Washington D.C.'s new streetcar line opened to a chorus of media naysayers who mocked the slow moving transit, but reality shows it's not quite as slow as some would have you believe.
It's not breaking any land speed records, but that was never the point. In a post on Greater Greater Washington, Ben Bowman writes that the media pile-on during the opening of the new D.C. streetcar line mischaracterized the speed and purpose of the new transit line. Bowman points to an article in the Washington Post that claimed that one could walk faster than the streetcar could travel, end-to-end along its route. This in fact may have been true during the opening, however speeds have appeared to pick up as regular service has begun.
As for the streetcar's speed, more recent articles say it's taking an average of 18-20 minutes to get from end to end. In fact, in the inaugural "Running of the Streetcar", many runners couldn't outpace the Streetcar, even when starting with a small lead...
The fact of the matter is that people have underestimated how much time it would take to walk the streetcar route, and overstated how much time it takes the streetcar itself to travel it. Really, taking the DC Streetcar is about twice as fast as walking.
Bowman writes that it's important to set the record straight, particularly as plans to expand the streetcar system will rely on public support.
Read the full story: Taking the streetcar is, in fact, way faster than walking
Opinion: K Street Extension Key to D.C. Streetcar's Success
An extension down K Street would greatly improve the D.C. Streetcar's service level, according to Dan Malouf, but the District Council has shelved the project.
One Year Later: H Street and the D.C. Streetcar
Intended to spur redevelopment along blighted commercial corridors, the streetcars are the first to run in the District since the 1962 dismantling of the previous early 20th century citywide streetcar network.
D.C. Streetcar Working in Harmony with Overlapping Bus Lines
The D.C. Streetcar wraps up 2016 with positive news for its ridership numbers, as well as a positive effect on the nearby transit system.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority