Here's our roundup of must-read posts from the week:
Facing down a housing shortage, the Montgomery County Council overturned a moratorium on new development in overcrowded school zones this week — turns out crowding isn't caused by new development in the first place, and the moratorium wasn't doing much to stop it.
DC Council has been busy working on urbanist issues too. A bill moving through the legislative process would make it easier for scooter and e-bike riders to sue after being hit by a vehicle driver.
Also in DC Council this week is an effort to create a civilian oversight body to keep an eye on Metro Transit Police after a series of misconduct allegations. But that bill needs buy-in from the Maryland and Virginia legislatures to become a reality.
Another change coming to Metro: say goodbye to Tysons Corner and Prince George's Plaza. Both station names are being changed — to Tysons and Hyattsville Crossing, respectively.
Finally, this year has really driven home how important parks are for our wellbeing. If you live in DC and have thoughts on how the park system should be improved over the next few decades, take a crack at the District's parks and recreation master plan survey.
By Jane Lyons (Guest Contributor) • November 18, 2020
This week, the Montgomery County Council officially and unanimously voted to eliminate the county’s housing moratorium and updated a suite of other growth policies. The county updates these policies every four years in what was formerly known as the Subdivision Staging Policy and will now be known as the Growth & Infrastructure Policy.
By Libby Solomon (Writer and Editor) • November 18, 2020
Before 2016, if you were a pedestrian or bicyclist who was hit by the driver of a car in DC, if even 1% of the incident was your fault you couldn’t collect a cent in damages. DC Council legislation in 2016 changed that by removing what is called a “contributory negligence standard” for crashes involving non-motorized road users like bicyclists, pedestrians, and people riding non-electric scooters. Now an amendment being considered would also include other vulnerable road users like those riding electric scooters or e-bikes.
By Libby Solomon (Writer and Editor) • November 19, 2020
An effort to bring civilian oversight to WMATA’s police force is moving forward in the DC Council — but to make real change, council members will have to get Maryland and Virginia lawmakers on board.
By George Kevin Jordan (Managing Editor) • November 17, 2020
DC is looking for input on the master plan that will shape the city’s parks and recreation for the next 20 years. This plan will serve as a “blueprint” for the District Department of Parks and Recreations’ funding and programmatic priorities.
