A spiral escalator? What's that? Could we have one of those all the time? Sounds fun, although perhaps a little dizzying.

by Phil LaCombe on Sep 9, 2011 9:32 am • link • report

The Obama flim-flam plan for infrastructure is worthless and not paid for despite his claims. (We all know how quickly his 'paid for' claims about healthcare went out the window.)

Infrastructure should not be centered on Federal construction...that's just a waste of money and a free ride for unions. The conservative plan is returning money to the states and localities to allow for priorities being met that are most needed.

The President's plan of up-dating schools, without even identifying where they are, is shameless pandering. (Pass my bill and then we'll tell you.) We don't even know if the schools he wants to 'up-date' are ones the localities intend to keep open. This reminds me of his plan for high speed rail which DID NOT take into account current high speed rail plans under study in several states. He ignored those and just did an overlay of existing AMTRAK routes. That's lazy and unimaginative.

Same with bike and pedestrian trails or light rail...good things all. However, it's the localities that know best how to utilize funds.

by Pelham1861 on Sep 9, 2011 10:21 am • link • report

Oh no, I hope the renovations to Constitution Gardens are not extensive and are done very gently! The area is home to a plethora of wildlife, perhaps even more bird species than Rock Creek Park. I've photographed Great Blue Herons, Night Herons, a Cooper's Hawk, Yellow Warbler, Red-winged Blackbirds, Kingbirds, cardinals, blue jays, crows, geese, ducks, seagulls and other birds there myself. They're all dependent on the lake, which I hope they will take into account when planning these renovations.

by MrTinDC on Sep 9, 2011 10:45 am • link • report

The bus arrival signs at the Pentagon, like Next bus info via phone is NOT actual arrival info - its SCHEDULE info. At the Pentagon it is totally unreliable for actual arrival - at best it gives you a general idea (which is of SOME value of course, esp to new riders on a given line).

by AWalkerInTheCity on Sep 9, 2011 10:48 am • link • report

@Pelham1861: Couldn't agree more.

I'm in favor of as much transportation planning as the next guy, but I REALLY think that it should be left in the hands of localities to do the gruntwork and planning. They, more than the federal government, know what it is they want and need.

by Ser Amantio di Nicolao on Sep 9, 2011 11:03 am • link • report

The conservative plan is returning money to the states and localities to allow for priorities being met that are most needed.

Really? Or is the conservative/republican plan to not have any additional spending at all? The two biggest components of the 2009 stimulus bill were tax cuts ($288B) and money to states/localities ($144B) yet the conservatives hated that bill.

Unemployment in the construction industry is much higher than in other sectors, so it makes a lot of sense to employ those people in building something useful, rather than having them sitting around doing nothing. If wealthy folks like bankers have to pay a little more of their bonuses in taxes to get construction workers employed, so be it. They are the ones who profited from the economic conditions that led to construction workers losing their jobs in the first place.

by Falls Church on Sep 9, 2011 11:13 am • link • report

I can't wait to see a spiral escalator!

by ksu499 on Sep 9, 2011 11:13 am • link • report

If his speech specifically called for an infrastructure bank then doesn't mean that the localities are the ones doing the planning and merely using the Federal gov't for the financing? What am I missing as someone who only heard snippets of his speech and none of those talked about infrastructure.

by Canaan on Sep 9, 2011 11:17 am • link • report

Pelham1861:

"The Obama flim-flam plan for infrastructure is worthless and not paid for despite his claims. (We all know how quickly his 'paid for' claims about healthcare went out the window.)"

Interesting the Greedy Old Party isn't demanding this for the trillions of dollars of spending on the endless Iraq/Afghanistan tribal feuds or the tens of billions of dollars of tax loopholes for hedge-fund managers or oil company executives. Nor did they demand this for the $600B unfunded perscription drug bill under our previous president.

by Ben on Sep 9, 2011 11:50 am • link • report

When the fed govt hands transport $$ to the states by formula, the conservatives complain theres no cost benefit test. When the fed govt hands transport $$ to the states by project, with cost benefit and other criteria, they complain its not proper federalism. Get real. They dont want any stimulus at all. The people blame Obama if UE stays high. The incentives are what they are.

by KeynsianDude on Sep 9, 2011 11:53 am • link • report

Ben - The wars you speak of (which may have cost trillions but did bring freedom and medical care to children and millions of others. You are right...every dollar should be accounted for. Perhaps it has been which is why President Obama has kept the wars going, the Democratic Senate & House majorities, all veto proof, did nothing about Hedge Fund Managers (who give more $$ to Democrats than Republicans according to FEC Reports)and did not do away with that wrong headed drug prescription bill. Like you, I hate waste but the President had a chance to end it and didn't...so why trust him now with more spending?

