Does the first link belong?

by selxic on Mar 14, 2013 8:56 am • link • report

"not gays" only gay marriage and adoption. For gays and lesbians the official church position is that they deserve the dignity, respect, love and be treated with understanding and compassion. So saying he doesn't like gay people is a little much, but he, like most of church needs to practice a little more understanding and compassion when dealing the gay community.

by RJ on Mar 14, 2013 9:06 am • link • report

WTF? How does the pope have anything to do with GGW?

In terms of overtime, it is national trend right now, overtime is way high for everyone. Not excusing WMATA but putting it into context.

Any shocker on Bikeshare in the distant suburbs of College Park? No. Invest in the core, not the suburbs.

by charlie on Mar 14, 2013 9:08 am • link • report

Random question: Does anyone else always read Alta as Altria and get really confused?

by selxic on Mar 14, 2013 9:12 am • link • report

While the Metro station isn't in the most convenient location, College Park is just as "urban" as many parts of DC. Route 1 in DC and up to College Park (only a couple miles) is relatively "urban" and not a distant suburb.

by selxic on Mar 14, 2013 9:18 am • link • report

Route 1 in DC and up to College Park (only a couple miles) is relatively "urban" and not a distant suburb.

True, but not relevant to the point - CP is very distant from the rest of the Capital Bikeshare network, and therefore would require a lot more deadhead time for CaBi employees to rebalance, do maintenance, etc. Hence the higher costs.

by Alex B. on Mar 14, 2013 9:20 am • link • report

Selxic, I think the issue is distance from Alta's base of operation in SW DC if I'm not mistaken. College park would be somewhat far and there aren't a lot of intermediate stations between though it does seem like a major university is a no-brainer for eventual expansion.

by Alan B. on Mar 14, 2013 9:21 am • link • report

Saying that the Pope does not like gays is offensive and really bad journalism. Offensive because one normally does not make gratuitous and irrelevant negative comments about someone their first day after selection. Bad journalism because you just made up that fact--there is no evidence that he does not like gays.

But thanks for resisiting the temptation to say that he doesn't like women.

by JimT on Mar 14, 2013 9:30 am • link • report

Also I don't really think GGW is a place to discuss the Catholic Church whatever your opinion is, policies on bus ridership not withstanding.

by Alan B. on Mar 14, 2013 9:31 am • link • report

I was addressing charlie's point, Alex B.

I imagine the eight station cluster in College Park was to be used primarily by students or staff around campus almost as part of an independent system and not trips into DC.

by selxic on Mar 14, 2013 9:32 am • link • report

Interesting news about 16th Street buses from yesterday's ANC 2B meeting -- additional southbound morning service south of Columbia Road (using another loop pattern that's different from the previous proposals seen on GGW) could start as early as two weeks from now. I think I saw Malouff in the audience at the ANC meeting, so I figure there'll be a GGW post on it later today.

by iaom on Mar 14, 2013 9:32 am • link • report

Aesthetically, D.C.’s current problem isn’t its horizontality—which brings us sunlight and a certain village-like charm

Truly, that's the wonder of walking along K Street.

by drumz on Mar 14, 2013 9:33 am • link • report

I imagine the eight station cluster in College Park was to be used primarily by students or staff around campus almost as part of an independent system and not trips into DC.

It would likely function as a separate pod, yes. But having a separate system makes no sense when CaBi continues to grow. Likewise, if you were a UMD student and wanted to use bikeshare in both College Park and in DC, you would then need two memberships.

Bikeshare requires a certain scale to operate successfully. College Park, at this time, is too far away from the rest of the network to thrive as a 'pod' (the same way that Crystal City or Alexandria are today) but too close to be a standalone system, and the plans were too small to sustain critical mass in and of itself.

by Alex B. on Mar 14, 2013 9:41 am • link • report

I'm sorry if the pope link offended people. I've changed the title. The titles are meant to be whimsical rather than precise, but of course there is an appropriate balance to strike.

As for "why does this belong on GGW," anything we want to post on GGW belongs on GGW. Period. If you don't agree with something, debate the truth or falsity of it in the comments.

Sometimes we lead the breakfast links with things that a lot of people are talking about. The links the day after the Super Bowl had a Poe/Ravens theme. That is not related to GGW either.

