda/Chevy Chase hearing on Nov 20, 2008 2:20 pm  (link)

Just make the whole District historic. Get it over with. Then the HPRB can deny any new development. Aren't rules that allow the HPRB the authority to designate an historic district similar to having a bunch of highwaymen deciding where to put the highways?

I'm not an anti-preservationist by any stretch. I just wonder if the criteria for historic preservation is being diluted a bit. Preservation is good, but we have to always ask ourselves what its goal is and whether or not creating a new historic district is serving those goals. Otherwise, it's designating just to designate and stagnating rather than preserving.

We need density and vitality in the District, as well as in the suburbs. Does designating every little corner of the District contribute to that goal? Maybe I'm just one of those people who have turned off to historical district designation by people who were trying to use it for another agenda...

by Cavan in HPO writing new rules for establishing historic districts on Nov 20, 2008 2:16 pm  (link)

Thank God!!!

by Thayer-D in "Everyone benefits if we can leave our cars" on Nov 20, 2008 2:07 pm  (link)

@ FourthandEye: Pretty much anywhere (downtown)?

How about all those intersections where the State Aves cut at odd angles?

How about most of the little squares and circles downtown?

Nearly all roads downtown are pretty wide. The park and bike switch could be done in plenty of places.

And DC could also use a couple of good bus lanes. They could be placed on roads parallel to the main route. Such roads could be closed for all but bus and bike traffic (and inhabitants).

The problem with 'duh' ideas like this is often that people simply can't imagine it.

The Netherlands make the big shift for bikers in the late 80s and early 90s. So, my high school time, I had to bike to school between cars, and while in college they started making seperate bike lanes. First just with a line, then painted in (big difference) and later physically separated (often by taking out car lanes). Result? A massive drop in accidents, safer biking, and no more gridlock.

The point is to give everybody their own space on the road, and to lead cars to understand that not the entire road is theirs. Just marking lanes, and separators at intersections can make a major difference in safety and behavior.

Oh and, please, can we get a bunch of decent roundabouts in the suburbs? Check France for how awesome those can be for traffic flow. Remember, traffic *never* stops are a traffic circle. There is *always* flow. This opposed to a traffic light or a stop sign, where you *always* have a stop in flow.

by Jasper in Why can't we do some of this? on Nov 20, 2008 1:29 pm  (link)

HPRB has never designated a historic district where a majority of property owners objected. It's a convenient anti-preservationist myth that HPRB has done otherwise. If you scream loud enough...

by Tired in HPO writing new rules for establishing historic districts on Nov 20, 2008 1:16 pm  (link)

What street segments do people advocate these practices in the video to be employed in DC?

by FourthandEye in Why can't we do some of this? on Nov 20, 2008 1:06 pm  (link)

I have commented on this issue before, but to say it again, I am a small business owner whose office entrance is off Waverly Alley, the alley that connects T and U Streets.

Like all DC neighborhoods, there are a fair amount of old timers here that have gotten used to the way things are and might be perceived as resistant to change. We can look at the parameters of this project and note how putting a curb-cut onto 14th Street falls short of our ideals of livable, walkable neighborhoods. This post, and the consultant's report in general, provide greater context: this project doesn't fit into the block very well.

Look, I am clearly biased when it comes to this project, but it seems to me that dividing traffic to this project (the design still contemplates a loading dock on the alley side) between 14th and the alley is a compromise that may counter-intuitively lead to a more pedestrian/bike friendly 14th Street. Having cars stopped on 14th, queuing for access to the garage, may slow down some of the maniacs flying down 14th Street Hill.

We all have a lot more work to do on this project to make sure that this square peg fits into the round hole as well as can be.

by Phil Lepanto in This alternative is technically impossible because neighbors would complain on Nov 20, 2008 12:45 pm  (link)

By the way Thayer D, there are thousands of cars competing with buses in these cities I have visited, Caracas, Rio, BA, even little Montevideo. You should try traveling a bit it might teach you a few things.

by Ned in Residents support the Purple Line at Bethesda/Chevy Chase hearing on Nov 20, 2008 12:33 pm  (link)

I will ask the question again. Does anyone know the % of the 50,000 workers in Bethesda that are knowledge vs non-skilled labor.

Thayer D, do you think the people cleaning toilets and serving you bagels will be able to afford the Light Rail price. If they see an inflation adjusted price of $1.75 (bus) $3.00 (LR) what do you think they will go for. Surely the price for LR will be far higher than for bus.

by Ned in Residents support the Purple Line at Bethesda/Chevy Chase hearing on Nov 20, 2008 12:23 pm  (link)

I bike along Bladensburg everyday, no one wants to go to a Farmer's market there.

A few years ago there was a tiny commercial strip between the Yellow Cab building and the cemetery that housed a flower shop. It closed down and the building was removed. Last year they replaced it with a Public Storage building. If it had been residential (which I thought made more sense) it would have had view of the Arboretum out the front and the cemetery out the back. But Public Storage, that builds communities right?

by David C in Breakfast links: tastes great, less filling on Nov 20, 2008 11:29 am  (link)

@Michael: There's a good article about higher crash rates in the suburbs in yesterday's Planetizen: Rethinking Transportation Safety by Todd Litman. Plenty of citations and links to studies.

by Laurence Aurbach in I thought criminals took transit? on Nov 20, 2008 10:32 am  (link)

Don't want to sound arrogant here, but this stuff has been policy in the Netherlands for at least 15 years. And it's been implemented in many European cities since then.

by Jasper in Why can't we do some of this? on Nov 20, 2008 9:24 am  (link)

Who do you think cleans the toilets of the "knowledge workers" or serves them bagles in the morning? What about all the retail jobs up the pike, are those knowledge workers? While in South and Central America, did you notice the thousands of cars competing with those cool buses? I'm guessing riding a bus is cool when that's the only thing most people can afford, because the roads would be free of all the cars. It just ain't so here, so a dedicated rail is the only way to not exacerbate the congestion. Oh, if you don't like the term menial, hows about proletariat?

by Thayer-D in Residents support the Purple Line at Bethesda/Chevy Chase hearing on Nov 20, 2008 9:12 am  (link)

I used to live up the street from there near Florida and, man, those old folks who live behind the Reeves Center KNOW how to organize and know how to complain. When developers tried to open a club next to the gas station, the oldsters came out in droves to protest, so he "retooled" the idea as a "restaurant" with hi-speed internet access and music in the evening, but no hiphop. And the oldsters got to use their computers for a couple hours a week.

within months, they were playing gogo and having fights outside the front door.

Ultimately, these folks don't care about cyclists or transit or cars. They're against anything that makes NOISE and disturbs them while they're watching Wheel of Fortune.

by monkeyrotica in This alternative is technically impossible because neighbors would complain on Nov 20, 2008 8:36 am  (link)

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