Breakfast links: Here comes the train again
Crack is whack for Metro
Two early morning rail cracks caused delays yesterday on Metro. The cracks were caused by the cold weather and not the aging infrastructure. (Examiner)
VRE going without Wi-Fi
VRE is backing off from plans to offer Wi-Fi on its trains. It was originally planned for 2011, but now it might not happen in 2012 due to funding constraints. (Examiner)
Brookland development gets ANC OK
The Colonel Brooks Tavern mixed-use project in Brookland won ANC approval. Supporters overcame devoted opposition to convince ANC 5A to approve the project. (City Paper)
Traffic studies unbelievable but true
Neighbors often don’t believe traffic consultants when they say new development will cause minimal new traffic, but those consultants are counting on mixed uses, transit, and changing behavior. (City Paper)
CaBi may soon get ads
DDOT officials are working on getting corporate sponsorship for CaBi. Any advertising would only be on DC stations and bikes, as Arlington can’t legally fund the system through corporate sponsorship. No word on how DC bikes crossing into Arlington will be handled. (HuffPo)
Emergency pedicab regulations permanent
DDOT is now enforcing emergency pedicab regulations indefinitely. Pedicab groups say the regulations, supposed to expire after 180 days, were made permanent without any consultation. (TheWashCycle)
A strong core is key to health
A study by the Cleveland Fed suggests cities that maintained their downtown density had economically healthier regions than cities whose downtowns emptied out. (Streetsblog)
And…
Now you can play PlanMaryland. (Smart Growth Maryland, Jaime Fearer) … Between 2007 and 2010, the average car buyer age jumped from 52 to 56. (AOL, Matt Johnson) … 2011 was not a great year for Ward 5. (RPUS)