Photo by Rob Blatt on Flickr.

Agreement on transpo bill

Congress has reached a deal for transportation funding through September 2014. About half of local bike/ped funding survived, but states can still “opt out” of their share. The House also voted down incentives to deal with distracted driving. (Streetsblog)  

No BRT soon

Several Montgomery councilmembers say the county can’t afford the proposed BRT system anytime soon thanks to a state requirement for more education funding, and a special tax isn’t likely. (Examiner)  

DC would not be alone

Contracting or “privatizing” the streetcar wouldn’t be unusual: Denver is doing the same. (BeyondDC) … But what would be the incentive for a company to finance a streetcar if it can’t make extra money? (RPUS)  

How to fix parking?

Brookings’ Christopher Leinberger, David Alpert, and many others, talked about parking policy at a DC Council roundtable. Ideas included smaller RPP zones and higher rates for RPP stickers. (WJLA)  

Cities grow

DC and other large cities are growing even faster than before, outpacing suburban growth for the first time in decades. Alexandria has also seen explosive growth in the last few months. (Post)  

What about health care?

By encouraging a more sedentary lifestyle, unwalkable communities cost Americans $190 billion a year in health care costs through health risks like diabetes and obesity. (Atlantic Cities)  

And…

US cities are driving most of the nation’s economic competitiveness. (McKinsey, charlie) … LEED might limit plastics and vinyl, but the industry is fighting. (Post) … BRT is working very well in LA. (LAT, charlie) … Lieberman stands up for DC rights. (WT)