Posts by Steven Yates

In Purple's path: Maryland prepares to tell 110 residents and businesses that the Purple Line may force them to move, though some may ultimately be able to stay. (Post)

BIDs get real-time: Screens showing real-time transit information are likely on the way for Ballston and Georgetown. Both areas' BIDs have agreed to fund the screens to help visitors find transit and reduce pedestrian crowding. (Elevation DC)

Less flooding, but other problems: To deal with Bloomingdale flooding, DC Water will build a giant tunnel under some streets, but residents of those streets are upset at the plans, which could close their streets for 2-3 years and destroy trees. (City Paper)

DC IDs 150 food truck spots: DC officials will identify 150 spots for food trucks in the most popular locations, but that likely won't be enough to satisfy truck owners. (Post)

Bike lanes breed safety, profits: A New York study found that bike lanes made streets safer and even helped increase local businesses' sales up to 50%. (Taking the Lane)

And... : Construction starts on First St. NE, including a 2-way cycletrack. (NoMa BID) ... Dupont's ANC opposes the U Street moratorium and new food truck rules. (Borderstan) ... HPRB is still iffy on McMillan. (Bloomingdale)

Should Arlington Cemetery expand?: Arlington Cemetery plans to add space for 27,000 graves, but the plan would cut down many trees and affect a streambed. Others say it can't grow forever, so maybe it's time to start on "Arlington Two" now. (Post)

More bike lanes and clarity: A letter writer says Virginia should build more bike lanes, which, at $5,000 a mile, are cheap by VDOT standards. He also asks Virginia to make its laws on bicycling more specific and easier to find. (Sun Gazette)

Baltimore bikeshare?: Baltimore could get the 25-station Charm City Bikeshare system within in a year after winning approval from a city panel. A vendor hasn't been chosen, but CaBi's operator Alta is a possibility. (Baltimore Sun)

Density leads to dollars: A study in Nashville found that dense, mixed-use development is best for a city's finances since it costs less and generate more revenue than less dense development. (Streetsblog)

An ambitious plan for SW: Two architects suggest sweeping changes to Southwest DC, including eliminating I-395, a new Metro stop in East Potomac Park, and converting Fort McNair into a "New Mall." (Atlantic Cities)

And...: DC Taxi Commission gives the green light for credit card readers in all taxis by August 31. (Post) ... More Metro employees feel safe reporting safety problems. (WAMU) ... The Congress Heights Metro will likely get a large, mixed-use development. (UrbanTurf)

Board sanctions Orange: DC's ethics board "admonished" Vincent Orange for keeping a campaign contributor's food warehouse open when health officials tried to shut it down. Orange will be able to get the violation expunged later this year. (Examiner)

Take a look: The MTA released renderings of what some Purple Line bridges might look like. (Patch) ... TheBus on Route 1 will get a paint tube paint scheme. (Gazette)

Is your commute an idyll?: WTOP is asking for stories of the longest and worst drives, which it calls "Commuter Idle." Streetsblog created a competing contest for the best stories of saving time by not driving: "Commuter Idyll."

Flood-control parkway: One planner wants to replace lanes on a Robert Moses-designed parkway in Queens and with dunes to protect against storms. (Next City)

And...: A reminder to give up your seat on Metro for pregnant women. (Unsuck DC Metro) ... Don't like sprawling mansions? Then check out this one-room house on Capitol Hill. (UrbanTurf) ... Tom Toles takes on food truck rules. (Post)

Concrete blame game: Who's to blame for the problems with the Silver Spring Transit Center? While the contractor obviously made mistakes, do Montgomery County or WMATA share some blame for lack of oversight? (Post)

Last stop for gas: The last gas stations on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda will soon close, reflecting a trend across the region and nation of stations disappearing in walkable, transit-oriented areas. (Post)

Transportation trends: More people in the area who didn't learn to ride a bike as a kid are doing so now as adults. Many credit Capital Bikeshare and seeing other cyclists as inspiring them to ride. More people are also riding the bus, pushing jurisdictions to add service and consider dedicated lanes. (Post)

Plant a tree: DC and the region has many more trees on the west side of the city than the east. But not all residents of tree-sparser neighborhoods are eager for green; some fear they would attract crime or drive gentrification. (Or both?) (Post)

Out of staters take local spaces: Many residents complain that it's because of out-of-state drivers that there are no parking spaces in their neighborhood. (Post)

Market rate or a market?: Should a warehouse across from Navy Yard Metro be a community market? Neighbors want it, but the GSA, which owns the site, wants to get the maximum value, which likely means a larger private building on the site. (City Paper)

Less intrusive government, only if you behave: John Mica isn't so hot on DC budget autonomy, saying his teenagers also wanted budget autonomy, but "As long as [DC is] minding [its] P's and Q's ... I think the government can back off." That's real small-government conservatism right there. (Fox 5)

TIGER roars: TIGER grants have been a huge success, garnering praise from across the political spectrum and encouraging innovation in transportation. (Streetsblog)

And...: Chicago's bikeshare system Divvy will start in June. (Chicago Tribune) ... Is it White Flint or North Bethesda? (BethesdaNow) ... Hearings on the Wheaton Costco gas station start today. (Patch, Dan. S) ... Hertz On Demand joins ZipCar in Bethesda. (RD@BR)

Walk the long way to VRE: VRE is warning people not to cross the railroad tracks in Burke. The shortcut shaves a several-block detour and Fairfax hopes to build a pedestrian bridge, but that won't happen for years. (WTOP)

More power for ethics?: The new DC Board of Ethics and Government Accountability has recommended several changes to DC's ethics laws including criminalizing conflict-of-interest violations, ethics rules for all city employees, and the power to recommend expulsion of council members. (Examiner)

Small units get big: The micro-unit trend continues as a mixed-use proposal for a plot of land on Florida Avenue NW would include 200 micro apartments. (UrbanTurf)

Safer without stoplights: One English town took out the stoplights and walk signals at one intersection and replaced it with an unusual double roundel design. The result is slower moving car traffic and safer pedestrian traffic. (Kottke, Jared C)

And...: What would DC look like if sea levels rose? (Post) ... Ever wonder how some of the area's more oddly named roads got their name? (WTOP) ... The good news about sequestration? It might be easing congestion. (Examiner) ... Trump's Old Post Office hotel gets initial approval. (Post) ... Stoddert auctions off a parking space. (Hyperlocal GP)

WMATA board boards Metro: WMATA board members take Metro at varying frequencies. Marcel Acosta and Tom Downs take it daily, some only once a week. Muriel Bowser and the Prince George's members didn't give specifics. (Examiner)

What's Hoover's replacement?: Teams of real estate graduate students imagined what could replace the FBI building. Georgetown's submission included a "Hoover tower," housing microunits, office space, and no parking. (Post)

Older suburbs see teardowns: Smaller houses in desirable neighborhoods in Arlington and Montgomery once owned by older, long-time residents are getting torn down at a rapid pace to build larger, more modern houses. (Post)

Carbon emissions in Fairfax: 37% of carbon emissions in Fairfax County come from transportation. And 70% of the increase in transportation emissions since 2006 come from people just passing through the county. (FABB)

Franklin Park-ing lot?: A 1920s plan to widen K Street included an idea to make all of Franklin Square a parking lot. A Washington Post op-ed condemned the idea and pushed underground garages instead. (Ghosts of DC)