Recent Comments

I thought it was because we already have dozens of DC government programs (funded with tens of millions of dollars per year) doing exactly that. As we should.

Slow day for me but I didn't get this either?

http://housingforallblog.org/2012/05/big-housing-wins-in-todays-budget/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-council-revises-gray-budget-restores-human-services-funds/2012/05/15/gIQAoNp1RU_story.html

by oboe in Support a growing city and join Pro-DC on May 16, 2012 3:12 pm

If you see something, say something. If you see a person in need of a priority seat get on a bus/train and you see someone who might not be as deserving occupying the seat, say something. Melissa, did you just get up and walk away from your seat without nodding to the person on crutches for whom you were abdicating it? Perhaps letting others around know for whom you were leaving the seat?

Don't assume people will be considerate. Transit riders are in "the zone" and not paying attention. But you always have the right to help any other person in need, even if you don't have a seat to give up.

by MDE in Give up your seat on the bus or train to those in need on May 16, 2012 3:08 pm

I basically agree with Cavan,

The county should have some impetus to provide space (both display and creation) for artists of all mediums. When it comes to housing then Montgomery County should focus on solid urban design principles rather that will contribute to silver spring as a whole rather than a particular profession. So put in arts spaces but put it in a bigger context.

The county should also look at providing more arts spaces in its existing facilities as well. That means making it easier to book shows (going back to the DIY-punk article) rather than having to go through a lot more hoops.

by X in Would a Silver Spring arts center work? on May 16, 2012 2:52 pm

@Cavan

I agree that there's an unmet need for housing in Silver Spring, and I'm frustrated when neighbors (including many who signed the petition for the Station Arts Center) insist that there's "enough" housing in the area. And I'd personally be fine with regular, market-rate housing at the police station site, but I wanted to explore what it would take to make an arts scene as well.

I wouldn't downplay the relevance of arts in a community. What sets Silver Spring and Takoma Park from Bethesda (in my opinion) is what I call "user-generated culture." Silver Spring is a destination for skateboarders. There's a culture of house shows, both from folk musicians and punks. I don't know as much about the visual arts, which seem to cluster along Route 1 in Prince George's. But I do think these kind of activities should be encouraged. They create local culture, support the local economy, and provide a draw for people who might then choose to live/shop/work here as well.

Whether they need government subsidies is up for debate, of course. Many venues do exist without them.

by dan reed! in Would a Silver Spring arts center work? on May 16, 2012 2:48 pm

Hah, Catherine, I also park at the same tiny bike rack on Commonwealth! (When CaBi arrives, though, I might just use that as I do on the DC end of my commute.) I'd appreciate some way to keep the birds away, ahem.

As Matt mentions in the post, Metro's bike-parking goal is to triple the number of people like you and me who bike to Metro. They can't do that by reducing the number of parking spots, either paid or unpaid. At King Street, there will soon be more space for Metro riders of all sorts when those few *car* parking spaces go away as part of the Kiss & Ride redesign.

by Payton in Metro tests secure parking with new "bike and ride" on May 16, 2012 2:47 pm

Presumably someone who's been here for 20-30 years is older than I am.

Insert large question mark.

But seriously, are you joking???

by Jazzy in Support a growing city and join Pro-DC on May 16, 2012 2:44 pm

I suspect the data points would look very similar at each educational level (graduate degree or no, high school diploma or no). Effective literacy would also probably track similarly.

by Dizzy in "Degree density" maps show region's east-west divide on May 16, 2012 2:41 pm

neat graphs, but I'm unclear how they relate to your observations on race and education?

by grumpy in "Degree density" maps show region's east-west divide on May 16, 2012 2:26 pm

Ugh, I'm going to be harsh because it needs to be said... This entire proposal seems like long-time residents trying to recreate a youth that never existed.

I don't see what's so wonderful about some sort of arts district that makes it worth county subsidies, rather than using those subsidies for redeveloping Wheaton, White Oak, or to build more housing in Silver Spring.

"My neighbors ... bought their houses cheap" decades ago, says Roper. "They're looking for studio space."

This statement is extremely damning. It implies that Ms. Roper is very, very out of touch with how tough it is to be able to afford to pay rent on what is supposed to be a middle class salary in downtown Silver Spring. It reads like, "I have mine and now I want you to subsidize my hobby too! Never mind that you can't afford to pay rent simply because of when you were born."

