Breakfast links: Bumps in the road
Keep on Circulating
DDOT announced late yesterday evening that the Circulator will remain on Wisconsin Avenue. That portion was planned for removal for budget reasons, but resident and business outcry swayed officials. Mayor Fenty will announce the non-change this morning. There is no word yet about where the money will come from or any other details. (Georgetown Metropolitan)
Bumps cause conflict in Chevy Chase
The number of speed humps has risen from around 100 to 808 in recent years, and many have triggered neighborhood wars. The fiercest fighting was in Chevy Chase, DC, where drivers started honking to protest the impedance on their perogative to speed. Also, many allege that speed humps on one street simply divert traffic to neighboring streets, pitting block against block. (Post, merarch) (Tip: merarch)
National Harbor II
Prince George’s has approved Westphalia Town Center, yet another in a string of “walkable” and “mixed-use” yet very distant developments not served by transit. A business leader even called it “another National Harbor.” (Post, Cavan) (Tip: Cavan)
No houses without massive road construction
One reason Prince George’s County keeps building huge, distant developments is that it’s so hard to build anything closer in. For example, Berwyn Heights rejected a plan for 151 townhouses because they want the developer to widen a bunch of roads (and build a sidewalk) before doing so. (Gazette)
MWAA, the Major Widening Aspirations Association?
The regional TPB and its member jurisdictions may have applied for a TIGER stimulus grant, but that hasn’t stopped the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority from applying for a competing one, mostly for road widenings in Loudoun and interchanges in Fairfax, along with some money for the Silver Line. (WBJ)
Md. cameras will come slowly
On October 1, Maryland jurisdictions can start operating speed cameras (in addition to Montgomery, which already could). However, only Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Frederick City are ready or close to ready to implement them. The program includes many restrictions, including a cap on fines, limiting locations to only spots near schools, restrictions on hours (why is speeding okay at night and on weekends?), and more. (WTOP, Froggie) (Tip: Froggie)
Failing not bailing the housing market
The federal government is pouring more and more money into mortgages. Unlike the banking bailout, however, all this federal money isn’t sparking any recovery in the real estate market. With the vast majority of FHA loans going to fund car-dependent sprawl, does this mean that real estate in distant car-dependent places no longer has enough value to sell even when heavily subsidized? (Slate, Cavan) (Tip: Cavan)