Weekend links: It's all about security, or something

by Eric Fidler • July 9, 2011 12:53 pm

Photo from CBS 2 New York.

Bike lane now a security threat?: A New York TV reporter warns about a new 2nd Avenue bike lane which "is next to the Israeli consulate. Imagine if the man on the bike was [sic] a terrorist!" (Streetsblog)

Gawker writes, "We did imagine a pack of Huffy-riding suicide bombers bearing down on soft targets throughout the country, and it was terrifying."

Amount of Capitol parking is secret: Congress won't say how much parking there is at the Capitol complex. Because clearly terrorists could use the exact number to... or maybe they consider criticism of bad urban design to be a "security" issue. (City Paper)

Congressman discovers life without a car: Freshman Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) takes Metro "quite frequently" and didn't buy a car, since it's expensive to pay for parking (at his home, presumably, since it's free at the Capitol). (Left In Alabama, Nolan)

Unlikely alliance opposes federal transportation cuts: House Transportation Chair John Mica (R-FL) proposes cutting federal transportation spending by 33% and removing dedicated bike and pedestrian funding. (Streetsblog) ... Reactions have been fiery and even the AFL-CIO and the US Chamber of Commerce, which rarely agree, are both critical of the plan. (Reuters, the Hill)

NY state assemblyman micromanages parking: Assembly Member James Brennan (D-Brooklyn) wants to require more parking at the Atlantic Yards project, even though the area enjoys some of the most extensive transit service in the nation. (Streetsblog)

New York discovers single-line maps: The NYC subway is installing single-line diagrams in stations, much the way WMATA did many years ago. (NYT)

Waistlines explode: Just 20 years ago, no state had an adult obesity rate above 15%. Now, national average expanded to 66%. Among states, DC had the second-lowest rate, at 21.7% while Virginia and Maryland had rates of 25.9% and 27.1% respectively. The racial disparities are especially wide in DC. (Post)

Alexandria suspends taxis: Alexandria suspended 68 taxicabs for missing required inspections. Drivers say the inspection window is too short and times too inflexible, limiting each one to a certain day of the week. (Alexandria News, Alexandria Times)

And...: California finds that cutting the state car fleet is easier said than done. (Sacramento Bee) ... WMATA has a sense of humor. (TBD) ... San Francisco converts more street parking spaces into beautiful parklets. (Streetsblog)

Have a tip or Capitol parking count for the links? Submit it here.

18 comments

Tags: links

Eric Fidler has lived in DC and suburban Maryland his entire life. He likes long walks along the Potomac and considers the L'Enfant Plan an elegant work of art. He also blogs at Left for LeDroit, LeDroit Park's (only) blog of record.

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fyi, the Gawker link goes to Streetsblog

by Mike B on Jul 9, 2011 1:15 pm • link • report

Fixed. (I put that link in and screwed it up, in fairness to Eric.)

by David Alpert on Jul 9, 2011 1:18 pm • link • report

The quote from the NYC reporter in the first entry should have a (sic) after the "was"

by Steve S. on Jul 9, 2011 1:59 pm • link • report

Eric actually had that in there and then I took it out to make lines fit. But then we changed the image and now it can fit again so I've put it back.

by David Alpert on Jul 9, 2011 2:15 pm • link • report

66% national level of obesity cannot possibly have increased to 66% (nor does the article give this figure). Maybe it increased by 66%.

by S.B. on Jul 9, 2011 3:06 pm • link • report

(1) Not to get too far afield, but most good journalists see the use of "sic" as poor form.

(2) When it comes to biking oppposition, I wonder why NYC, which is supposedly more progressive and transit oriented than DC, has such loud anti-biking people.

by aaa on Jul 9, 2011 4:21 pm • link • report

When it comes to biking oppposition, I wonder why NYC, which is supposedly more progressive and transit oriented than DC, has such loud anti-biking people.

I think it's because NYC simply has more people. You only need a certain amount of people to create a critical mass of opposition that can attract attention. In NYC, with 9 million people, even a tiny fraction of the locals who have a problem with bicycles will be a LOT more people, in sheer numbers, than a similar proportion of anti-bike-whiners in DC. It's not like the media or politicians in NYC "adjust for per capita complaints" when it comes to people opposing bike lanes.

by Tyro on Jul 9, 2011 7:11 pm • link • report

1.) There are a lot of Members of Congress who use the Metro.

2.) The reference to loud New Yorkers. New Yorkers like to assert themselves on any issue, all sides, all the time. Hey, that's why I like New Yorkers. the nine million of them, or most of them.

by Joseph Martin on Jul 10, 2011 8:39 am • link • report

I don't recall there being much room in Manhattan for bike lanes.

by Fitz157 on Jul 10, 2011 11:54 am • link • report

Fitz157: Definitely. There's not really room for sidewalks either. There's only enough room for roads with automobile-only lanes.

by Gray on Jul 10, 2011 1:27 pm • link • report

I think I'm starting to come around to this sites editorial viewpoint on bicycle-automobile relations. When cars are taking out bikes on the Tour de France maybe we have a problem.

by Kolohe on Jul 10, 2011 1:46 pm • link • report

That CBS New York video is clear proof of the liberal slant of the media...

by Jasper on Jul 10, 2011 3:42 pm • link • report

Perhaps NYC isn't as "progressive" as is usually supposed. New Yorkers can be just as provincial, narrow-minded, and small-c conservative as anyone else, but they also just love telling everyone otherwise.

by Payton on Jul 10, 2011 10:53 pm • link • report

I don't think it's about being progressive as much as it is space constraints.

by Fitz157 on Jul 11, 2011 8:16 am • link • report

RE: NYC Bike Hate

Probably part of it comes from the fact that in NYC most interactions people have with cyclists are with messengers, who are probably the worst offenders in terms of red-light-running, one-way-street-salmoning, etc.

by MLD on Jul 11, 2011 9:05 am • link • report

Re: Capitol Parking Lots

I recall reading somewhere (don't recall where) that AOC was planning to hold at least the Capitol South parking lot for a potential new House Office Building if and when the House grows, or as a possible replacement for the Ford building. The Senate-side lots have always felt like the greater missed opportunity. I'm not going to hold my breath for getting good TOD construction on either - after all, Congress is the same organization that closed off city streets in the name of security (aka: more parking).

by Distantantennas on Jul 11, 2011 9:54 am • link • report

Bike lane now a security threat?

WON'T SOMEBODY *PLEASE* THINK OF THE TERRORISTS!

by oboe on Jul 11, 2011 11:16 am • link • report

Bikes are much smaller than cars, I don't see how the bikes are the ones taking up space.

by Canaan on Jul 11, 2011 11:20 am • link • report