I intend to continue running things in the Breakfast Links that the editors think appropriate. Feel free to skip over any links not to your liking.

But we don't want to misrepresent the pope's views and I've changed the link.

by David Alpert on Mar 14, 2013 9:42 am • link • report

Alex

FYI, George Mason U has an independent bike sharing system (now IIUC), seperate from CaBi and Alta.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 14, 2013 9:46 am • link • report

@ charlie:Invest in the core, not the suburbs.

How is UMD not in the core of DC? It's 6 miles, a mere 17 minutes biking from the nearest station on 12th & Newton St.

Is Alexandria a suburb from DC? Their bikes do well.

DC-centric view.

by Jasper on Mar 14, 2013 9:49 am • link • report

How is UMD not in the core of DC? It's 6 miles, a mere 17 minutes biking from the nearest station on 12th & Newton St.

Six miles is a long freaking way on one of those CaBi bikes. Also since when would biking 6 miles take 17 minutes?! More like nearly an hour at average Cabi speeds.

by MLD on Mar 14, 2013 9:54 am • link • report

I agree CP is a seamless part of the urban fabric from "the core", but I'm not so sure its just a 17min bike ride from CP to 12th & Newton NE. Not for me anyway.

by Tina on Mar 14, 2013 9:56 am • link • report

@AWalkerInTheCity: But Mason is further out than UMD, no? (I'm seriously asking - I'm a Virginia boy with no sense of distances.) It's more theoretically possible to want to take the bikeshare into DC from UMD than from Mason.

by Ser Amantio di Nicolao on Mar 14, 2013 9:58 am • link • report

Wash Post article on the 2012 population numbers: wish they had listed what the growth numbers were for each county and city in the greater DC Metro region. The article focuses on the short term picture as I expect most newspapers will for their city.

The NY Times today states that NYC has increased in population by 161K since 2010, which is significant growth for only a 2 year period. The Baltimore Sun reports that Baltimore grew by 1100, which could be a sign that the city is finally turning around after decades of declining population. Will be interesting to see what the numbers and trends are for the eastern and Midwest cities.

by AlanF on Mar 14, 2013 9:59 am • link • report

Jaspers broader point in response to charlie is on point though. CP is on the green line and will have Purple line service by the end of the decade, making it a key transfer point, and has TOD plans (as well as an existing population thats a good bet for bikesharing) And bikesharing is not an investment on the scale of a heavy rail line. It may not be a good fit for CaBi at the present time - that raises a broader issue of how places with good charecteristics for bike share, but some distance from the core CaBi system are to best be accommodated (its something FFX will soon be facing, first at Tysons, and then at RTC). But the notion that CP should not have bikeshare investment because its a "distant" suburb seems to me to be incorrect.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 14, 2013 10:00 am • link • report

Ser

yes, I suppose. But there are certainly GMU students who go to DC, arlington, and alexandria from time to time, and they would still have to have two memberships to use both systems.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 14, 2013 10:02 am • link • report

By charlie's logic, we shouldn't have put Bikeshare in Old Town, even though one would see CaBi bikes in Old Town long before the city joined the program.

by Froggie on Mar 14, 2013 10:09 am • link • report

Well the criticism of "expand in the core, not the 'burbs" is just pointless since CP is paying for bikeshare itself. It's not like it's siphoning money from DC.

And the suggestion that a place 8 miles from the city center is the "core" is also ridiculous. Is Newton the "core" of the Boston region? Cherry Hill, NJ the "core" of Philadelphia? Don't take "suburb" as an insult.

by MLD on Mar 14, 2013 10:14 am • link • report

@ MLD:Also since when would biking 6 miles take 17 minutes?!

Sorry. My mistake. 45 minutes biking. Still not an eternity.
Perhaps DC can add some stations in NE to make gap smaller.

by Jasper on Mar 14, 2013 10:16 am • link • report

large parts of DC are not the core, and the parts of ArlCo from Crystal City to the Pentagon, and Rosslyn (if not the whole RB corridor) arguably are the core.

But yeah, CP is not the core. But its not "a distant suburb" either. Its more a middle suburb, but with demographic and modal charecteristics of an inner suburb.

