Weekend links: Regulations confuse

by Thaddeus Bell • August 4, 2012 8:24 am

Photo by Karol A Olson on Flickr.

Scooter laws trip up: DC has arrested a 64-year-old twice for riding a scooter, because she ignored the laws classifying it as a motorcycle. But the 2nd time, she was trying to deceive police. Mary Cheh has promised to look at the regulations. (NBC4)

Montgomery's uncertain regulations: Montgomery County has many tight regulations, such as a ban on transfats. some have had a positive effect, while the effect of others is unclear. (Post)

Connecticut Ave, illuminated: This November, a section of Connecticut Avenue between Farragut Square and Dupont Circle will have a LED light display in the median, bringing some color to a fairly drab set of blocks. (DCist)

Manassas Park survives debt, foreclosures: Manassas Park, Virginia engaged in a wave of public building at the end of the last boom, and was battered by debt and falling house prices. After several years of austerity, the city is back in the black. (Post)

Oklahomans shift highway plan: Oklahoma City has battled Oklahoma DOT (ODOT) plans to replace an inner-city highway with an elevated near-highway. The opposition has caused the ODOT to revisit their plans. (Streetsblog)

And...: Nashville opens bicycle sharing downtown. (Let's Go Ride A Bike)... 14th and Corcoran NW will get a 7-story mixed-use development. (DCmud)... An Alexandria brewery unveiled a new beer named after June's derecho. (DCist)

Have a tip for the links? Submit it here.

Update: Thaddeus originally led the links with an item about lanes on the Wilson Bridge which turned out to be an incorrect summary. I've therefore pulled that one out of the set.

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The Bridge has been five lanes since the second "new" span was completed (2 thru and 3 local). The roads connecting to the bridge are what is being finished and have finally opened to five lanes. It's probably worth mentioning the purpose of the lanes so it doesn't come across as another anti-road comment.

by selxic on Aug 4, 2012 8:56 am • link • report

Given that the summary was inaccurate and the news article not very detailed in any event, I have removed that item and changed the title/picture accordingly.

by David Alpert on Aug 4, 2012 11:03 am • link • report

Well it's good that the scooter standards are being looked at, I'm not even close to an expert but in my experience I have seen many scooters that approach the size or form of a motorcycle. It shouldn't be hard to look at engine size and maybe a couple of other things.

by Drumz on Aug 5, 2012 11:11 am • link • report

This is good . . . "I don't like the scooter laws so I don't have to obey them".

Yes, the classification of scooters and motorcycles doesn't entirely make sense, and should be reevaluated. But I could say the same thing about speed limits on various roads.

Given the wacky scooter driving in DC, at a minimum scooters (as commonly understood, not as defined by the law) should be required to have a license plate and the drivers have a license. Fine if it's not a motorcycle license.

As for parking, why should they be parkable on the sidewalk? Scooters aren't tiny any more and take up a lot of sidewalk space.

by ah on Aug 6, 2012 9:43 am • link • report

Oh the scooter article.

Getting a motorcycle cert and getting your vehicle registered is not that difficult.

I think sidewalk parking is fine as long as there is room to keep it out of the way. A 250cc scooter might be too big for the sidewalk but a smaller one doesn't take up much more room than a bicycle. If Barrie Daneker got $300 in tickets parking on the sidewalk I have to assume he was parking like a jerk. If you are getting dinged constantly for something others seem to do with ease, then maybe take a look at yourself.

by MLD on Aug 6, 2012 10:38 am • link • report