Breakfast links: People out and about
Tourist season brings crowds
With the Cherry Blossom Festival and baseball’s Opening Day coming soon, the Metro will be crowded evenings, especially at Gallery Place when Shady Grove-bound trains still pull to the far end of the platform. Dr. Gridlock discusses the reasons that is still happening and suggests riders try the Circulator and bike valet.
Myers blames the victim
An Examiner article about the impact of iPods on pedestrian crashes makes no mention of any element of driver responsibility in recent tragic crashes, relying entirely on unnamed “witnesses” and one-sided AAA quotes with no mention of any responsibility, even partially, by drivers. (Examiner)
One Texas town trying to stamp out cycling
A Texas man was arrested for commuting to work by bicycle. He was riding in the right-hand lane on a four-lane, 30-mph surface street but was arrested for “impeding traffic.” He does not own a car and cycling is his only means of transportation. (Let Him Ride, Matt’) (Tip: Matt')
Arguing numbers on the Gaithersbungle
Supporters and opponents of the Gaithersburg West project hotly dispute the numbers behind the project, from how much money it will really bring to whether the ensuing traffic is too great or not. (Post)
Wisconsin ripe for a streetcar?
The Examiner discusses efforts to add a Wisconsin Avenue streetcar to DC’s plans. A streetcar would draw many riders, but no real new development. Some residents, of course, say it would “ruin the neighborhood.”
Anti angles
Opponents of redeveloping an Arlington church to include affordable housing are suing to stop the project, alleging the County’s subsidies are excessive and fighting the way the two will share an entrance (Post) … Residents of Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn say a school expanding into its rear parking lot will destroy the very character of the neighborhood, even though parking lots aren’t in character either (Brooklyn Paper via How We Drive) … The Town of Chevy Chase wants to change development rules possibly to specifically stop a three-house plan on a large vacant lot. (Gazette)
Preservation preserves
Preservation rules for the Anacostia Historic District stopped a sloppy replacement of historic windows with cheaper ones that don’t fit the original frames. (And Now, Anacostia)