The challenge in meeting the demand for WUPs is going to have to me be met in large part in such places, and the attitude charlie expresses is not so much something that will strengthen the district, as it will strengthen the maintenance of autocentrism and sprawl.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 14, 2013 10:19 am • link • report

The pope didn't just ride the bus, but the train too -- the Wall Street Journal has what looks to be a fairly recent photo of him on the Buenos Aires subway.
No word on whether he ever analyzed Buenos Aires public transit proposals in the comment boards of Mejor Mejor Buenos Aires.

by Mike on Mar 14, 2013 10:24 am • link • report

Keep in mind that Montco is planning on adding CaBi to Silver Spring and Takoma Park (3-4 miles from College Park). With the Purple line coming, CaBi in this area is crucial to solve last mile transport problems in these less-dense areas.

@Nicolao: College Park --> White House = ~8 miles (as the crow flies). GMU --> White House = ~15 miles.

by Nick on Mar 14, 2013 10:30 am • link • report

This morning's stat that got me was that DC house prices are up 12.1% in a year and condo prices are up 9.2%.

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2013/03/dc-condo-market-heats-up.html

Unfortunately an hour later the post man dropped off news that the Office of T&R-Real Property Tax Administration agrees.

People who think homeowners with appreciation are in fat city don't realize how expensive that "appreciation" is.

by Tom Coumaris on Mar 14, 2013 10:34 am • link • report

While the pope may not hate gays, he is a well known and vocal opponent of various gay-friendly amendments, including leading opposition to Argentina's gay marriage bills.

Re WMATA overtime:
Yes, perhaps they are understaffed. Perhaps also there is mismanagement of the overtime system: why aren't things getting done in the regular times assigned to tasks? Management not being realistic? Workers gaming the system?
In my own workplace, we had some abusers of the overtime system, so now overtime has to be approved and explained by a manager, and the manager has to justify the need.

by SJE on Mar 14, 2013 10:35 am • link • report

@Nick: Thanks. It always feels longer - given where I live it takes about as long to get to College Park as it does to get to Mason.

@AWalkerInTheCity: Hrmm. Another thought: there's more to College Park as a college town than there is to Mason. It makes sense for Mason's bikeshare to be self-contained, as I don't see much in the way of off-campus stuff in Fairfax. College Park near the campus is much better defined, as I recall.

Not that I have a horse in this race, mind; if CaBi wanted to take over the Mason bikeshare, too, that might be an interesting proposition, though it would be a bit of an island far away.

by Ser Amantio di Nicolao on Mar 14, 2013 10:36 am • link • report

As for "why does this belong on GGW," anything we want to post on GGW belongs on GGW.

I like the below mission statement much better than the above one. Why not make GGW about "improving the vitality of DC" rather than a place to post whatever you want?

Greater Greater Washington is devoted to improving the vitality of Washington, DC and the walkable cities and communities in the Washington metropolitan area.

by Falls Church on Mar 14, 2013 10:38 am • link • report

It's a privately owned blog. The author can talk about whatever he wants to talk about.

by Michael on Mar 14, 2013 10:40 am • link • report

GGW often links to non washington area transit/biking stories. I think the link to the Pope's modal choices was a natural. The "contrast" to his position on another issue that comes up here from time to time, I saw as an attempt at humor. Not all such attempts work, naturally.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 14, 2013 10:41 am • link • report

RE: Metro Overtime
Agree with SJE, there seems to be among the media and WMATA critics this idea that "lots of overtime" is an inherently bad thing without consider the reasons WHY there is a lot of overtime.

That said, it seems obvious from the outside that a lot about how WMATA functions and is managed needs a serious overhaul.

by MLD on Mar 14, 2013 10:48 am • link • report

I think there's just some underestimation of the viability of Bikeshare in College Park. As a college campus it's heavy on bikes. I know when I was a freshman I wish I had more of the option of a bike on campus until I finally buckled down for one. A lot of students would wish for a bike but don't think about it on their initial entry there.

Spreading stations at a few key nodes around campus (Byrd Stadium, South Campus Commons, Shops on Route 1, CP Metro, Stamp Student Union, McKeldin Library, heck even PG Plaza, etc.) would more than easily support itself.

