Breakfast links: Bike forward
L Street bike lane begins
DDOT began work on the L Street cycletrack last night. The lane from New Hampshire to 12th will take 3 weeks to build and open in 2- to 3-block segments. DDOT has tweaked the design to add green paint in conflict zones. (DCist, BeyondDC)
Bike infrastructure saves lives
A Canadian study finds that bike injuries fall by half on streets with bike lanes and no parking, compared to shared lanes with on-street parking. Protected bike lanes reduce injuries by 90 percent. (Atlantic Cities)
Bike thief apologizes, advises
After Portland police recovered a stolen bike, the thief wrote an apology, gave the victim $10 for the broken lock, and advised him to buy a U-lock. (ABC News) … Will the thief who took Mary Cheh’s bike do the same? (DCist)
Ban big sodas in DC?
At an at-large debate, Michael Brown, Vincent Orange, and David Grosso all expressed support for a ban on large sodas like the one NYC Mayor Bloomberg has been pushing. The issue arose at an at-large debate. (Post)
Upper 14th Street wants density
Residents responded positively to DC’s plan to redevelop 14th Street north of Columbia Heights with retail and art space. Residents surprised Muriel Bowser with support for more density. (City Paper)
Streetcar task force skips the public
All of the “citizen” members of the streetcar task force represent large real estate interests and institutions, while there are no independent, private citizens. Why? (RPUS)
Prince George’s reconsiders widening streets
Prince George’s planners might back off from proposals in a Greenbelt plan that would have prioritized super-wide streets over walkability. Greenbelt also wants more affordable and senior housing. (Patch)
Fight for transit funds
The McDonnell administration wants to change its transit funding allocations to reward agencies who save the most money, but transit groups say it would force unfair comparisons between very different systems. (Bacon’s Rebellion)
And…
Early voting in DC has begun. (NBC4) … See what it’s like to live on a boat in Southwest. (City Paper) … The WMATA board will review service standards again Thursday. (Post) … Should DC’s wards have their own flags? (Post) … Join WABA now!