One of the fascinating things about CT is the existing density. The "gaps" between the commercial strips -- from WP to the Zoo, from the Zoo to CP, and from CP to Van Ness -- are almost entirely large multifamily buildings.

But when you spend a lot of time on CT, you really don't see much foot traffic at all from these apartments to the commercial strips. You can't blame them -- the streetscape is dangerous and unpleasant.

But there are a ton of people who already live on the corridor.

And yes, there should be more density on the commercial strips themselves and probably on the neighborhood streets as well.

But I think in general (not necessarily ITT) people oversell housing NIMBYism as the diagnosis here when transportation NIMBYism is the bigger villain.

It's not that uncommon.

Whole Foods in Silver Spring had as of last week.

Gonna need an explainer for the transplants.

A few years ago, I made the mental switch to look for paid, garage parking as my first choice option when driving somewhere. No more circling the block looking for a spot.

Highly recommended. I never looked back.

I don't disagree with anything you say. But I think transportation advocates also need to acknowledge that in huge swaths of DC, living without a car is not practical. That's concentrated in Wards 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8.

Maybe one day we will build a better city where that's not true. But today it is, and strident anti-car sentiment is not only a bad strategy politically, it's just not calibrated to the city's current needs

I am starting to doubt whether "Vision Zero" (even if you take the slogan seriously) is the right way to think about this.

Obviously, traffic fatalities are tragedies and we should do everything in our power to prevent them. I just don't know that it makes to frame DC's entire transportation policy around prevention of the worst possible outcomes.

I would much prefer to see a "reset" and renewed commitment to moveDC. Make Vision Zero a part of that. But also tell a bigger story.

Getting around DC sucks for most people. Whether you're walking, biking, driving, or transitting, it is often really difficult and stressful. That makes life here less enjoyable, depresses our local economy, and yes, produces unnecessary deaths and injuries.

But if you all talk about is V0, the only people who are gonna listen are activists who already agree with what you're trying to do.