It can be self inclusive for a while, like Alexandria for example. But as soon as the Purple line is avaliable, we can certainly expect more connectivity.

Think of this as an anchor to a future expansion in the area. They have to get their foot in sometime and establish a client base.

And if you're worried it can't make connections to DC currently, Route 1 isn't the only option; College Park also has connections via the NE Branch Trail that can make cruising into DC as accessible as Bethesda is to Georgetown via the Capital Cresent or from Alexandria to Arlington/Georgetown via the Mount Vernon Trail.

What would really be nice is an easier connection west to Silver Spring. Some exist, but they're along some pretty busy roads. Alternatively you can take the Branch trail to Sligo Creek, but it's a lot longer. Still, it's doable and scenic to boot.

by Swftkat on Mar 14, 2013 10:48 am • link • report

There has been some discussion in Mt. Rainier, MD regarding adding a bike share station as well. I don't think that it makes sense for us to do so at this point though, not until there is greater density along Rt. 1 and RI Ave, NE. The only use I see for CaBi in Mt. Rainier is to and from W. Hyattsville Metro and/or the new shops (Busboys, etc.) in Hyattsville.
It could make sense for CP right now as they have a larger population and a group of stations there will probably be self-contained w/ not a lot of long trips into DC. I do wonder about re-balancing.

by thump on Mar 14, 2013 10:50 am • link • report

GGW posts about things that make Greater Washington great. Transit is one thing, gay marriage is another (sadly VA does not participate in this fun). The pope uses transit, sees opposition to gay marriage as a war. Generally, you do not 'like' the people you're at war with.

It is worth noting that about half the world got a new leader yesterday (China got a new president as well). In both cases, not much will change anyway.

by Jasper on Mar 14, 2013 10:55 am • link • report

I think there's just some underestimation of the viability of Bikeshare in College Park. As a college campus it's heavy on bikes.

Don't get me wrong, bikeshare is very viable in College Park and on a campus environment.

The problem is that no matter how viable the market, you need a certain scale to make it work. SmartBike in DC didn't do so well because it did not have sufficient scale (only 10 stations). A 'pod' on the order of about 10 stations can work, so long as it is attached to the larger network (see Alexandria), but that smaller size will be less efficient to serve - which is why Alta's operating costs for College Park increased.

If the University and College Park were willing to invest more upfront, I think you could solve this problem of scale. Likewise, packaging this with expansion in Montgomery County and Prince George's.

So, no one is saying it can't work. But they are saying it will be less efficient at the scale that is proposed and given the distance from the core of the existing CaBi system, and Alta's pricing reflects that.

by Alex B. on Mar 14, 2013 10:56 am • link • report

@Jasper; actually, I am pretty sure the bikes in Alexandria are not going to be used much, and you're going to have some of the same problems with Alta.

As we are seeing, the "pods" in Arlington (R-B, CC), Alexandria, and EOTR aren't being used as much. In terms of Arlington I'd say they are still being used, the ones in Alexandria have potential, and the ones EOTR as still a waste.

Bikeshare in College Park, Rockville, etc is also going to be a waste. Two reasons -- the alta stuff already mentioned Also by letting maryland in you're sharing tourist revenue; right now the dollars from MD residents is getting taken by DC.

In terms of the pope, obvioulsy GGW can post whatever they want. However, that slur is indicative of the culturewar under the surface. Obviously, the pope is anti urban, pro car, anti-gay, anti-sex and anti-fun -- despite living in a city that is 50x more vital and alive than DC. (BA, not Rome. Rome is 100x)

I remember actualy hearing the statement that he asked all the priests in Argentina to read over Easter during the crisis. Amazing stuff. It is too bad he is so old, because he has balls of iron. Tax the hell out the rich...the (very wealthy) friends I was staying with had to walk out of mass it was so marxist.

@Drumz, and yes, the light is a big reason why K st was nice to work on. Much more light than the new downtown.

by charlie on Mar 14, 2013 10:58 am • link • report

It's a privately owned blog. The author can talk about whatever he wants to talk about.

Of course. The authors/contributors can talk about cooking recipes if they want to. I'm just saying which mission statement I like better and more importantly, which mission statement will more likely lead to the results the authors/contributors are interested in.

