Weekend links: Washington versus DC

Weekend links: "Washington" versus DC

by Eric Fidler • August 6, 2011 9:56 am

Photo by ElvertBarnes on Flickr.

NPS hyperventilates on pedicabs: DC has proposed additional pedicab regulations, mostly to address safety. NPS spokesman Bill Line is alarmed at the idea of pedicabs around the Mall: "Someone, frankly, could get killed." (Post)

Union Station v. DC: Union Station is suing DC, claiming the "possessory interest tax" is unconstitutional and violates the Home Rule charter. They don't want to have to collect ~~sales~~ property taxes from for-profit businesses that lease space in the building, even though an adjacent office building would have to do just that. (City Paper)

EoR Circulator route announced: The east of the river Circulator will connect Potomac Avenue to Good Hope Road. Some residents worry it's duplicating existing Metrobus service on Good Hope; DDOT says to think of it as an express line. (DCentric)

Sarles won't go to NYC: Richard Sarles turned down an offer to head the New York MTA, whose head, Jay Walder, just resigned. Sarles says "he's committed to Washington." (Examiner)

Union chief denounces long and short workdays: A national transit union chief says working 2 rush-hour shifts is like doing the jobs of 2 people. However, he's also against hiring part-time bus drivers, dismissing them as dangerously tired. (Streetsblog)

New York putting the 'park' in Park Avenue: The city's 4th annual Summer Streets starts today. Pedestrians and cyclists may enjoy Park Avenue without restriction, clamber up climbing walls, observe statues, and stroll on the roadway. (Streetsblog)

Paved Louisville and put up a parking lot: Seas of surface parking mar much of downtown Louisville, KY, our own Erik Weber found. Louisville has not enjoyed the same downtown revival that has left DC with few downtown surface lots. (Broken Sidewalk)

And...: A German man set a world record parking in a space only 10.24" longer than his car. (Jalopnik) ... Northern Virginia cities and counties keep their top-notch bond ratings, now beating the US Treasury's rating. (Post) ... The DC Office of Zoning has lost its director to big-time developer JBG. (City Paper)

Have a tip or alarmist rhetoric for the links? Submit it here.

14 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.

Comments
Add a comment »

>"They don't want to have to collect sales taxes from for-profit businesses that lease space in the building, even though an adjacent office building would have to do just that."

Lydia didn't say sales tax. She said property tax on the retailers.

by Paul S on Aug 6, 2011 10:33 am • link • report

Oops, fixed.

by David Alpert on Aug 6, 2011 11:32 am • link • report

Bill Line is alarmed at the idea of pedicabs around the Mall: "Someone, frankly, could get killed."

Does that sound like a threat? Is he referring to the overuse of force by Park Police?

by aaa on Aug 6, 2011 12:02 pm • link • report

"Someone, frankly, could get killed."

Yeah, those killer pedicabs are a real nuisance.

Could Line remind us of the last time a pedicab killed someone? Could Line remind us of the main cause of death in National Parks? I rest my case.

by Jasper on Aug 6, 2011 12:21 pm • link • report

When did we add "alarmist rhetoric" to the request for links? I love it!

by Geoffrey Hatchard on Aug 6, 2011 12:57 pm • link • report

Eric adds a different one each time he does the links. It's a nice little touch.

by David Alpert on Aug 6, 2011 1:11 pm • link • report

i want to be the guy who holds Bill Line's job next. yeesh.

by darren on Aug 6, 2011 4:05 pm • link • report

You mean the main cause of death in National Parks isn't wolves and grizzly bears?

by SJE on Aug 6, 2011 4:55 pm • link • report

On the bond ratings links - the first WaPo story is about Moody's rating of various localities. Moody's still rates the federal government at AAA, so the localities still have the same rating as the federal government. As the second story makes clear, it is S&P that downgraded the federal government; the story doesn't say anything about S&P's rating of the localities.

by rock_n_rent on Aug 6, 2011 6:20 pm • link • report

"NPS spokesman Bill Line is alarmed at the idea of pedicabs around the Mall: "Someone, frankly, could get killed."

So, I assume he would support the idea of banning bicycles and pedestrians as well, right? The entire Mall should be accessible only by Tourmobile because it's the only safe option. Citations should be handed out for anyone choosing to walk or ride their bicycle.

by Sam on Aug 6, 2011 6:59 pm • link • report

About the parallel parking world record of fitting the car with only 10" of extra space. That is one way to parallel park, although I don't think it would go over well with the local police. But how does that guy plan to get the car out if the cars on either side don't move?

by AlanF on Aug 6, 2011 7:41 pm • link • report

The DC revolving door of regulators going to work for the regulated is outrageous boarding on corruption.

The federal government has a certain number of years before regulators can employ with firms they "regulated" and that federal law should apply to DC.

by Tom Coumaris on Aug 6, 2011 10:20 pm • link • report

A key difference between Louisville and DC is that DC has transit. Louisville's transit is minimal at best. If you don't have transit, then you have to have parking.

by Kate W. on Aug 7, 2011 4:26 pm • link • report

@Kate W.-But not necessarily surface parking or parking garages without some retail on the ground floor.

by thump on Aug 7, 2011 5:24 pm • link • report