Breakfast links: What’s the law?
U-turns on Penn illegal, really
Mayor Gray will issue a regulation firmly clarifying that U-turns are illegal across the Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes. The DMV had interpreted the law as not forbidding U-turns and dismissing tickets. (DCist)
CMs exempt from parking laws?
Harry Thomas, Jr. asked the DMV to void parking tickets, claiming he was exempt from parking laws. The DMV confirmed that councilmembers are exempt from parking tickets unrelated to safety. (Post)
Bike easier to GMU
Fairfax City wants to improve the bicycle connection between GMU and the Fairfax Metro station. They’ll start by just adding sharrows for now, but that’s a start. (Patch)
Arlington wants more CaBi
Arlington would like to expand its Capital Bikeshare stations by as many as 115, to extend coverage across the county. Arlington currently has around 50 stations, and will add 33 by next summer. (Examiner)
Tiny homes in DC?
Some residents are building tiny homes of less than 200 square feet in Northeast DC’s Stronghold neighborhood, but DC zoning requires lots far wider than needed for such houses, and they can’t qualify for mortgages. (Post)
DC’s most unsafe playgrounds
Ahead of a major effort to refurbish playgrounds next year, DC Parks and Recreation found that 7 parks have “a high probability of injury.” The locations range from the Palisades to east of the Anacostia. (Examiner)
Commutes slower for black folks
African-Americans in several cities face longer commutes than other people, because they disproportionately travel on buses. Cities can push harder for Bus Rapid Transit as one way to alleviate this. (Boston Globe)
Traffic pollution boosts autism?
Autism correlates with pollution from vehicles, a study found. The particulates can affect genes in early development. (Streetsblog)
And…
The Vietnam Veterans’ Education Center will soon break ground on the Mall. (Post) … Why are urban hotels so expensive? (Slate) … Some Fairfax residents want a transportation impact fee on Richmond Highway. (WAMU)