Breakfast links: Governments for questionable urbanism

by David Alpert • April 19, 2010 9:31 am

Image from Torti Gallas and Partners.

Left hand plans transit, right hand adds parking: ODMPED has asked the H Street Connection developer to add 100 more parking spaces, which the District would pay for and maintain, on top of the already-planned 365 spaces. Residents and the ANC worry about extra traffic. DCist writes, "this debate ... would be largely silenced if there was any kind of reliable way other than a personal vehicle or bicycle to get to H Street. You know, like a streetcar." (Voice of the Hill, Stephen Miller)

Why the hate for form-based codes?: College Park has a plan for walkable, mixed-use development along Route 1 and proposed form-based zoning codes to guide development. But when plans got to the county level, it got considerably muddled, and Councilmember Tom Dernoga even proposed an amendment to prohibit form-based codes entirely in one area. (Rethink College Park)

Cycle-assaulting teens busted: After the driver of a car full of teenagers brushed an Abingdon, VA cyclist, likely intentionally, the cyclist found the car at nearby Emory & Henry College and the police charged the driver. (TheWashCycle)

New bike infrastructure: The Met Branch Trail is almost done from Brookland to NoMA, and Eckington (way better than Spotsylvania) has some nitty gritty details ... the region's first bike box is in Alexandria, and Walter Reed got some sharrows. (WashCycle)

Keeping you Posted: Dr. Gridlock reviews the status of WMATA budget discussions and the feedback from the public hearings ... Henri Cauvin reviews the history of St. Elizabeths and plans to build a new DHS headquarters. (Post)

Ben's on every corner: Ben's Chili Bowl might be adding locations through franchising, Jonathan O'Connell reveals in his new gig at the Post's new Capital Business.

Cable cars and the blue castle: What's that cool-looking blue building at 8th and M SE? Did you know DC once had cable cars? Voice of the Hill looks at the history of this building, originally the cable car barn and now two charter schools.

Have a tip for the links? Submit it here.

8 comments

Tags: links

David Alpert is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Greater Greater Washington and Greater Greater Education. He worked as a Product Manager for Google for six years and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He loves the area which is, in many ways, greater than those others, and wants to see it become even greater.

Comments
Add a comment »

I'm torn on the H St parking space thing.

On one hand, developments like DCUSA were severely overbuilt, while on the other, the H St development will be primarily residential, and is located far from any Metro stops and/or other essential services (ie. a grocery store). If DC can't reliably operate the streetcar at regular intervals, the economic benefits of the line will fail to materialize, and parking will be at a premium.

by andrew on Apr 19, 2010 10:05 am • link • report

As I recall from 100 Years of Capital Traction (alas, I don't have my copy on me right now), cable cars did not last very long in D.C.

by Froggie on Apr 19, 2010 10:08 am • link • report

Seriously, why can't planning people use real words that already exist in English instead of making up stupid incomprehensible portmanteau words like "sharrow"?

by neff on Apr 19, 2010 10:40 am • link • report

from the photo at Walt.R I don't see a difference between bike sharrow and bike lane, except for a painted strip along the left side. Is that it?

by Bianchi on Apr 19, 2010 10:44 am • link • report

Mr. Dernoga has quite the long record as an anti-councilmember. It is a real shame that his views are so calcified and narrow. College Park and Prince George's as a whole has a good opportunity that he is trying to waste.

by Cavan on Apr 19, 2010 10:44 am • link • report

What do you suggest, neff?

by Neil Flanagan on Apr 19, 2010 11:04 am • link • report

I love Ben's but am looking forward to it becoming run of the mill so it's less crowded with tourists and attention-seeking politicians and their motorcades, and then maybe the Alis will think twice about charging $6 for a hot dog.

by Ward 1 Guy on Apr 19, 2010 3:05 pm • link • report

So excited about the Metro Branch Trail...

Is there any discussion of extending the MBT south Â– one whole block Â– to K St? It could bridge over the Greyhound station parking lot, then ramp down to K St if a WMATA substation could be moved a little.

This would extend the trail into the busiest part of 1st St NE, and for bikes it would effectively extend the trail from M st to K St, if the extension ramped down to K St.

by DavidDuck on Apr 19, 2010 11:32 pm • link • report