Photo by Amsterdamized on Flickr.

How the Dutch became cyclists again

The Netherlands only became the cycling example it is today because of public outcry over road deaths, sprawl, and the demolition of their cities to make way for cars. (Brain Pickings)  

Exurban sprawl stopped

Charles County smart growth and environmental activists stopped the Cross County Connector, which would have destroyed 6 acres of wetlands and brought 2,000 new houses to a sensitive creek watershed. (Post)  

A tale of two high-speed rails

California would do well to learn from Spain’s high-speed rail system. The Spanish system cut car travel in half in its service area. (Sacramento Bee)  

Metro deaths remain a mystery

The separate deaths of two men found on the tracks outside Metro stations remain mysterious, as there are no more leads to follow. The men were found at different stations than where they typically travel. (Examiner)  

Counties should help pay pensions

Governor Martin O’Malley will likely propose that counties take more teacher pension costs, rather than the state shouldering the bulk of the burden. The plan may include new revenue authority for the counties. (Post)  

A Midtown facelift

New York wants to rezone Midtown and encourage office redevelopment. New York is concerned its offices will become second-class over time, as 71% of Midtown’s buildings are already more than 50 years old. (WSJ)  

Comments can be vicious

As everyone knows, many Washington Post comments are awful. Their interactivity editor notes in the comments that they are considering changes. Might our comment policy or Huffington Post’s provide better examples?  

And…

The Silver Spring transit center is now delayed “indefinitely” because a contractor poured concrete improperly. (Post) … A driver killed an 8-year-old boy in Alexandria. (Examiner) … NYC bikeshare bikes will have GPS built in. (Streetsblog)