We're still waiting nearly halfway through 2012 for the report on 2011 performance parking in the ballpark area.

San Francisco has changed their parking meter rates six times so far. I can't tell whether DC has changed them in reaction to measured demand even once.

Performance parking is a policy we need, I just don't think any of the pilot areas have demonstrated anything so far.

by Michael Perkins on May 4, 2012 8:54 am • link • report

How much does DC spend on UDC per year? And isn't it time to start (or continue, I guess) seriously talking about whether continuing to throw dollars at it makes sense for the city?

by dcd on May 4, 2012 9:19 am • link • report

The DePillis article on Sessoms highlights the difficulty he will face getting the institution away from its heavy labor costs in order to get more political support and attendance. Hopefully he won't follow Rhee's path too closely and leave because of the difficult situation.

by DCster on May 4, 2012 9:40 am • link • report

Harry Thomas, Jr. will serve 38 months in prison

The good news being that he was actually convicted, AND that DC now only has one former council member in jail, as opposed to Illinois where the last four (!) governors are in jail... Ahem.

UDC struggles with low enrollment, high costs, minimal DC Council support, and a president with a big vision but without the political savvy to win any battles.

This goes for ALL Greater Washington area universities.

Cairo's subway trains keep running every 4 minutes

Wait, what? Cairo's metro runs every four minutes, and is building a 4th line without problems, while we can't decide whether Phase II of the Silver Line is a good idea?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_Metro

Wow. Greater Washington is now less decisive than a civil-war ridden city in a development. Score none for democracy.

by Jasper on May 4, 2012 10:06 am • link • report

...in a development country.

by Jasper on May 4, 2012 10:09 am • link • report

Instead of a UDC it would be nice if DC had reciprocity for residents to get in-state tuition in Maryland or Virginia...

That would probably be a way better investment for the city than UDC.

by MLD on May 4, 2012 10:26 am • link • report

"UDC struggles with low enrollment, high costs, minimal DC Council support, and a president with a big vision but without the political savvy to win any battles.

This goes for ALL Greater Washington area universities."

George Mason struggles with low enrollment and minimal DC Council support? Hmm?

by AWalkerInTheCity on May 4, 2012 10:28 am • link • report

@MLD - I believe that DC residents already get in-state tuition at any state college or university in the country.

by Laura on May 4, 2012 10:32 am • link • report

AWalkerInTheCity:George Mason struggles with low enrollment and minimal DC Council support? Hmm?

GMU would very much like to expand, and struggles on local issues with Fairfax (City and County). On a state level, UVA and VTech fear competition from GMU and do everything to curb growth.

So, yeah. GMU would like to grow and struggles with minimal government support.

by Jasper on May 4, 2012 10:40 am • link • report

@Laura,

Sort of. The tuition assistance program provides up to $10K per year for 5 years for undergrad only to cover the difference between out of state and in state. You also have to be 24 or under and it doesn't apply to grad school.

Good program but I know many people who move out of DC just for in-state tuition for grad school.

by MLD on May 4, 2012 10:44 am • link • report

@MLD/@Laura - They get "in state" tution rates via a grant program that makes up the difference.

As per the DC CAP page: http://www.dccap.org/financial/dc_programs.shtml

D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant (DC TAG) Program
Two options:

Public College Option for Undergraduate Students: Provides up to $10,000 per year for five years. Funds the financial difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition at participating public colleges throughout the United States.

Private College Option: Provides up to $2,500 per year for up to five years toward tuition costs at D.C.-area private colleges (includes D.C., Prince George's, Montgomery, Arlington and Fairfax counties, the City of Alexandria). Provides up to $2,500 per year for all private historically black colleges and universities in the United States.

by Thaps on May 4, 2012 10:46 am • link • report

Oh, well apparently we've all got that one answered :)

by Thaps on May 4, 2012 10:48 am • link • report

I agree on the performance parking. $2 an hour is insanely low in some of the most prime areas.

However, for example where I pick up bagels in the morning at Military and Georgia Ave, the meters are $.75c an hour, which is much to high. I am often the only car on the street, as people just park one street over where it is free. If the goal is to truly optimize use of parking, and have 80% or whatever of spots full, stretches like this are could come down to $.25c an hour and be more appropriate. It should go both ways.

by Kyle W on May 4, 2012 10:50 am • link • report

Laura - the tuition assistance program is for undergrads under the age of 24: http://osse.dc.gov/page/dctag-eligibility-criteria

And it is not really equivalent to in state tuition either though it could get close I suppose.

UDC really ought to concentrate on creating a first rate community college.

As in singular community college.

Instead they are off on this strange quest to create a community college campus/classroom space in every ward of the City as if DC is a large jurisdiction with poor transportation options for its residents which is just absurd.

Meanwhile the UDC campus is underutilized.

