BRT in South America. Image courtesy TransAlt.

2008 has not been a good year for transportation in Northern Virginia. The decision by the Commonwealth’s Supreme Court to nullify last year’s transportation funding plan is every bit the setback that FTA’s decision to put off the Silver Line was. Among other projects, the now-unfinanced Northern Virginia Transportation Authority had already collected and allocated almost $40 million to the Columbia Pike streetcar. For those keeping score at home, that’s two major Virginia rail lines screwed over in two months. Way to go, GOP!

In more or less unrelated news, WMATA’s new chairman, Arlington County’s Chris Zimmerman, suggested today that Metro draw up plans for at least 100 miles of BRT in the region. BeyondDC is all for BRT when viewed as “how to do buses right”, and is excited to see WMATA embrace the concept. That having been said, with Metro’s two bosses, Zimmerman and CEO John Catoe, on board with rapid buses, we do want to take a moment and note that BRT, great as it is on its own terms, is *not* a replacement for rail. Faster bus service is fantastic, but buses don’t spur TOD, and rumbling on wheels will always be less comfortable for riders than gliding on rails. Let’s do this thing, but as a supplement to as opposed to replacement for streetcars.

The first incarnation of BeyondDC consisted primarily of city/neighborhood profiles. Those profiles are still around (listed at right), but for the most part we’ve completely ignored them for a long time. Most haven’t been updated in years; some are obviously out of date.

In the coming days/weeks we’ll be updating as many as possible. Nothing major, since the profiles aren’t nearly as important an aspect of the site as they used to be, but a paragraph here and there. We won’t bother to announce every change here on the front page, but don’t be surprised to see modifications being made in the background. Just an FYI.

Back in August, BeyondDC reported that noted urban planner Andres Duany called Rockville’s new town square the ‘best new urbanist town center yet built’. The praise became semi-official this week when the Congress For New Urbanism announced Rockville as a winner of one of its prestigious Charter Awards.

Rockville joins a long list of DC-area winners, including The Ellington on U Street, Lofts 590 in Crystal City, Chatham Square in Alexandria, the East Baltimore Redevelopment, The Corner at Eastern Market, Bethesda Row, LeDroit Park’s revitalization, Columbia Town Center, Herryford Village in Fort Belvoir, Twinbrook Commons, and King Farm (no website), also in Rockville, plus Crozet, Albemarle Neighborhoods, and the Commercial Corridor Study in the Charlottesville area.

Do want.

At right: Greater Greater Washington‘s consolidated map of existing Metro, MARC, VRE, and MTA, with light rail and streetcar proposals all thrown in. It’s a truly exciting vision of the sort of transit system we could have if we made more efficient use of our transportation dollars. We too could have New York / London style system coverage.

It’s inspired BeyondDC to work out our own vision. Expect it in the near future.