by Pelham1861 on Sep 9, 2011 12:08 pm • link • report

Falls Church: You may be right in your question...perhaps the GOP plan is to have no funding at all. Who knows? However, that is their governing philosophy now...less spending to get the deficits down and support for small business and having states and localities spend their own money where its best needed. The job losses in the construction industry are largely due to the housing/mortgage crisis. Rampant and unsupervised federal stimulus spending has done nothing for this sector yet...so i'd suggest Obama is on the wrong track here.

by Pelham1861 on Sep 9, 2011 12:12 pm • link • report

If his speech specifically called for an infrastructure bank then doesn't mean that the localities are the ones doing the planning and merely using the Federal gov't for the financing? What am I missing as someone who only heard snippets of his speech and none of those talked about infrastructure.

by Canaan

>>> My understanding of the Infrastructure Bank as envisioned by our President is to have unionized Federal bureaucrats make decisions based on localities meeting Federal guidelines. Seems a bit absurd in that if you gave the localities the money they know best had to spend it without another big expensive bureaucracy here in Washington.

by Pelham1861 on Sep 9, 2011 12:15 pm • link • report

@Pelhan1861:

If this absolutely absurd. Are you really suggesting that we sacrificed 5,000 American lives, perhaps 200,000 Iraqi lives, and spent $2 trillion to bring health-care to children 6,000 miles away? You really thing this when RepuB(P)licans complain about one cent being spent on healthcare for children here in the US?

by Ben on Sep 9, 2011 12:21 pm • link • report

I couldn't agree more with Mr. T in DC--there isn't much about Constitution Gardens that needs fixing, and I hope the "renovation" doesn't inconvenience either the human or the animal visitors too much!

by sb on Sep 9, 2011 12:28 pm • link • report

[This is] absolutely absurd.

The modern GOP is a symbiotic relationship between hucksters and rubes. The latter votes for the former, and the former tells the latter what they need to hear. Most of the adults left the party several years ago.

by oboe on Sep 9, 2011 12:50 pm • link • report

@ Pelham1861:We all know how quickly his 'paid for' claims about healthcare went out the window

Really? I have not seen that. As far as I know the federal budget folks maintain that Obamacare will result in significant savings for everyone, including the feds.

Constitution Gardens

No need to change this beautiful part of the Mall. It is a fantastic oasis of quietness on the Mall. Union Square is fine as well.

by Jasper on Sep 9, 2011 1:30 pm • link • report

@ksu499 (and really, to correct the original post) There *are* such things as Spiral Escalators (Google images has lots), but the source article says its a Spiral *Staircase* that's going into the vent shaft at Dupont.

by Kevin C on Sep 9, 2011 1:38 pm • link • report

"My understanding of the Infrastructure Bank as envisioned by our President is to have unionized Federal bureaucrats make decisions based on localities meeting Federal guidelines. Seems a bit absurd in that if you gave the localities the money they know best had to spend it without another big expensive bureaucracy here in Washington"

Federal Bureucrats in those kinds of jobs are almost NEVER unionized. Very few white collar fed workers belong to unions.

As for guidelines, of course. Why shouldnt federal money go for projects with, you know, documented benefits? Transportation projects impact ACROSS state lines, and many benefits of doing them, including reducing emissions, decreasing dependency on imported fuel, improving export competiveness, are NATIONAL goals.

The importance of NATIONAL input into infrastructure has been recognized since the time of John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay.

by corrector of facts on Sep 9, 2011 3:10 pm • link • report

The "spiral escalator" bit is a typo. It is a spiral *staircase*, per the WaPo article.

by Tom on Sep 9, 2011 3:16 pm • link • report

It will be interesting to see how WMATA manages to fit the stairs in the vent shaft. There is no room at track level for stairs up to the vent shaft plenum opening without making modifications to the tunnel. The vent shaft is only accessible from the mezzanine level ancillary area. At the top of the shaft there is a landing just below the surface that will require separate staircase to reach the surface. The Q Street vent shaft is configured in much the same way.

by Sand Box John on Sep 11, 2011 2:30 am • link • report

Any info about when Ride On is getting real-time arrival notifications?

by Roger on Sep 11, 2011 6:10 pm • link • report