These data debunk the "they move to a big house in the suburbs when they have kids" theme we keep hearing. People are moving from DC to inner suburbs that have lots of apartment buildings and houses with smaller lots. But for outer suburbs, the population flow is in the opposite direction.

From Anne Arundel County - 539 moved into DC, 343 moved out.
Prince William - 373 into DC, 175 out.
Frederick County MD - 161 into DC, 64 out.
Loudoun County - 108 into DC, 117 out.
Howard County - 255 into DC, 315 out.

by Ben Ross on Mar 31, 2012 12:15 pm • link • report

"Yet while the media hypes every bike crash, the far more common drivers hitting pedestrians remain traffic report footnotes."

Oh, so one San Francisco television reporter is now "the media."

There's little difference between that San Francisco television report and what you just wrote. Both were laughably hyperbolic.

The writers and commenters on this site scream bloody murder when all cyclists are painted with a broad brush as scofflaw menaces. Yet GGW writers love to paint everyone who doesn't agree with their worldview with a similarly broad brush. It doesn't help your cause.

by Anon on Mar 31, 2012 2:20 pm • link • report

@Anon
But they do hype every bike crash, and other accidents are relegated to, "A pedestrian accident on New York Avenue has traffic backed up on 395 this morning. Emergency vehicles are on the way. For WAMU, I'm Pat Rogan." "The stock market was down..."

In SF, meanwhile, a pedestrian was killed by a cyclist and it became national news. While the former isn't appropriate, neither is the latter. To put it another way: pedestrians being struck by any vehicle, whether bike or car, should be rare enough that they elicit both news coverage and revulsion without becoming national headlines.

by OctaviusIII on Mar 31, 2012 2:59 pm • link • report

From the article on buses:

but buses are key to improving mass transit.

____

I wish this blog would get on board. I'll know it if they do. Until now, nope. It's apps, tech and sparkly things.

Buses are the key.

by Jazzy on Mar 31, 2012 3:00 pm • link • report

There's a lot of Staten Island on Capitol Hill. Cruise at the speed limit on Hill streets. Count the seconds before you hear a horn or are flanked and buzzed by an anxious passer, regardless of whether it's a single lane. Personal fave is passers at intersections with green lights and racing to the next red one.

by Read Scott Martin on Mar 31, 2012 4:51 pm • link • report

Jazzy offers fair criticism, (I think). ;) (GGW inside joke)

The piece on buses offers a in interesting fresh perspective on bus commutes. It's hard to imagine the attitudinal shift that would make buses the preferred, upscale mode of travel, as they can be in Mexico City. It's a bit overstated, but there is some truth to it. Subways in Mexico are massively overcrowded -- picture sardines. So, getting to sit on a bus and watch the city pass by has its appeal. In these wireless connected days, it beats the subway in other ways, too.

If you can keep buses from getting stuck in traffic -- without losing on-street parking -- then, you've got something. If you can offer air-conditioning in the summer, then you've REALLY got something.

by Fischy (Ed F.) on Mar 31, 2012 5:01 pm • link • report

The Circlators are buses and heavily used on the routes I ride them, The key is the frequency . You know if you just miss one another is coming in 15 minutes unless there is some hyge traffic foul up.

by danmac on Mar 31, 2012 5:22 pm • link • report

AC is "offered" during the summer. It's "offered" now. Do you ride?? Buses are notorious iceboxes. Way overcooled, which just makes many people expect frigider and frigider a/c, and thus a cycle is started.

I don't get the inside joke, but it's ok.

by Jazzy on Mar 31, 2012 7:16 pm • link • report

These data debunk the "they move to a big house in the suburbs when they have kids" theme we keep hearing.

Actually, the data say no such thing. It's entirely possibly that the people moving into the city are childless and the people moving out of the city have children reaching school age. All the data say is that more people are moving from the suburbs to the city than the other way around. It says nothing about who those people are or why they are moving. My guess is they are moving to the city to be closer to jobs/entertainment/culture and moving to the burbs for schools/kids.

by Falls Church on Apr 1, 2012 12:06 am • link • report

People are moving from DC to inner suburbs

And, it appears that people then move from the inner burbs to the middle ring then to the outer burbs.

DC -> Arlington 3384
Arlington -> DC 1977

Arlington -> Fairfax 7562
Fairfax -> Arlington 3,927

Fairfax -> Loudoun 7159
Loudoun -> Fairfax 3542

fairfax -> prince william 6942
prince william -> fairfax 4843

by Falls Church on Apr 1, 2012 12:15 am • link • report

Count me as someone who always loves riding the bus.

by Canaan on Apr 1, 2012 12:30 am • link • report

I didn't check the site late enough in the morning yesterday to see this post. When I saw it today, I thought half of the descriptions were jokes. I don't know where to begin.

by selxic on Apr 1, 2012 7:38 pm • link • report