Photo by Robbie1 on Flickr.

Obituary for “the bike lady”

71-year-old Karin Vartowski never owned a car and used a bike for all transportation, including taking kids to school, buying groceries, and transporting heavy items like a 5-foot tree. (Post)  

To catch a bike thief

A Bloomingdale resident chased down a 12-year-old kid who stole a bike from a neighbor’s backyard. He got the kid’s backpack, leading the kid to stick around while police arrived. (DCist)  

Drivers take bike frustration to police

Cyclists are legally allowed to ride on roads including Macarthur Boulevard, but drivers have been pressuring police to crack down on people riding in groups. (Gazette)  

Council looks at ethics

Embattled by ethics scandals, the DC Council will hold a hearing on an ethics bill to create an accountability office and require more disclosures. Does it go far enough? (Post, WAMU) … Was ethics actually better during the era of political bosses? (Bob McCartney)  

Metro morsels

A future payment system will let riders pay with their own credit cards. (Examiner) … Did MetroAccess’s operator remove one seat from many vehicles so they could keep drivers working longer hours despite fatigue? (Examiner)  

St. E’s will still move ahead, needs food

DHS and GSA are insisting that St. Elizabeth’s will move ahead. Republicans proposed cutting funding for the project. DHS is also looking for options to provide food, like food trucks or temporary markets, since at least at first, there won’t be huge cafeterias. (Post)  

No more Arts for 5th and Eye

An exciting-sounding mixed-use project at 5th and I, NW is being scaled back to remove residences and a jazz club because the developer is having trouble getting control of the abandoned buildings on the site. (WBJ)  

And…

Having emphasized his work for voting rights in the campaign, Pat Mara joined the board of DC Vote (Examiner) … What’s better for Potomac, an organic farm or soccer fields? (Gazette) … NCPC isn’t paying attention to the competition to create an alternative Eisenhower Memorial not designed by Frank Gehry. (Examiner)

Update: Stephen Saudigl of NCPC explains that they are not tracking the competition because they don’t pick the architect or the design, but just review the final submission.