The District government's belt-tightening has now extended into its vehicular policies.
In an memo issued June 23, Attorney General Peter Nickles addressed two issues: the use of city-owned cars in Department of Motor Vehicles driver tests, and the use of city employees' own private cars while on government business.
Regarding the former, the memo [PDF] notes that [...]
Fresh from DDOT:
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is advising motorists that the 2600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, NW is closed to eastbound traffic because of a sinkhole. A square hole, approximately 4 feet by 4 feet, and 5 feet deep, has developed in the roadway near the bridge over Rock Creek (see attached [...]
Hey, Metro rider!
By now, in the wake of Monday's collision, you've heard plenty about the different types of Metro cars—specifically how the oldest '1000-series' cars were judged by the NTSB years ago to offer substandard levels of protection in a crash.
So maybe you're thinking that you should avoid these cars. But how?
Very simple: At [...]
WaPo's Dr. Gridlock blogged the identities of seven of the nine who died in yesterday's Red Line crash:
Jeanice McMillan, 42, of Springfield (train operator)
Major General David F. Wherley, Jr., former commanding general, Joint Force Headquarters, District of Columbia National Guard, and his wife Ann, both 62
Lavonda King, 23
Dennis Hawkins, 64
Mary Doolittle, 59
Anna Fernandez, 40
Per Cherkis, [...]
At this moment, Dr. Gridlock is in the vanguard of Washington Post coverage of this afternoon's train mishap in Northeast D.C. The item credits WJLA-TV and CNN for key facts on the accident.
Here's one commenter from the washingtonpost.com on the matter:
How is the Washington Post being scooped about a potentially serious metro rail collision? This [...]
Comes this dispatch, via Dr. Gridlock:
A Red Line Metrorail train derailed at 5:10 p.m. approaching Fort Totten in the Shady Grove-bound side. Trains are turning back at Brookland and Takoma....Metro says that shuttle bus service has been requested to bridge the gap between Takoma and Brookland.
There are reports of injuries. Developing.
UPDATE, 5:35 P.M.: This seems [...]
42 Bus, 1998
From the 30 Bus, 1992
Yesterday, we saw dudes in plows idling. The snow hadn't started falling. It would be hours. But, there, on the Virginia toll road to Leesburg, there was a plow ready to go.
This morning at about 9:00 a.m.., Mount Pleasant Street NW hadn't been plowed. And Irving Street was only partially cleared. Within an hour, they [...]
People got tired of trying to leave the city:
Cops could have used these:
"Three Million People Trapped On The Mall." This was the headline my travelling companion had given the moment. She was sure it would be the headline of the day. Not Obama's historic presidency. Not Obama's speech. Not Michelle Obama's dress. But the hell [...]
Traffic deadlocks. Detoured buses. Jammed Metro. The city’s roads and railways are completely inundated and it’s gridlock-inducing. But if there’s one traffic channel that hasn’t experienced unendurable congestion (unless you're trying to go from the swearing-in to the parade route), it’s the bike lanes. D.C. Pedicab recognized the inauguration for its unique chance to drum [...]
