By goDCgo . on
11/19/2010
Mayor Adrian Fenty announced on Tuesday the installation of D.C.’s first electric car charging station. Located at the Franklin D. Reeves Center at 2000 14th Street, NW, the curbside station is part of yet another innovative pilot program, brought to you by the District Department of Transportation, and the first of 20 such stations planned for the District. DDOT partnered with Coulomb Technologies for funding through a $15 million grant as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act from the U.S. Department of Energy. ChargePoint America, sponsored by Coulomb Technologies, provides the stations and manages the network, which will number 500 in the District and its environs by October 2011.
DDOT Director Gabe Klein, the man behind the recent spate of D.C.’s sustainable transportation projects, was onsite at the unveiling. Enthusiastically commenting on the significance of this latest development, Klein stated, “This charger represents a new direction for fuel efficient vehicles throughout the region. ...
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By goDCgo . on
11/16/2010
If the thought of driving into DC for your destination of choice sends you angrily couch-diving for quarters, the District Department of Transportation offers a beacon of hope. DDOT announced last week that it will commence work on a pilot program to install new solar-powered parking meters that take…wait for it…credit cards!
The 1,150 meters are the same ones that other major U.S. cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, are currently testing and have been found to have a failure rate of less than 1%. Not only are they easy to install, but the new technology is cost-effective because it uses the existing infrastructure; the current meter head is simply swapped out with the new solar-powered one.
The first meters to be installed will be in the most high-demand areas in Northwest and Southwest DC. From there, DDOT will expand to other areas based on additional funding, which they are currently seeking.
Check out the video to see how the new meters will work....
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By goDCgo . on
11/5/2010
Innovation always carries some degree of risk, including the naysayers who inevitably crop up, loudly decrying anything that doesn’t represent the status quo. The District Department of Transportation took a risk when they introduced Capital Bikeshare. Following the lead of some of the most forward-thinking countries in the world—countries which have demonstrated a genuine commitment both to their citizens and to the environment with their bikesharing programs—DDOT put its “money where its mouth is,” so to speak.
Overwhelmingly, Capital Bikeshare has been welcomed by the majority of area residents with enthusiasm, even gratitude. As expected, however, malcontents have emerged here and there to voice concerns ranging from differing perspectives regarding what the District’s priorities should be to arguments bordering on conspiracy theories.
Karina Ricks, Associate Director for DDOT’s Policy, Planning & Sustainability Administration, recently issued a strongly worded statement on DDOT’s blog...
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