So the smart thing would be a great and cheap community college with the savings redirected towards a better out of state tuition program (and maybe "in state") for all DC residents so adults who want to go to grad school also have access to a more reasonably priced education.

I know the argument that some students can't afford room and board and need a local option for a 4 year university but with the money saved from rightsizing UDC I would imagine something could be sorted out with the many local 4 year universities to cover some of those costs and perhaps with a good community college some of these marginal students could actually improve and get into one of the many good local universities.

by TomQ on May 4, 2012 10:53 am • link • report

MLD,
Isn't reciprocity by definition a two-way exchange? If DC students were offered in-state rates, what would MD or VA students/taxpayers get in return?

Interesting article. I've still always believed UDC would probably best serve all parties by restructuring into a community college.

by spookiness on May 4, 2012 11:02 am • link • report

10k is not the full difference between instate and out of state, so if you are going to UVA its better to be from Arlington or Fairfax than from DC. OTOH having that benefit for ANY public U in the country is not a bad thing - I know of kids from NoVa at state schools in NC, Penn, Alabama, etc who would have benefited from living in DC, in that regard

by AWalkerInTheCity on May 4, 2012 11:03 am • link • report

@ spookiness:If DC students were offered in-state rates, what would MD or VA students/taxpayers get in return?

Not paying income tax earned in DC?

by Jasper on May 4, 2012 11:22 am • link • report

I agree that UDC should focus on consolidating its resources and facilities as best they can. It's probably been happening for some time, but anything that allows them to partner with the regional universities would be great and could help UDC become a high-quality community college.

NVCC sends a good number of students to GMU, JMU, VT, etc. after two years if the grades are decent with plenty of financial aid/grant programs, so it'd be great to see UDC become more respectable so people can use it as a stepping stone to bigger things.

by Vik on May 4, 2012 11:31 am • link • report

So Thomas stole $350K from a fund for childre and now there's another $230K missing froma fund for drug addicts?

My advice: look for city trust funds for blind babies, crippled elderly people, and the mentally incompetent. Thomas probably stole from all of them, as well.

by anon on May 4, 2012 12:17 pm • link • report

UDC has no clear mission, very few students, and little hope, outside of a massive bailout, of being solvent anytime soon.

So of course in the world of DC politics it is a "sacred cow" that can not be touched.

The community college is a good idea. UDC is a bad concept. Close the four year college, sell off the campus land at Van Ness, then use the money to add to the out-of state tuition grant. There are several public universities within a short distance (even by public transportation) of DC. UMD, Mason, Bowie State off the top of my head. There is no reason for DC to have its own, lesser, version of these schools.

by dcrepublican on May 4, 2012 1:26 pm • link • report

Is there a logical successor to 14th street for the small businesses and more downscale restaurants that can no longer afford rents there? 7th? Florida Ave?

by watcher on May 4, 2012 1:34 pm • link • report

@watcher
Nowhere is as central or well traveled that I can think of. Georgia Ave. between Florida and Petworth makes some sense, but ultimately there needs to be enough good places that they don't all turn into Gallery Place.

Other options: Rhode Island Ave., Uniontown, Bladensburg, Military Road.

by OctaviusIII on May 4, 2012 2:12 pm • link • report

You would have done readers a favor by posting the WMATA press release in addition to the Examiner article.

WMATA will hold public meetings about bus stop consolidation at the following locations.
* Tuesday, May 8, at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church, 2616 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE.
* Thursday, May 10, at Mount Airy Baptist Church of Washington, DC, 1100
North Capitol Street NW.
* Thursday, May 17, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 7005 Piney Branch Road NW.
All meetings will begin at 7 pm. For more information, see the press release.

If you plan to comment on a particular stop, having its stop id number and the id's of adjacent stops would be very helpful.

by The Civic Center on May 4, 2012 9:58 pm • link • report

WMATA should cut some bus stops but while doing should help out people who dont know the area. I used the ride guide before on their site and it told me to get off at a stop that was discontinued with no mention to it on their site that was a nice 5 blocks to walk at 1am

They should have a list of every bus stop each route stops at on their site to help people catch the bus. As of now to find out what bus stops at a stop you have to go to the read the what it says if anything on the stop, wait for some buses to come to the stop or call nextbus. Since they all have a number on them for use with nextbus it would be somewhat easy to create a list.

by kk on May 5, 2012 11:50 am • link • report

@ dcrepublican

Bowie damn sure isnt easy to get via public transit and it certainly isnt a short distance by public transit. You have to go to New Carrolton then take one of the buses traveling down Route 50 or 450 and only one route goes straight there.

I had to go there once over the coarse of 4 days at different times between 7am and 10pm. It is impossible to get there on a weekend via public transit and on a weekday all transit to and from there ends by 9:30pm

The Marc station isnt that helpful either depending on when and where you have to go there.

by kk on May 5, 2012 12:05 pm • link • report