Gray Proposes Doubling Circulator Fare

The DC Circulator System, best known for its cherry-red buses that ply the major thoroughfares of Washington, has been a unique success for a city plagued by transit problems, particularly below ground. For cash-strapped college students in particular, its $1 flat-fare for an unlimited number of rides has been particularly attractive, alongside a schedule that is considerably more frequent and reliably timely than most Metrobus routes. Since its creation in 2005, the system has been one of the few in the region to experience more ridership growth than cost increases.

DC News Roundup

With Council Chairman Vincent Gray moving ever closer to his installation as mayor of DC, news abounds about the structure and content of his new administration.  Here is a brief collection of the important items of the last week:

Gray names chief of staff and city administrator, gives others walking papers

In the largest set of personnel moves since the departure of Michelle Rhee, Vincent Gray chose Gerri Hall to serve as his Chief of Staff and Allen Lew to stay on as City Administrator.

Gerri Hall is a former executive at Amtrak and is currently a vice preseident for human resources at Sodexho, a food services provider.  GW students will be familiar with the corporation as the manager of the J-Street and Mount Vernon dining halls.

Allen Lew currently serves as the director of the District's Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization, an office created in the Fenty administration to oversee school reforms.  In his new role of city administrator he will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of city departments.

Despite a petition drive by some DC residents to keep him on, Department of Transportation  director Gabe Klein submitted his resignation Wednesday.  Klein spearheaded the implementation of smart-growth strategies in the city, and was particularly well-liked by cyclists and public transit advocates.  

BIKES!? 15th STREET!? WHAT IS THIS MADNESS!?

Well really, it isn’t madness at all. The already existing fifteenth street bike lane has been extended from one-lane to two-lanes. One goes north, the other south. The construction has done away with many parking spaces which have been amply replaced on other parts of 15^th Street. In fact, while it is not too terribly pertinent to GW students who rarely drive, there will be, when construction is finished, a net gain of 7.5 parking spaces according to the District Department of Transportation.

District Department of Transportation, has gone on to say that this will lead to a 40% increase of bicycle traffic on 15th Street. The new two-way lane has settled the nerves of bikers, half of whom said they felt unsafe on the previously shared 15th Street bike lane.

Completion of the entire project is dependent on the rather fickle weather in the District, but construction began October 29^th.