For example, Google's mission statement is "Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." They could have just as easily made their mission "Google's mission is to do whatever Larry Page and Sergey Brin damn well please". But, the latter mission probably would not have resulted in achieving the goals the founders had in mind.

GGW often links to non washington area transit/biking stories. I think the link to the Pope's modal choices was a natural.

I'm not debating that.

by Falls Church on Mar 14, 2013 11:01 am • link • report

@RJ, Jim and others, re the pope.

the original "not gays," is correct. He has affirmed the church teaching that homosexual acts are immoral. Saying he likes gays is the same as if he said he "likes women," but thinks that having sex with one will send you both to hell.

In addition, his specific statements on either of the two gay rights issues he is on record against are well beyond any measured response that would put him in the "OK with gays, just not gay adoption/marriage" camp.

It's interesting to me that the breakfast links so often lead off with a non transit/growth news item, and do so without comment. But not today.

by CJ on Mar 14, 2013 11:01 am • link • report

https://gmu.viacycle.com/

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 14, 2013 11:19 am • link • report

Falls Church: It's funny you use Google, because despite their mission statement, it really is "Google's mission is to do whatever Larry Page and Sergey Brin damn well please."

For example, self-driving cars aren't really about organizing the world's information. It's a great project, will do a lot for mobility, but isn't really part of Google's core mission except under a very tortured reading of the mission statement.

The company invested in a personal DNA sequencing company mostly because Sergey's wife was a co-founder. It had some information connection, sure, but really was also kind of random except that Sergey cared about it.

by David Alpert on Mar 14, 2013 11:19 am • link • report

@charlie: I am pretty sure the bikes in Alexandria are not going to be used much

What makes you say that? I can certainly see pitfalls for Alexandria in the way the stations are laid out, but I think there's certainly some potential there.

by Ser Amantio di Nicolao on Mar 14, 2013 11:20 am • link • report

Mixed-use developments reduce crime? I'm pretty sure there was another article posted here a few days ago that said crime is lower in strictly residential areas. Why the contrast?

by Chris S. on Mar 14, 2013 11:22 am • link • report

" But, the latter mission probably would not have resulted in achieving the goals the founders had in mind."

I don't know. They seem well along the way to turn us into little human batteries in skyscrapers.

@ Ser Amantio di Nicolao, yes, as I said, potential, but they should have put a lot more in rather than getting their toes wet.

by charlie on Mar 14, 2013 11:25 am • link • report

@Drumz, and yes, the light is a big reason why K st was nice to work on. Much more light than the new downtown.

Well

A. What's the new downtown? Where is that?
B. What about "village-like" charm and where can I find that in new or old downtown?

by drumz on Mar 14, 2013 11:26 am • link • report

For gays and lesbians the official church position is that they deserve the dignity, respect, love and be treated with understanding and compassion.

But only if they remain celibate their entire lives. How about you go through life unable to engage in sex and see how "liked" you feel.

by Vicente Fox on Mar 14, 2013 11:26 am • link • report

"How about you go through life unable to engage in sex and see how "liked" you feel."

er you do realize it was a comment about the new Pope that started this? I guess he fells "liked".

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 14, 2013 11:30 am • link • report

I guess you could ask the Pope that question.

by Chris S. on Mar 14, 2013 11:30 am • link • report

I hope that College Park gets CaBi because the bigger the system gets, the better it is for everyone. CaBi is the best solution for the last mile problem and the more area that the system covers, the more likely residents (including Maryland students) are to use it. If I was Alta, I would seriously considering absorbing the extra (short-term) costs in light of the extra subscriptions that it would generate.

by Thad on Mar 14, 2013 11:34 am • link • report

er you do realize it was a comment about the new Pope that started this?

Read the first comment.

by Vicente Fox on Mar 14, 2013 11:50 am • link • report

Yeah I guess I missed the original time. However...

As for "why does this belong on GGW," anything we want to post on GGW belongs on GGW. Period.

And let the church say amen, amen, and Amen again. In all seriousness, I was really confused why "that" was the question. Confused because gay marriage has been discussed on here many times before. Is it because you disagree w/the view, or, that it's a matter of religion?