I know that's not what she means but this entire idea is just poorly informed, impractical, and wishful thinking. Artist communities are good. However, they're not worth the subsidies and the opportunity costs such needing to relocate the police station, not being able to fund housing for non-artists, not being able to fund other revitalization initiatives.

by Cavan in Would a Silver Spring arts center work? on May 16, 2012 2:25 pm

Looks to me like the highest concentrations of blue dots pretty reliably follow the metro lines, at least to the west side, and most all of the Red line.

by G in "Degree density" maps show region's east-west divide on May 16, 2012 2:19 pm

The reason New Urbanists are closely associated with suburban development interests versus urban interests is the availability of large peices of land in the suburbs and the ability to re-write the zoning and codes that are responsible for urban sprawl. Also, the idea of influencing the builders of this sprawl has had it's advantages. The idea of the New Urbanists wanting to force everyone through their prism is usually promulgated by those with a similarly myopic view point. Like anything, take what you like and dump the rest. As for Kuntsler, he's gotten a bit deep into his end of the world/peak oil jag, but he'll always be looked at kindly for opening the eyes of those not conversant with these issues.

I've always had an issue with the term New Urbanists as if it's all about a marketing gimick, but again, that was a pragmatic view towards gaining a market share from an industry averse to change that was/is destroying our environment. To me what they and others do is urbanism, period.

by Thayer-D in Breakfast links: A new era in Ward 5 on May 16, 2012 2:19 pm

I recently became a member at Bikestation at Union Station. Bikestation seems to be working quite well. In terms of security, the double decker racks there do have posts for you to lock your bike to, and there are employees in the mini bike store next door. And I think there are cameras. You need a key fob to get in. That seems like a sufficient level of security.

It would be great to see something like this at Gallery Place and Metro Center so people could park their bikes on the way in from work - I don't have this problem as my workplace has basement parking. People should definitely lobby their employers (who should lobby building managers). I've got by with just a wipe down with a towel in summer, when I was cycling to Dupont from Alexandria, so people may be able to get by without shower facilities.

by Weiwen Ng in Metro tests secure parking with new "bike and ride" on May 16, 2012 2:18 pm

Since we're talking MoCo and all redevelopment requires a set % of the land to be devoted to public use, maybe the county could set up a RFP for the site that requires the public amenity to be artist work space? No dumb pocket park as the public amenity, work space available for the artists that live in the surrounding residential areas, site redevelopment that adds property taxes to the county's coffers, the addition of much needed housing stock to combat rising rents, and hopefully an impetus for neighboring redevelopments to get off the shelf.

by jag in Would a Silver Spring arts center work? on May 16, 2012 2:13 pm

Phase 1 of the Silver Line was bid without a PLA incentive in the RFP. Phase 2 should be bid under the same terms as Phase 1. It isn't reasonable to change the ground rules part way through the project.

The comments about Hampton Roads are mis-leading at best. The top priority for Hampton Roads is another bridge-tunnel -- which can not be built for the money being spent on US-460. There are clear economic reasons for the VPA to upgrade US-460 as that is a current bottleneck for container traffic to/from the port. Clearing the bottleneck will enhance VPA competitiveness compared with other US east coast ports.

by Anonymous Coward in McDonnell's roadblocks threaten Silver Line's phase 2 on May 16, 2012 2:12 pm

Bill, I'm specifically referring to the following:

These changes will help older residents age in place, help newer residents afford to live and stay in DC, encourage more retail, and make streets safer.

Perhaps we're arguing over poor verbiage. I interpret "older residents" as seniors since the next portion of the sentence is allowing them to "age in place." That's a strange choice of words if it's meant to include a 20-something who has been in the city their entire life.

