Northern Virginia Park Authority is looking for input from the community on how their designs could get better. Our suggestion, smaller and do more with less, we don’t need massive park lands we need more inter-dispersed ones. What direction do you think they need? (WJLA)
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If you think you are the only one with whiplash as to how quickly the I-95 HOT process went from discussion to approval, you aren’t the only one. Only a couple weeks after approval and fund allocation construction crews are already at work. We’ve been an opponent on the project due to the lack of empirical evidence of the benefits that would be attained from this project, but then again unlike the Silver Line or other mass transit initiatives, it appears if it helps the GOP backing residents of Stafford, then it must be a perfect solution. And don’t worry “only” $71 million (half of the allocation to Phase 2 of the Silver Line) is going to this project. Nevermind that this project essentially gives Fluor a non-compete bid and the ability to reap revenue for the next century charging tolls that make the DTR look like chump change… something that makes one question why the GOP was so critical of the bidding process over the Silver Line. Oh right, this is a road, pave baby pave! (ForConstructionPros.com)
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New data out shows that 254 fatalities were caused by drunk driving in Virginia (up over 40 deaths from the year before). For reference Texas had 635, Pennsylvania 379, and 341 in Ohio. Per capita that puts Virginia worse than the other 3 states. In fact Virginia has one of the worst DUI incidents rates in the country per capita. So what gives? We have rules that don’t allow ANY bars or establishments that can sell alcohol without composing 50% of their sales from food and some of the strictest policies against bars in the country. The problem is, plenty of people are getting drunk at these restaurant/bars, and due to the increase in cost to run a food operation, many bar owners must locate their bars in strip malls in the suburbs for lower lease cost. Additionally, for years many jurisdictions have been locating bars far away from the subdivision tracts, once again forcing patrons to drive. This was done under the rationale that bar noise and crime would be a nuisance to residents… DUI deaths are a bigger nuisance in my opinion. All of these policies and faux regulations force patrons who want a happy hour or a night out to drive to bars instead of being able to walk or take transit. We don’t have a problem with bar owners in this state, we have a problem with land use and obstructionist regulation. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
Urbanism Concept of the Day