Either way, we don't discuss autoerotic asphyxiation because it's WELLLL understood that GGW ain't getting it in like that. But we do discuss gay marriage and other social issues. If we truly believed GGW isn't the place to discuss the Pope's view on gay marriage, then why has the POTUS' view been so welcomed? I believe the cause nears the edge of intolerance.

by HogWash on Mar 14, 2013 11:59 am • link • report

While I am not Catholic, I think its attitude toward sexuality can be summed up by recalling an old joke of a man in the confessional:
"Father, I have sinned. I have killed."
"How many times my son?"

by goldfish on Mar 14, 2013 12:01 pm • link • report

@David Alpert. I'm Episcoplian, so anything you say about the Pope is funny to me. I hate to admit that I didn't know we had a Pope until I saw the Breakfast link. Glad you corrected the facts, and I agree with your efforts to be whimsical.

On some topics, it is hard to be whimsical, concise, and tastefu. I probably would have sacrificed brevity:

The new Pope doesn't like gay marriage, but he sure likes buses, trains, and small apartments. Stance on parking: unclear.

by JimT on Mar 14, 2013 1:26 pm • link • report

He's just "Pope Francis", he won't be "Pope Francis I" until there's a "Pope Francis II".

And yeah, saying you can't have sex and can't get married is a heck of a way to say "I like you guys/gals".

by Ryan on Mar 14, 2013 1:39 pm • link • report

Well, since you brought it up, what is the Pope's stance on autoerotic asphyxiation? Is there a potential break with tradition here?

by Chris S. on Mar 14, 2013 1:41 pm • link • report

@drumz; new downtown is metro center, as opposed to K st. Less light, more floorspace, and perect for big law firms.

I can't help with you the village, but the number of out of towners who have commented to me on the light in office buildings (and elswhere) is pretty high.

by charlie on Mar 14, 2013 1:43 pm • link • report

Well you figured without the restriction on height that'd allow for greater flexibility in designing floorplans.

by drumz on Mar 14, 2013 1:56 pm • link • report

How is UMD not in the core of DC? It's 6 miles, a mere 17 minutes biking from the nearest station on 12th & Newton St.

Just to put this into perspective, the distance from RFK to Georgetown (which is essentially the entire width of DC's CaBi system) is about 5 miles. So yes, a six mile "dead zone" is pretty significant. It's not about urban chauvinism, but rather throwing away money on something that won't work.

CP Cabi may work. It may not. But if it does, it will be as a self-contained system. There won't be a significant number of trips between DC and CP on Cabi.

by oboe on Mar 14, 2013 2:01 pm • link • report

@Jasper, the catholic church's "membership" is far over-stated. It used to be, that if you were baptized but not confirmed, they'd let you off the rolls. Now, no one can get off after a little water has been sprinkled over their infant head. Personally, I was both baptized (as an infant) and confirmed (as a teenager, because my parents made me - no, I really didn't want to after going through my confirmation classes). My confirmation was the last time I attended mass, and the last time I set foot in a catholic church was for my brother's wedding, and my SIL said before hand "just try not to burst into flames when you walk through the door, okay?" I believe almost NOTHING of what they say (there are some folks really do believe in selflessly helping others, and that I can get behind), but I'm still officially counted among their "flock." I'm certainly not the only non-believer they use to bolster their numbers.

CaBi has some expansion plans in NE that will make CP a much more reasonable destination/origin. But I agree with others that bikeshare is not simply meant as a way to get from wherever to/from the core. And allowing members to use the same system, with one fee, one key, etc. where they live and ALSO as a last-mile when they come to the city or other nearby suburbs makes the most sense. You shouldn't have to shuffle multiple keys and fees to use a valuable transit asset in two places separated by only a few miles and a Metro ride.

by Ms. D on Mar 14, 2013 7:21 pm • link • report

@ Ryan - "He's just 'Pope Francis', he won't be 'Pope Francis I' until there's a 'Pope Francis II'."

Yes, kind of like I will be known as "Frank IBC", not "Frank IBC, Sr." or "Frank IBC II" unless and until there is a "Frank IBC, Jr." or "Frank IBC III".

by Frank IBC on Mar 14, 2013 8:36 pm • link • report

Well, he is first, isn't he? I say let him enjoy the title while he's still around.

by Chris S. on Mar 14, 2013 8:40 pm • link • report