By goDCgo . on
7/28/2011
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending another commuter expo type event with one of my esteemed colleagues. Right around the time that a presentation on “how to use the Metrorail system” took a sharp turn into “how to get through a turnstile at the Metro station,” I wandered off, which may have been unwise since I've actually not gotten through a turnstile on more than one occasion. In my wanderings, I discovered the most beautiful visual representation of what the effect of carpooling and vanpooling have on the local traffic scene. Here’s hoping you are equally enthralled by 3 dimensional representations of various traffic scenarios!
You can’t quite see the signs in the picture (at all), but here’s what the model shows:
Lane 1: Forty single occupancy vehicles.
Lane 2: Twenty vehicles with two occupants each.
Lane 3: Four vanpools with 10 occupants...
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By goDCgo . on
7/27/2011
(Washington, D.C.) The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) today announced the locations for 32 new Capital Bikeshare stations to be installed in the fall of 2011. It will be the first major expansion of the system in the District since Capital Bikeshare launched last September. Following weeks of planning and extensive community input, DDOT will install the new stations and expand the size of selected existing stations to better meet demand, while also adding 265 additional bicycles to the system. Additionally, DDOT will install the already planned Capital Bikeshare stations at 6th and H Street, NE and Foggy Bottom Metro.
“We are grateful for the enormous support Capital Bikeshare has received throughout the past 10 months and are very pleased to release the final list of new station locations for the District of Columbia” said Terry Bellamy, DDOT Director. “With this expansion we will not only increase the overall reach of the system, but we will expand the program’s capacity by 22 percent in the downtown area, by 80 percent in our East of the River operations and by an average of 38 percent throughout each of the additional Wards.”...
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By goDCgo . on
7/26/2011
In a Washington City Paper blog last week, a memorandum from the United States General Services Administration to all employees in the National Capital Region was posted regarding changes to their parking program. Beginning next month, employees will have to pay for parking that was previously offered free of charge. GSA cited a responsibility to increase sustainability and reduce environmental impact as the reason for the change in policy, and sustainable methods of commuting such as mass transit, biking, walking and Telework were referenced.
A reduction in parking spaces,...
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By goDCgo . on
7/21/2011
Once again, our nation’s leaders are in the midst of debt reduction talks. Every day, we are reminded of the ongoing global financial crisis -- from high unemployment rates and daily foreclosure listings to fluctuating gas prices and rising food costs. With so much out of our control, we’re forced to circle the wagons and re-examine our own spending patterns and lifestyle choices. A recent article in The Atlantic suggests that one of those choices -- where we live – may affect our financial stability and outlook for the future.
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By goDCgo . on
7/19/2011
In an effort to encourage reduced fuel consumption by motorists, The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) has launched a campaign that promotes “driving green.” If you don’t drive enough to “drive green”, it’s OK. Just keep on keepin’ on. But for the rest of us, we occasionally need to use our cars (or other people’s cars) to get around. And if you’ve ever tried to haul a futon from Target on the Metro, you know what I mean—people stare. MWCOG has come up with a great list of tips to save you money and reduce emissions. You can even calculate your CO2 emissions using their eco-driving calculator. So whether you use a car to avoid carrying your new microwave home on CaBi (not recommended) or to make pleasantries in a carpool, be sure to check them out. Don’t see stepping into a vehicle in your immediate future? At least pass these tips on to your Hummer-driving coworkers!
By Kristin...
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By goDCgo . on
7/18/2011
With Zipcar’s Low-Car Diet Challenge kicking off on July 25 and Car Free Day just around the corner, it seemed like a good time to have a frank discussion about car free-ness. It’s a tough pill to swallow for a whole bunch of people—at one time, myself included. It’s not only difficult for many people to imagine themselves living without a car, but the whole concept puts a lot of them on the defensive. In fact, the mere suggestion that one may not really need to own a car is sure to spawn a contemptuous backlash with the predictable rhetoric about the “war on cars.”Jeez! Simmer down! No one’s judging you for loving your car (well, we’re not). Cars are fun to drive. Some of them are pretty (not mine). They give you unlimited freedom (again, not mine). They offer a...
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By goDCgo . on
7/14/2011
Sad, I know. I really don’t like when work creeps into my dreams. But last night was one of those nights, and I dreamt that as my Orange Line train was arriving on the platform, one of the cars was the new prototype. Since it was a dream, the car looked nothing like the actual prototype that was released last week but more of a large, open tram thing with a few upright poles and 5 chairs randomly placed about. The color scheme was the same, blue chairs and a light gray interior, but my dream car had no walls, and all I could imagine were riders being tossed off along the way similar to a game of musical chairs.
In reality, the actual prototype cars are quite well designed. And I personally was relieved by the final design because I remember seeing a prior mock-up of one which seemed to have no consideration for...
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By goDCgo . on
7/13/2011
Zipcar, a national car sharing company that we are fortunate to have in the District, recently announced their 4th annual Low-Car Diet Challenge. Kicking off on July 25 in 12 cities, three very special participants will take up the challenge in DC by casting aside their own car keys for a month, taking up other modes of transportation and using Zipcar only when a car is absolutely necessary.
In the 2010 Low-Car Diet Challenge, participants registered 5,051 miles walked, 249 pounds lost and a 69% decrease in miles driven. By the end of the challenge, 67% of participants decided to go car-free altogether. Those are some pretty impressive numbers—just imagine what they would look like if everyone in the DC region cut their own car usage by even a fraction of what the participants did! Imagine if everyone in the whole entire world did that!
We’ll keep you posted on the progress of our local participants as the competition...
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By goDCgo . on
7/12/2011
Last week, the Washington Post published an article citing the popularity of compressed work weeks and flex-time in the Washington DC Metropolitan area. In it, they cited an informal survey of personnel directors at Fortune 1000 companies which showed that nearly 50% had implemented or planned to offer compressed work weeks during the summer months. Brian Kropp, managing director of the Corporate Leadership Council, was quoted as saying “Taking every other Friday off is much more effective than ice cream socials or company picnics. The gift of time is the most precious gift you can give an employee, and it pays off in employee engagement.”
The best part about flexible scheduling is that the arrangement is considered a major benefit and retention tool,...
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By goDCgo . on
7/7/2011
If you've been longing for the day where you can easily add value to your SmartTrip card from the comfort of your home or office computer, you may not have to wait much longer! WMATA has launched a pilot program allowing riders to add money or passes to their cards online instead of having to use the station kiosks. If the pilot is a success, it is expected that WMATA will release the upgrade to everyone within the next month or so.
On the upgraded WMATA website, users can log in to their registered SmartTrip card account and add between $10 and $200 in cash, or a 7-day bus pass.
For now, the system cannot be used to add monthly SmartBenefits to your card. That will still need to be done at the kiosk. However, this should prove to be a convenient option for those looking to add some extra money to their card here and there.
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