DDOT’s Two-Year Look To The Future
March 2, 2010 by Zelle
The District Department On Transportation or DDOT has just released its 2010 Action Agenda, a two-year plan which lays out DDOT’s defined goals, actions, and policies for the next two years.
At the core of Action Agenda are the following values and fu
nctions which it seeks to address and achieve by 2012: safety, sustainability, maintenance and investment in capital assets, identifying prosperous places, and investing in the DDOT workforce.
To sum up the lengthy report prepared by DDOT, HomeTryst gathered Action Agenda’s outlined policies and action for each core values and functions.
For Safety:
(1) Dramatically reduce traffic injuries by at least 10% annually and work toward ZERO fatalities.
(2)Plan and design to equally protect all street users.
(3) Use technology to improve system and enhance safety.
(4) Educate users to respect and protect one another
For Sustainable Living:
(1) Make walking the mode of choice for trips of less than one mile and biking the mode of choice for trips of less than three miles.
(2) Prioritize expansion and enhancement of transit service
(3) Minimize traffic congestion and promote efficient vehicle operations
(4) Encourage development projects that promote and support non-auto mobility.
(5)Minimize the environmental impacts of transportation infrastructure.
(6) Use technology to improve traveler information, choice, and convenience.
For Maintenance and Investment In Capital Asset
(1) Maximize life span of new construction
(2) Ensure on-time and on-budget project delivery
(3) Consistently apply asset data to guide where and when work is done.
(4) Leverage District assets to fund transportation improvements.
(5) Partner with local stakeholders to help protect and preserve assets.
For Identifying Prosperous Places
(1) Build great streetscapes to promote economic vitality.
(2) Target infrastructure investments to strengthen local retail and employment districts
(3) Minimize construction impacts on local businesses and communities.
(4) Make streets fun.
For Investing in the DDOT Workforce
(1) Assemble and support an outstanding agency workforce.
(2) Provide exceptional customer service, responsiveness, and transparency.
(3) Increase the use of performance analysis
(4) Elevate financial stewardship and accountability practices.
photo credit: brianmka
DC Circulator Now Available Through Google Transit
February 23, 2010 by Zelle
The DC Circulator now makes it schedule available through Google Transit. By making use of Google Maps, Transit provides D.C. residents and visitors step-by-step transit directions both in the web browser or on the mobile phone. Google Transit will let you find transit stops in your area, search for a restaurant, or view station information and schedules.
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty announced on Feb. 22 that bus trips on the DC Circulator can now be tracked within Google Transit. Simply click on “By public transit” as the sorting option on Google Maps to see Circulator routes.
This may sound good news to D.C. residents and visitors but critics said it will practically be meaningless without the addition of WMATA.
Missing key information continues to be a problem for Google Transit users. A commenter on the Urban Turf post writes:
I tried out Google Transit and it seems to be missing some, um, key information like the metro routes. I tried mapping the best way to get to my office (Union Station) from home (Petworth) and it suggested I walk to the Columbia Heights metro and then take a bus. The suggested route took 10 minutes longer than the same site gave as the walking time!! Needless to say, if it’s this beta, then it’s useless. Plus you can already plan your route (and it works) on http://www.wmata.com so not sure what the value-added is here.
Another commenter in Greater Greater Washington posts:
Oh dear – the Woodley Park-Columbia Heights-McPherson Circulator line doesn’t display properly. It shows the bus veering off course at 14th and P Streets… the bus apparently then drives through several homes and offices on a hypotenuse until it hits McPherson Square at 13th and K; only then does it appear to re-find the road. Yikes!
photo credit: afagen
How to keep a home from selling 101-
February 22, 2010 by jessebkaye
I usually wouldnt post this but I had to just out of sheer disgust. If you ever come across, or list a property please dont write this…
CALLING ALL INVESTORS-FANTASTIC VALUE. PRICE REFLECTS CONDITION AND SOLD “AS-IS”. SELLERS TITLE COMPANY PREFERRED. PLEASE USE CAUTION WHEN SHOWING. DAYLIGHT SHOWINGS ONLY AND BRING FLASHLIGHT. CALL FOR QUESTIONS. SELLER IN PROCESS OF REMOVING TRASH AND DEBRIS FROM HOME, INCLUDING DECEASED DOG IN UPSTAIRS BEDROOM.
Fairfax Planners are Set To Redesign the Image of Tysons Corner
February 19, 2010 by Zelle
The Tysons Corner Urban Center Dra
ft Plan is out detailing how Fairfax planners will transform the image of Tysons Corner.
The draft, dated January 14, 2010, is projecting a better Tysons “in which people are engaged in their surroundings and a place where people want to be.” Planners call for the creation of a community that could include 200,000 jobs and 100,000 residents and a job-housing balance of about 4 jobs per household.
The plan also centers around the restoration or enhancement of public transportation, open spaces and trails and green buildings. The transportation system will especially be redesigned to accommodate circulator routes, community shuttles, and feeder bus service. The design will likely improve bicycle routes and connections as well. Almost half of the recommendations for Tysons will be located within half a mile of the Metro.
Fairfax planners have a detailed draft on how to improve transportation in the area
How to improve transportation. The superblock street network will be transformed into a system of smaller connected streets for an efficient traffic flow.
“Streets should become “complete streets” designed to create a sense of place and promote walking,” the draft reveals.
There will be a Circulator System that allows quick and inexpensive transportation for trips within Tysons. A great addition to that would be the neighborhood feeder bus network that will connect surrounding communities to Tysons.
Plans of constructing at least two new elementary schools are also high on the agenda: one in the North Central district along with the proposed eight to ten acre park and another one in the East Side district. There were even talks of expanding the existing Westgate Elementary School.
New school constructions will benefit the community especially with the additional 890 elementary students by 2050.
The plans may be ambitious but the county is giving itself forty years to implement new strategies. In sum, Fairfax planners outlines their implementation strategy including:
- Detailed planning that links infrastructure provision with development
- Creation of an implementation entity
- Establishment of a funding strategy for public infrastructure
- Revision of the regulatory framework
- Formation of public-private partnerships
New Condo Inventory in DC: Possible Shortage of Units Later This Year
February 17, 2010 by Zelle
Real estate sales and marketing firm McWilliams|Ballard reveals the diminishing supply of new condos in D.C. in its recently-released, 34-page report Year End 2009 Washington Metro Area Condominium Market Overview.
The report tallies the remaining number of condo units available in each city and country. Here are the figures for the District:
Area(Available Units)
Adams Morgan/Columbia Heights (183)
Capitol Hill (84)
Dupont Circle/Kalorama (7)
East of the River (131)
Georgetown/West End (67)
Logan Circle/U Street/ LeDroit Park (136)
New York Avenue. Corridor/Northeast (67)
NoMa (25)
Penn Quarter/ Mt. Vernon Triangle (123)
Petworth/East of Rock Creek (31)
SE & SW Waterfront (494)
Upper Northwest (130)
TOTAL of 1,368 units
This will be the first time for the DC condo inventory to plummet below 6,000 since 2003. The diminishing supply will likely result in a shortage of new units by late 2010. Given the current market conditions, rental projects may even deliver condo or convert already-delivered buildings to rental units.
According to the report, “developers who can deliver smaller, cost-effective, quality conversion product in Northwest DC submarkets in 2011 will have the opportunity to be highly successful.” This might even drive big projects that are still under construction and are yet to deliver until mid-2012 to actually deliver the condo units.
New big condo projects are yet to be delivered at least mid-2012, which opens the opportunity for small projects to fill in the demand. It even seems like another opportunity for individual condo owners to sell their units.