I'm not opposed to making the city better or even updating zoning codes, but whether by oversight or omission the post did not include residents who are not new to DC or families. Those are the groups likely affected the most by changes and the groups that have the greatest fears (affordability, displacement, services, etc.). Those groups should explicitly be mentioned if the hope and intent is to move people to support.

by selxic in Support a growing city and join Pro-DC on May 16, 2012 2:09 pm

I don't think many people would be surprised by these findings but what's the takeaway?

by HogWash in "Degree density" maps show region's east-west divide on May 16, 2012 2:09 pm

A look at the map shows a lot of the area around College Park is not residential. It's parks, golf course, Agriculural Reserve, etc.

by Crickey7 in "Degree density" maps show region's east-west divide on May 16, 2012 2:08 pm

Jasper, I didn't know you were Dutch? Do you come to the DC Dutch Events?

www.dcdutch.org

by Erik Bootsma in Breakfast links: A new era in Ward 5 on May 16, 2012 2:04 pm

This data is especially interesting considering that one of the region's largest (and increasingly sought-after) universities, the University of Maryland, has very few blue dots around it. (At least, I think it does. It's kind of hard to tell where things are without any streets.) Making College Park a bigger draw for recent grads and faculty, many of whom don't live nearby, would help reduce the east-west divide.

by dan reed! in "Degree density" maps show region's east-west divide on May 16, 2012 2:01 pm

I would give people with disabilities priority on a elevator, but folks with a stroller or a bike can wait for the next elevator, just like the rest of us.

This is what you're actually saying:

I would give people with disabilities priority on a elevator, but folks with a stroller or a bike have to wait for the next elevator, unlike the rest of us, since we can take the escalator.

by David C in Give up your seat on the bus or train to those in need on May 16, 2012 2:01 pm

I thought it was because we already have dozens of DC government programs (funded with tens of millions of dollars per year) doing exactly that. As we should.

Slow day for me but I didn't get this either?

by HogWash in Support a growing city and join Pro-DC on May 16, 2012 1:57 pm

Neil,

I'm surprised he mentioned that the bust hurt the New Urbanists hard. Does he have particular proof that it's worse than the rest of the APEC professions, or is that a tacit admission that the CNU aligned itself too closely to suburban developers?

Check out the videos here:

http://placeshakers.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/this-just-in-from-cnu20/

Particularly the professionally made ones - the first one, entitled "New Urbanist Confessions" - there are several confessions of just that - too closely aligning with suburban development interests.

http://vimeo.com/42041786

As for Kunstler, that type of verbal bombast is just his style. It can somewhat entertaining in person, despite what I think are some serious analytical shortcomings of his work.

That said, Geography of Nowhere is still a great book.

by Alex B. in Breakfast links: A new era in Ward 5 on May 16, 2012 1:55 pm

JustMe, that's all good and true if the post was referring to "older" as relative to "newer residents," but I doubt you believe the post was not referring to the age of the resident.

People get older as they age. I'm almost 40, and I've lived in DC for 5 years. Presumably someone who's been here for 20-30 years is older than I am.

Unless you want everyone who's been here 10-15 years to receive the benefit of some kind of polocy to ensure they can stay.

by JustMe in Support a growing city and join Pro-DC on May 16, 2012 1:52 pm

@dan
I understand that, I guess my takeaway from the article comes back to

a. what's the best use for the land? Not just for a particular communnity.

b. what makes a successful arts district?

Ideally there is something that can be done the allows for both.

What Ms. Roper said though is that she wants a community of artists and that would be the condition for a denser design for residential. I'd be more comfortable with the gov't providing for a well designed neighborhood first and then looking at how to attract artists. Make the artist spaces fit within a larger framework rather than the other way around.

note: and none of this could necessarily involve any tear downs of the existing space. But this is also a great opportunity to enhance the other aspects of fenton street as well.

by X in Would a Silver Spring arts center work? on May 16, 2012 1:49 pm

I'm sorry - the Wilson Bridge had a PLA? Last I checked the mandated PLA was removed from that job and the cost savings were enormous. It went from one bidder to many.

Along the same lines, Phase 1 of Dulles Rail had a voluntary PLA. That is quite a different situation. Nobody has a problem with voluntary PLAs.

What 97% of Virginia's construction workforce does have a problem with is being discriminated against by a PLA preference policy. Good for our Governor for standing up for his own state's workers and taxpayers!

by Hard Hat Mommy in McDonnell's roadblocks threaten Silver Line's phase 2 on May 16, 2012 1:48 pm

@Neil Flanagan -- I also noted the point about how the bust had hurt New Urbanists. It really stood out as a totally unsupported, sweeping pronouncement in a verbal salad of unsupported pronouncements and lots and lots of potent adjectives. I tried to make a snarky point with my own over-the-top observation, but that was probably self-defeating. Perhaps Kunstler has written other things that are worth reading. I'll have to check out what he's written, so thanks for the info. But, this piece was not very valuable.

by Fischy (Ed F.) in Breakfast links: A new era in Ward 5 on May 16, 2012 1:27 pm

@ AWalkerinTheCity:wait isnt jasper from one of those euro countries with mandatory voting and high turnout?

