By Alex Holt (Maryland Correspondent) • May 6, 2020
Late last month, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) released the first draft of their much-anticipatedCentral Maryland Regional Transit Plan (RTP). This plan could offer the city and its residents an opportunity to create a transit system that provides more reliable, expanded, and increased service throughout the Central Maryland region.
Joe Flood came to DC over 20 years ago to study at American University. Biking here, there, and everywhere while living car-free, Joe logs 60-70 miles behind the handlebars each week. He and I recently sat down to talk about all kinds of things related to riding bikes in DC, from plugging into the bike community via social media to how to make DC safer for cyclists.
By Alex Baca (Housing Program Organizer) • May 6, 2020
Within the Comp Plan package that DC Mayor Muriel Bowser recently sent to the DC council is a report from Office of Planning staff. It contains some interesting tidbits about what’s come out of OP’s outreach efforts over the past year, as well as some remarks on how our comprehensive planning process, and documents, could work better.
The coronavirus pandemic may have a lasting impact on transit ridership, but it could also change the way people and transit agencies use, view, and fund transit. An analysis shows that 30% of normal transit riders have “pandemic-critical” jobs. Transit agencies should focus their brands on serving these riders. (Laura Bliss / CityLab)
Maryland will begin relaxing some coronavirus related shutdowns by opening state parks and beaches and allowing certain outdoor actives to resume. Doctors will also be permitted to conduct elective surgeries. However, public school campuses will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. (Post)
Since the beginning of March, the Beltway’s “Big Curve” located west of Old Georgetown Road has been the site of at least a dozen major truck crashes. Highway traffic has decreased since the pandemic, and Maryland State Police cite speeding as a major cause of these crashes. (WTOP)
This week, the DC Council passed the ”Transit Benefits Equity Act,” a bill that would require more employers to offer subsidized transit fares to its employees. Right now, ridership has taken a hit from the impacts of the coronavirus. The move may bolster more use of transit. (Gordon Chaffin / Next City)
Though the federal government is the area’s top employer, about 11% of the area’s workforce is comprised of service related industries such as food service, transportation, tourism, and the arts. According to a report by the Urban Institute, service workers are among those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Eliza Berkon / WAMU)
Elite private schools are weighing the decision to accept PPP loans intended to help small businesses and low-wage workers survive the pandemic. Some schools applied for the money but later declined the aid, but schools such as Sidwell, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, and Landon School have taken the money. (Perry Stein and Donna St. George / Post)
The District of Columbia Nurses Association spoke out against a deal the city reached that would bring two new hospitals to DC. The statement released by the association said that the deal for the Ward 8 hospital lacked transparency and fails to meet the health care needs of residents. (DCist)
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