Breakfast links: How to pay
Taxes needed for Purple Line, CCT
Without a tax increase from the Maryland legislature, design on the Purple Line and Corridor Cities Transitway will come to a halt. (Post)
Gas tax alive and well
Governor McDonnell’s transportation bill might not be completely dead, but his proposal to eliminate the gas tax almost certainly is, say Senate Democrats who initially defeated the plan. (WTOP)
South Cap now has 2 racetracks
DDOT has tweaked the South Capitol bridge plans. The “racetrack” oval will remain, and the circle on the east side will become a second oval, but they will get wide sidepaths for walking and biking. (WABA)
What gets people riding
There’s a positive correlation between the number of jobs and Metro ridership, but that’s not the only thing that effects ridership. Tourists, holidays, special events, and the price of gas all play a role. (PlanItMetro)
More performance for parking
DDOT may expand performance parking to 20 new locations, including Georgetown and Adams Morgan, by early 2014. AAA’s John Townsend is opposed, even though it makes parking easier to find. (WTOP)
Startups can start up
A new “startup accelerator,” 1776, launched yesterday to foster tech startups in the District. Along with private supporters, DC gave it a grant which requires it to stay for 5 years and include at least 20% DC residents. (DCist)
What’s in a name?
Congestion pricing might be a good idea, but is it the wrong term to gain support? “Decongestion pricing”? “Road fares”? (Human Transit)
Less-empty downtown upsets some Clevelanders
As some of Cleveland’s many vacant downtown lots fill in, some people are complaining about parking because all those lots meant people didn’t have to walk a few blocks. (Plain Dealer)
And…
Car2go breaks the 10,000 member mark in DC. (UrbanTurf) … How effective are bike helmets? (WashCycle) … Should DC bring HOV rules to local roads? (RPUS)