Nup. I think only Belgium and Greece have mandatory voting. The Netherlands does not.

We do have high(er) voter turnout (than the US). One of the reasons is that politicians actually try to convince voters to actually vote. It's rather customary for the out-going PM to call on election day for everybody to vote, even if not for him or his party. Also, there is no such thing as voter registration. As an adult citizen, you are entitled to vote and will get a voting card. That's a positive effect of the citizen's registry that Napoleon started when he was in charge.

Voting turnout varies. About 50% for EU elections, a bit higher for local, and 70-80% for national elections.

I'd favor a system anywhere where seat stay empty if people don't vote. In proportional elections, you could fill the turnout percentage of seats. In district elections, you could require that at least 50% of eligible voters show up. That way absent voters get a say too.

@ JustMe:And whose fault is that

I am not interested in fault or blame. Just in the result: an election that is not democratic by lack of the demos/people.

by Jasper in Breakfast links: A new era in Ward 5 on May 16, 2012 1:25 pm

I think one of the reasons I voted (outside of civic duty etc etc) was so that when Bowser did something I didn't like, I could legitimately say "hey, I didn't vote for her!"

by Kyle W in Breakfast links: A new era in Ward 5 on May 16, 2012 1:20 pm

The Gateway arts areaway a great idea because they took empty car dealerships in a greatly underutilized area and made it a nice place to live and visit.

The police station is in an area that doesn't need forced development concepts. There is strong demand for housing and it shouldn't be limited to artists. There are plenty of other working class people (like teachers and civil servants) would need more diverse housing options in MoCo.

by Brian in Would a Silver Spring arts center work? on May 16, 2012 1:09 pm

@Dan

You're probably right, but I doubt the county will see the distinction you do w/Pyramid focusing on paper. W/the county giving the basement and first two floors of the new library to Pyramid I'm sure they'll (rightly or wrongly) view that as a more than generous subsidy of the art community for the foreseeable future. The county might very well be open to leasing the current building for this purpose in the short term, but can't imagine they'd be open to considering any substantial $$ subsidy for an arts center or artist housing+workspace. Maybe I'm wrong, but I really can't envision any council or broad-based community support for the idea.

by jag in Would a Silver Spring arts center work? on May 16, 2012 1:09 pm

There's a notable group missing in this description... residents who have been here for years and want to stay in DC.

That's because this blog has written those people off as NIMBYs, oops, I mean "anti neighbor."

I thought it was because we already have dozens of DC government programs (funded with tens of millions of dollars per year) doing exactly that. As we should.

by oboe in Support a growing city and join Pro-DC on May 16, 2012 1:03 pm

Just raise the tolls on the Dulles Toll Road to $10 or $15. That should get some attention within the constituency.

by Jack Love in Anti-transit ideology endangers Silver Line on May 16, 2012 1:03 pm

Well, then I'm baffled about what the post could've possibly said that would've made you happy. It's almost like the words "everyone" and "all" are offensive to you because you want to explicitly exclude certain people.

by bill in Support a growing city and join Pro-DC on May 16, 2012 1:01 pm

"When I am in the right hand traffic lane, and there is no bike lane, I really do not tend to look to my right when pulling way from a stop sign or intersection. Several times I have been startled to start such a turn only to find a cyclist moving at speed on my right-hand side. My plea to cyclists is, “Please don’t pass on the right just because you can. Remember that drivers do not expect moving traffic where there is no lane.”"

This is by far the most frequent cause of car-bike crashes. It's not just a matter of passing on the right because the cyclist "can" - the far right side of the right lane may be the only place the cyclist can travel. If it's a busy road, the cyclist will be pushed to the right to stay clear of the traffic flow.

With the start and stop on city streets, the cyclist quite often ends up on the right side of stopped traffic, or coming up on a line of cars that has just gotten the green light. The stopped motorist may be completely unaware of the two-wheel traffic on his right, yet that is legal and may be the most logical place to be.

