Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Elevator will be out of service for four months beginning in late May.
The entrance elevator at the Bethesda Metro station will be taken out of service beginning in late May as Metro conducts a major rehabilitation. The elevator, which has not seen a major rehab since the Bethesda station opened in 1984, will be closed for four months during the project, according to Metro. Metro technicians will replace components of the elevator -- including the cab, motor, and control systems -- ahead of a major rehabilitation of the station's entrance escalators planned for 2014. Metro has come under increasing fire for escalator breakdowns at Bethesda. Also planned to improve rider circulation ahead of the 2014 escalator rehabilitation is the construction of new stairway between the platform and the mezzanine, according …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The measure was overturned by referendum in 2010 and brought back up by County Executive Isiah Leggett this session.
Despite voters striking down the Montgomery County ambulance fee in a referendum on the ballot in 2010, Montgomery County Council passed the fee again Tuesday with a 6-3 vote. Several councilmembers said there was a misinformation campaign surrounding the 2010 referendum vote. Councilmembers Councilman Phil Andrews (D, Dist-3), Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) and George Leventhal (D-At Large) were opposed. While Andrews implored councilmembers to respect the will of the voters, some of the county lawmakers were disturbed at how voters were educated about the ambulance fee. Many residents who voted against the fee thought county residents would have to pay the $300 to $800 fee per ambulance ride, Councilman Mark Elrich (D-At Large) said. “That’s…
American Rivers has issued an annual report on America’s Most Endangered Rivers since 1986.
The Potomac River is America's "Most Endangered River" according to environmental watchdog organization, American Rivers. The Potomac is at the number one slot in part to get the attention of policymakers about the evolving threats to rivers and the continuing importance of the Clean Water Act 40 years after it became law. “When members of Congress fill a glass of water or drink their morning coffee, that water comes from the Potomac River. It’s time to draw the clear connections between healthy rivers, drinking water, and public health in Washington, D.C., and in communities nationwide,” Bob Irvin, president of American Rivers, said in a prepared statement The Potomac, which runs some 380 miles across five states, was number one on the …
State funding hurting from gas tax rejection. Future federal funding uncertain until 2015.
The Purple Line, the proposed 16-mile light rail transit system extending from New Carrollton to Bethesda, could be missing one vital component for its progression: funding. With the Maryland budget in crisis and a congressional stalemate over highway funding, the Purple Line’s construction could be pushed back, although several officials interviewed about the project would not predict how long the delay might be. The federal government approved preliminary engineering for the project in October, qualifying it for funding through New Starts, a federal program for new transit projects such as the Purple Line, bringing it a significant step closer to construction. From there, cost estimates and construction schedules could be fine-tuned …
Users of the Capital Crescent Trail disagree on what should go through the Bethesda tunnel: the Purple Line or the trail.
For more on the Purple Line, check out our series. Speak out: Do you think the Purple Line or the trail should run through the Bethesda tunnel?
38.98251
-77.09157
Elm Street Park
4600 Elm St, Chevy Chase, MD
Near the Bethesda tunnel
/articles/purple-line-progress
1460705
/locations/7012713
Friday, May 11, 2012
The proposed legislation will go before the full Montgomery County Council on Tuesday. What do you think about the re-submission of an EMS fee for Montgomery County?
The newly proposed EMS Fee will head to the Montgomery County Council on Tuesday with a recommendation against approval from the council's public safety committee. Amid a contentious meeting Friday, amendments and details to the proposed legislation were hashed out between council committee members, representatives for the county executive office and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services. In a vote of 2-1, the committee recommended council reject the amended bill. "I think [County Executive Ike Leggett's] re-submittal of this bill is the single worst decision he's made since I've been here, and I don't say that lightly," said Public Safety Committee Chairman Phil Andrews (D-Dist. 3). “It is crucial to make judgments that do not …
Thursday, May 10, 2012
One hundred more bike parking spaces slated for downtown, The Washington Post reports.
If you ride your bike into downtown Bethesda -- or are planning to start after the closures of Lots 31 and 31A -- you're in luck. One hundred new bicycle parking spaces are set to debut downtown in coming months, The Washington Post reports. The new bike racks will bump the number of bike parking spaces in downtown Bethesda to 300, according to the Post. The first two bicycle racks will be unveiled May 18 at the corner of Woodmont and Bethesda avenues, the Post reported. May 18 marks Bike to Work Day, and a series of events are planned for the Bethesda pit stop at the same intersection across from the Barnes and Noble. The rest of the bike racks, which are funded by Bethesda Green, Honest Tea, Federal Realty Investment Trust, the Coca-Cola…
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
In an interview on ABC News, the president says he supports same-sex marriage. The issue is likely to go to referendum in Maryland this fall.
President Barack Obama picked the day after a decisive vote in North Carolina to announce that his "evolution" on the issue of same-sex marriage was complete—he now supports it. In an interview with ABC News on Wednesday, Obama said: I have to tell you that over the course of several years, as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors, when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage—at a …
Work by high school artists from the 8th District is on display at VisArts in Rockville through May 17.
VisArts in Rockville is hosting an exhibit of work entered in the Congressional Art Competition for High School Students sponsored by U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr.'s office now through May 17. This is the 10th year that Van Hollen (D-Dist. 8) of Kensington personally congratulated the young artists, presenting them with certificates of participation and recognition in the national competition, which began in 1981. An awards ceremony on April 30 at VisArts included competition participants, their families, teachers and competition sponsors and organizers. The juried exhibit of 95 selected entries is on view in the Kaplan Gallery at VisArts. More than 260 students from 25 local schools participated in the competition. "When jurying …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Join us at 2 p.m. Friday for a live blog with David Moon, the blogger behind Maryland Juice.
The special session. Ike Leggett's future. Doug Duncan's future. Presidential politics. Gubernatorial politics. It's an exciting time for Maryland. Join us at 2 p.m. Friday where Patch editors and Maryland Juice's David Moon discuss Free State politics. What topics should we cover? Let us know in the comments ...
Ray Whalen
9:02 am on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Mock Loco, the "program" we should get with is to stop the abuse of disability retiremments (if your comment is accurate) and to restruture defined benefit programs that the taxpayers don't have. Raising taxes and fees to placate union special interests is exactly the wrong program. more ›