: News

Bus Stops Could Get Major Upgrade

Play associated audio
This bus stop in Prince George's County, along with many others in the region, could be getting an upgrade in the coming months if the D.C. region wins a $15 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration.
David Schultz
This bus stop in Prince George's County, along with many others in the region, could be getting an upgrade in the coming months if the D.C. region wins a $15 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration.

By David Schultz

This bus stop in Prince George's County, Maryland is not much to look at.

It's a grimy, dark brown shelter and a small bench, situated just a few feet from speeding traffic on Martin Luther King Junior Highway.

But that could change. The D.C. region is vying for a $16 million federal grant for bus stop improvements.

"The bus stop will just be a much more pleasant experience," says Wendy Klancher, with the regional Transportation Planning Board.

She says if the region wins the grant, the funds will go toward making bus stops more attractive and accessible:

"There will be ease of access. People in wheelchairs, women with strollers - or men with strollers - will be able to much more easily get to that bus stop," she says.

But the funds won't be distributed evenly.

More than half will go to Prince George's County while less than five percent will go to areas in Northern Virginia.

Klancher says Prince George's submitted a list of more than 1,600 bus stops it wants improved, while many Northern Virginia jurisdictions declined to submit any.

NPR

Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process

After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.
NPR

How Genomics Solved The Mystery Of Ireland's Great Famine

Although scientists have known that a funguslike organism caused the potato blight that triggered the Great Famine in Ireland in the 1840s, they didn't know which strain was the culprit. But they do now, thanks to the genes in some 19th century potato samples.
NPR

Scandal Politics: The Downstream Effect

The trio of scandals that have engulfed the White House may not be big news by 2014, but now is the time when prospective candidates must decide if they want to be on the ballot. Is the news of the moment hurting the effort?
NPR

How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started

You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.