Still, I have become extra-vigilant in these situations and generally handle it by trying to maneuver behind any cars, instead of to their right. When beyond the intersection, I go back to the right.

by Jack Love in Understanding can help cyclists, drivers better share the road on May 16, 2012 12:55 pm

I can't speak for Karen Roper, but my point is that if neighbors want to create an arts scene in Silver Spring, an area with high land values, they'll probably need some subsidies, otherwise it won't work.

@jag

Pyramid Atlantic focuses on paper, while Create Arts Center is for kids. And the Civic Building has been mostly given over to Round House Theatre and whoever can afford the steep rental fees and onerous county rules (which nearly killed Fenton Street Market last year). There is room for something like the Station Arts Center.

by dan reed! in Would a Silver Spring arts center work? on May 16, 2012 12:51 pm

"When you take that character away, you just have a bunch of crap next to each other."

LOL, indeed. I'm not too familiar w/the availability of art space in DTSS, but doesn't Pyramid Atlantic+the new library (eventually)+the new civic center+the new arts center on Thayer (http://www.createartscenter.org/) cover the need? I guess not for everyone if this proposal exists, but by and large I've never really gotten the sense that there was a major lack of art space.

Ultimately, I feel like any re-purposing of the existing building is going to fall well short of the site's potential and (hopefully sooner rather than later) we'd see it fully redeveloped. Situating a couple of small new builds around this existing building is really, really ugly in my mind. Though maybe that's pessimistic of me and there's an architect out there that can pull it off.

by jag in Would a Silver Spring arts center work? on May 16, 2012 12:39 pm

@AVguy,

I understand that that is the concept but the practice may be different--at least at King Street, the station whose layout and parking I'm most familiar with. If they really move things around with the new kiss and ride design so that there really are more free racks available, great.

But the area you mention under King and Commonwealth--those areas already provide the rest of the existing parking (are you familiar with the station and its layout and parking areas at all?). I park on the rack that is on the corner of Commonwealth and Cameron, by the smaller entrance that has a station manager. There's simply not room for something that big there, it's a small corner and the inside part of the station is small as well and can't be blocked off because that's where the elevators are. The other area under the tracks that's on King itself currently houses I'd estimate 40% of the existing parking. So if it's inside the station like I think it will be,(50% of the existing parking) or on the King St entrance, either way you're replacing a significant portion of existing free parking with something "better" but that is unnecessary (the secure part, not the more parking part) and not free.

Braddock Road station, by the way, could REALLY use the extra spots. King Street station parking is difficult but you can usually find a open space or at least a nearby sign or rail to lock up. Braddock--not so much. You should see the place during the day. And I'm pretty sure that there's a large amount of interior space there that's not being used for bike parking currently (I have not used the Braddock Road station in a while, however, so I could be wrong). Seems like a better candidate to me--higher need, and the likely area for more (and paid) parking is not already being used.

by Catherine in Metro tests secure parking with new "bike and ride" on May 16, 2012 12:38 pm

On the speed camera...I applaud citizen actions against ever encroaching government surveillance. We need to draw the line somewhere...drones, speed cameras, security cameras everywhere, NSA reading our emails. When do we fight back? by Redline SOS

Wait, aren't you the same government lawyer who repeatedly exhorts the government to provide "affordable housing" for government workers? Glad to see you're . . . flexible as to the proper extent of government involvement. Subsidizing private housing - yes. Public safety - no.

by dcd in Breakfast links: A new era in Ward 5 on May 16, 2012 12:32 pm

since it was about older residents aging in place, whom else would it refer to?

55 YO empty nesters from the suburbs, new to DC, who need help to stay in their empty nesting spot? That seems a fairly tortured reading.

Im pretty sure the vast majority of elderly in DC are long time residents.

by AWalkerInTheCity in Support a growing city and join Pro-DC on May 16, 2012 12:31 pm

So am I correct in reading that Ms. Roper only wants housing (or denser housing) around the arts space if the residents are also artists? I understand that its cool to live in a community that feels a little more bohemian but I don't see how government housing policy is the best way to create that.

This strikes me as a bit unfair, I'm fine with providing housing on income limits but by profession? I could use some studio space as well even though I work in an office and my interest in the arts remains technically a hobby. Why is this the best way to promote the arts?

