There's been all kinds of crazy stuff found on Google's new StreetView application, which we wrote about before - guys who appear to be peeing on the side of the road, climbing fences into houses, and so on. While D.C. won't be getting StreetView for a little while longer, there is still some strange stuff to be seen with good ol' Google Maps. Joyriding has long been a problem in D.C., where (usually) kids steal... more ›

While D.C. was enjoying its glorious spring weather this weekend, the Nats were in Miami getting severely pounded by the Marlins. Many of the now-usual themes were present: big early deficits, too many walks, and baserunning blunders maligned the brief road trip. The biggest culprit, the Nats much-maligned pitching, has been adequately covered by others, including Chad Cordero's two blown saves and the disasterous outings by Matt Chico and Jerome Williams. Really, in a just... more ›

While D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty officially pays tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today at the University of the District of Columbia, one question comes to mind -- how well has the District actually guarded and promoted King's legacy? Given the state of a library and an avenue named after the famed civil rights fighter, not too well. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library stands as a contradiction at the corner of Ninth... more ›

There are many types of Metro riders out there. The Weekend Warriors who bring their kids in to the city for museums and monuments. Empty Nesters who come to see a show and have dinner. Students who ride three days a week to classes. City dwellers who ride to the grocery store and to visit friends. And of course, the intrepid commuter, who braves the rails every day to keep the federal government and all... more ›

While D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams pushes to increase the size of the police force by some 1,300 officers, one resident is asking that more be done with the ones currently on the job. Brendan Bush, a two-year District resident, has kicked off an online petition to demand that more police patrol neighborhoods on foot, instead of driving around them as has been the norm. He writes: Putting cops on foot instead of in their... more ›

Until now, Virginia has lagged behind the District when it comes to enforcing speed limits in cool ways. While D.C. made use of highly effective (if incredibly obnoxious) speed camers and bone-rattling potholes to slow traffic down, Virginia battled leadfeet by banning fuzzbusters and posting interstate signs that read, "Speed Limit Enforced by Aircraft," a statement no Commonwealth driver has ever understood or believed. But we have to hand it to VDOT this time. According to today's Post, the Virginia Department of Transportation has begun using optical illusions to slow speeders effectively and without issuing tickets. By placing reflective stripes at narrowing intervals along a particularly speedy section of road, VDOT hopes to trick drivers into believing they're traveling faster than they really are, thus encouraging them to tap their brakes. These speed bars have been used in the UK, Texas, Kansas, and Mississippi with good results. Given the system's relatively low cost (compared to, say, flying traffic cops), Virginia is hopeful that many dangerous roads and intersections can be improved in this way. So, can D.C. continue to up the enforcement innovation ante? Perhaps — although between road construction, traffic circles, parking spot hunters, and inexplicable lane-blocking idlers, I remain amazed that anyone can find room to speed in the District at all. more ›

While D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams touted the success of his government reform initiatives by celebrating the millionth caller to the Citywide Call Center yesterday, he was similarly forced to acknowledge failure in a simmering, city-wide health crisis. more ›

Standard and Poor's is best known for providing information about Fortune 500 companies to prospective investors, experience that they have now taken to applying to the analysis and rating of the country's public schools. The Post reports that through a free website, schoolmatters.com, parents can search for high performing school districts, compare school districts with those in and out of the state, identify areas for improvement, and better understand how spending patterns are reflected (or... more ›

The price of the District's proposed baseball stadium is going up and up some more. While D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams has said the cost of a new baseball complex on South Capitol Street would cost $440 million, an analysis conducted by the Post seems to indicate that the price tag could be actually much higher -- as in $174 million more. The Post contends that William's price tag neglects to leave out necessary infrastructure improvements,... more ›