Breakfast links: Over, atop, and across the road

by David Alpert • May 22, 2009 8:35 am

Photo from Capital City Diner.

Not what they meant by "on Bladensburg Road": Two guys bought a historic, metal, modular diner from upstate New York and brought it to DC to set up on Bladensburg Road. They didn't expect to actually be setting it up on Bladensburg Road, i.e. in the middle of the road, but when DCRA denied them permission to put it on the newly-constructed foundation, that's what they had to do. A few hours of Twittering and a parking ticket later, and they got interim permission to put it on the lot. It turns out the shyster architect hadn't done the foundation correctly and forged an engineer's signature. (DCist, Young & Hungry)

Planners disagree on bridge: The Montgomery Planning Board failed to approve an amendment to allow a pedestrian bridge to the new Silver Spring library. Chairman Royce Hanson, member Joseph Alfandre, and staff director Rollin Stanley all opposed the bridge, arguing it would detract from the liveliness of the street, not actually save any time, and encourage driving. Jean Cryor, a member from Potomac, couldn't understand why the county would design anything except in the most auto-oriented way. The County Council will make the final decision. (Gazette via Just Up the Pike)

What's excellent?: BeyondDC has the same reaction I did to an exchange involving Harriet Tregoning about why DC's architecture is "conservative." Tregoning made wistful comments about having well-known architects design some of our buildings, but BeyondDC isn't so sure those guys are the ones to make our buildings actually better.

Bus-and-ride: More commuters from the more car-oriented outer parts of the region are taking the bus to nearby Metro stations. They are choosing to save on the parking fee, the hassle of finding spaces at the park-and-ride lot, on gasoline, and on the wear-and-tear of their personal vehicles. (Post, Cavan)

Hotel ok, still too tall?: The Cardozo-Shaw Neighborhood Association voted to support the U Street hotel, but they do think it's too tall. (14th & You)

Air rights development to cover 395: DDOT will be closing a ramp on the Center Leg (I-395) to accommodate a new project covering over the freeway between Mass Ave and E Street. The ramp only serves southbound drivers who just got on a few blocks earlier, making it fairly redundant, and the project will knit some of the fabric of the area back together including restoring some cross streets. (BeyondDC)

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David Alpert is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Greater Greater Washington and Greater Greater Education. He worked as a Product Manager for Google for six years and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He loves the area which is, in many ways, greater than those others, and wants to see it become even greater.

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A pox on the Cardozo-Shaw Neighborhood Association. Across the street from a metro station there should be tax-inducements to build right to the height limit. When these guys pass on, I want to be around to complain that their tombstones are too tall.

by Steve on May 22, 2009 10:07 am • link • report

Thats what I do! Take the Fairfax Connector to Vienna metro from Fair Lakes, its actually faster than driving and parking at our free corporate parking within walking distance of the metro station :-)

by Dan on May 22, 2009 10:21 am • link • report

re: Steve, the current by-right zoning height limit on the south side of 13th and U Street is currently 65 feet with use of the arts overlay.

JBG has proposed a 103 foot building from curb to parapet; going up to 118 to the penthouse. By comparison, The Ellington across the street is about 86 feet high. JBG will need to get permission from Zoning and Planning to go this high and exceed existing zoning.

by dcvoterboy on May 22, 2009 11:19 am • link • report

The problem is not taking the bus to the Metro in the morning, when you can time your departure to coincide with the bus schedule. The problem is waiting for the bus from the Metro in the freezing dark in winter, when it's a crapshoot whether you will make the connection or have to wait around an extra half hour, knowing you'd be home already if you'd driven. Heated waiting areas (or better yet, more frequent buses) would make this a more palatable option.

by Erica on May 22, 2009 11:48 am • link • report

That 395 ramp was always a bit silly...

by Edgar on May 22, 2009 3:54 pm • link • report

Not when you consider that I-395 was not to end at New York Avenue; the ramp should stay in some form, even though the decision is not as atrocious as that of blocking the northbound on ramp just north of Massachusetts Avenue with that demolition special: the Golden Rule Apartments.

The concept of covering I-395 is entirely sound.

by Douglas Willinger on May 22, 2009 6:11 pm • link • report

More commuters from the more car-oriented outer parts of the region are taking the bus to nearby Metro stations.

That's what you get when you keep increasing parking pricing.

@ Erica: The problem is not taking the bus to the Metro in the morning, when you can time your departure to coincide with the bus schedule. The problem is waiting for the bus from the Metro in the freezing dark in winter, when it's a crapshoot whether you will make the connection or have to wait around an extra half hour, knowing you'd be home already if you'd driven.

Hear hear! Bus to metro is easy. Metro goes every five minutes anyway. Bus to metro is hell. From Downtown to F-S varies between 30 and 45 mins. That makes planning a transfer to a twice an hour bus virutally impossible. Seriously, it takes me 15 mins more to get home than to work.

To add insult to injury, Fairfax Connector now has displayed signs explaining to "runners" that buses can't stop for them due to safety reasons. It is advised to plan to be a couple minutes early. Yeah, no thanks! #$%&*

by Jasper on May 22, 2009 8:53 pm • link • report