Again, why does it seem to be like there should be studio space with the site as-is or to completely ignore that and just build housing. We can't we figure out a why to provide a mixed-use neighborhood with a special place for people who can use the studio?

by X in Would a Silver Spring arts center work? on May 16, 2012 12:31 pm

There's a notable group missing in this description... residents who have been here for years and want to stay in DC.
by selxic on May 16, 2012 10:48 am

That's because this blog has written those people off as NIMBYs, oops, I mean "anti neighbor."

by Jazzy in Support a growing city and join Pro-DC on May 16, 2012 12:30 pm

he's also provided lots of ammo for folks claiming new urbanism is a war on the suburbs, on the auto, is extreme, intolerant, etc, etc, etc.

poor old DPZ, CONU, and all the other "moderate" urbanists get tarred with the same brush.

by AWalkerInTheCity in Breakfast links: A new era in Ward 5 on May 16, 2012 12:28 pm

@DavidC, re: who should take the elevator,

I was on a packed elevator when a man in a wheelchair rolled up. When people offered to get off so that he could get on, he declined, saying, "Equal access, not preferential treatment."

I would give people with disabilities priority on a elevator, but folks with a stroller or a bike can wait for the next elevator, just like the rest of us.

by SoupySales in Give up your seat on the bus or train to those in need on May 16, 2012 12:25 pm

@Fischy: The author of the New Urbanist piece, James Howard Kunstler, can be a bit of a kook, but through his widely read books The Geography of Nowhere and Home from Nowhere he has done as much as anyone to bring the evils of sprawl and the ideas of the New Urbanist movement to the general public's attention.

by jimble in Breakfast links: A new era in Ward 5 on May 16, 2012 12:08 pm

@Catherine: The concept for these Bike & Rides is to expand upon existing bike parking - not to replace existing racks. It seems likely that with the expansion, more racks will become available as some percentage of cyclists switch from racks to the Bike & Ride. Metro is in the midst of an aggressive plan to expand bike parking across the system, so more racks may also be in the works.

At King St, the location of the Bike & Ride is likely going to be incorporated into the new kiss & ride design, or possibly will be placed in the area under the tracks between King St and Commonwealth Ave.

by AVguy in Metro tests secure parking with new "bike and ride" on May 16, 2012 12:05 pm

JustMe, that's all good and true if the post was referring to "older" as relative to "newer residents," but I doubt you believe the post was not referring to the age of the resident.

by selxic in Support a growing city and join Pro-DC on May 16, 2012 12:04 pm

If drivers hadn't spent the last 60 years agitating to cram everyone not in a car onto the limited sliver of space next to the roadways, such conflicts would be even rarer.

Laws that make it easy for cyclists to ride in the street benefit pedestrians as much as they do cyclists. Of course, many people want cyclists on the sidewalk when they're behind the wheel of their car, and want them on the street when they're on foot.

by oboe in Understanding can help cyclists, drivers better share the road on May 16, 2012 12:02 pm

Fischy: Kunstler is one of the duller and more self-important knives in the drawer - with some serious prejudices. But if you run it through a Hemingwizer, you'll find some interesting issues to discuss.

by Neil Flanagan in Breakfast links: A new era in Ward 5 on May 16, 2012 11:55 am

The critique was almost entirely about the fractured vote totals.

You're right.

One last thing: if the most egregious demagogue in the race, Mr Wilds, had been competing for votes against two or three other demagogues, and between them they had significantly more votes than the winner, I think Wilds sympathizers would have a valid complaint. That was the basis of the complaints after Orange won.

Don't understand this one.

by HogWash in Breakfast links: A new era in Ward 5 on May 16, 2012 11:49 am

"excercising due care"... you mean like following the law?

No, these two things are not the same at all.

Stop signs are not optional. Red lights mean stop. Due care is easy, if you follow the law.

Au contraire; stop signs are optional. Haven't you noticed? No one stops for them unless there's a conflict.

And you can be within the law, and still not exercise due care. For example, whatever the law says, a person can drive the speed limit and still be reckless, say if children are playing.

At a certain point, a proliferation of laws absolve us from responsible behavior.

by oboe in Understanding can help cyclists, drivers better share the road on May 16, 2012 11:44 am

« Page 1 | Page 3 »