Posts about Links

Bollards unhelpful: Arlington is installing bollards on its trails which don't seem to be necessary. There haven't been any issues with encroaching cars any any of the locations, and the bollards could actually endanger cyclists. (CommuterPageBlog)

Purple Line needs gas: Maryland's rejection of a gas tax hike could delay the Purple Line. The state will likely have to choose between it and Baltimore's Red Line first, and delay the other for 5 years. (Post)

Bike LA: Biking is on the rise Los Angeles thanks to new infrastructure, high gas prices, congestion, and several large group rides. Also, friction between bikes and cars is likely blown out of proportion. (NYT)

And...: Mayor Gray is looking for restaurants for the St. Elizabeth's campus. (Washing­ton Times) ... Take a tour Northern Virginia development projects. (Post) ... Is the Potomac not most endangered river after all? (Post)

What billions buys: Arlington's manager wants $2.45 billion for the next decade's worth of capital projects, including road repair, the Columbia Pike streetcar, an aquatic center, and a host of other community upgrades and repairs. (Post)

Pay camera tickets: If a car owner gets a DC traffic camera ticket today, they can tell the DMV who was driving, and DC has to collect from that person. A bill would end this practice, and also reduce penalties for not paying camera tickets. (Examiner)

Pop under in Dupont: The Dupont Underground has languished so long without a major financial backer that the steering board is considering short-term leases of the space. Such pop-ups would raise visibility, but the board fears it would poorly brand the project and make it less attractive to institutional investment. (City Paper)

Studies say: The Arizona DOT found that denser, mixed-use areas have lower traffic, fewer cars per person, and shorter trips for errands. (Streetsblog) ... Walk Score correlates with higher housing prices. (Market Urbanism)

Parking's blight: Downtown Philadelphia is a bustling, walkable urban center thanks in part to transit-oriented development in years past. Alas, with more parking coming to the city center, the neighborhood's charms are threatened. (Philly.com)

And...: An artist makes portraits of subway riders using only paper and scissors. (NYT) ... Montgomery gets an interim planning head, Rose Krasnow. (Gazette) ... One resident is unhappy with the choice of BRT for the the Corridor Cities Transitway. (Patch)

Higher vs. better: Amidst the debate about DC's height limit, it's easy to forget that some of the classiest, most cherished neighborhoods have relatively moderate density. The argument is that walkability, not skyscrapers, makes a place great. (Atlantic Cities)

Hatch's unintended acts: DC wants out from under the Hatch Act, and it's not just a matter of sovereignty. Under current provisions, District employees, including the Attorney General, cannot run for office without first resigning. (Washington Times)

The warriors may serve: Sikhs may now wear turbans and beards on the job as police officers in MPD. It is the first police department in the US to allow adherents of the faith to do so. (AP via WSJ)

And...: A Prince William mixed-use proposal failed to draw a single bid, so it's back to the drawing board. (WBJ) ... Frequent biking can lead to problems "down there" for men and women, depending on handlebar configuration. (Medical Daily, Xavier) ... The GOP may be willing to part with the Keystone Pipeline in the transportation bill. (The Hill)

FoBo finally done: Work on the Foggy Bottom Metro station entrance is finally complete with the opening of the staircase after nearly a year of construction. The project replaced the escalators and added a canopy overhead. (TBD)

Height limiting: Sommer Mathis gives a useful overview of DC's height act and the current density and development debates in the context of CityCenterDC. (Architect)

Why part of 14th isn't changing: Several successive developers have tried to buy out the condo owners in 14th and S's 1977 complex, but never successfully, either because owners didn't want to move, thought they could hold out for more, or mistrust the white members of their board. (City Paper)

No legal takers for storefront: A clothing store on 14th Street is closing. Only restaurants want to move in, but zoning restricts new restaurants, so the owner can't find anyone to take over the space. (Borderstan)

Bet you can get there: Want to gamble at the casino opening up in Arundel Mills but don't have a car? It's possible to get there via public transportation. (Robert Dyer)

And...: Sand Box John has some renderings of the Dulles Airport Silver Line station ... Could something like the Baby Cafe in Tokyo, which creates space for both children and adults, work here? (Child Mode) ... The free, temporary art exhibition Artomatic opens tomorrow in Crystal City. (RPUS)

Roads getting safer: DC is on pace to have a record low number of traffic fatalities (just 6 so far this year), suggesting safety initiatives, bike infrastructure, and traffic enforcement cameras may be working. (TBD)

Tweaks to Ike Memorial: Frank Gehry has modified a statue of Eisenhower to show him as a cadet in the planned memorial, but won't remove huge huge steel tapestries which have drawn the most criticism from architects and the Eisenhower family. (Examiner)

Speed camera torched: Someone set a speed camera on fire in Catonsville. It had just been installed near a school where neighbors complained of speeding drivers. Some commenters applauded the action. (Patch, Ben Ross)

Norton not allowed to represent: Congress won't let Eleanor Holmes Norton speak at a hearing on a bill about abortions in DC. DC Vote wants residents to bring pothole complaints and other requests to Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), the bill's sponsor. (DCist)

New Urbanists are the adults in the room: New Urbanists have won in the battle against sprawl and might be the only ones with a clear notion of how poor infrastructure choices damaged America as well as how to fix it. (Business Insider, charlie)

And...: 2 Metro staircases will use durable granite. (Examiner) ... The Potomac is one of America's most endangered rivers. (Post) ... Park Police continue to harass pedicabbers. (TBD) ... More car sharing would significantly reduce emissions. (Streetsblog)

What to do with Franklin: Franklin Square could transform from a haven for the homeless to a centerpiece of a new living downtown. But it'll take a long time... and what about the homeless? (Harry Jaffe)

Pepco trims trees: Pepco is cutting back trees in Maryland that have caused so much damage to its infrastructure during storms. Residents disagree: is this long overdue, or is it an unnecessary loss of nature? (Post)

Fly to PDX, SJU, AUS, SFO: DOT has awarded 4 new nonstops from DCA to destinations beyond the 1,250 mile perimeter: Portland, San Juan, Austin, and San Francisco. The recent FAA reauthorization created the 4 new exemptions. (The Hill)

Nothing new under the sun: Opposition to the Golden Gate Bridge was just as fierce as opposition to major projects today. The arguments are uncannily familiar: no unbiased numbers, proponents are moving too fast, and more. (SFGate)

Santa Monica fights meter feeding: Santa Monica is installing sensors that will prevent drivers from feeding meters beyond the time limit. But perhaps they would be better served by changing to performance parking? (Huffington Post, Neil)

Los Angeles grows up: Atlantic Boulevard is emblematic of both old car-centric LA and the emerging transit city championed by the local council of governments and Mayor Villaraigosa. New development engages the street next to old strip malls, and highways mix oddly with the new light rail. This city is changing. (LA Times)

What if... no height limit and crazy architects?: Some architects play with ideas for what could be if DC had no height limit. As with most such architectural flights of fancy, the ideas are pretty wild, like a tower whose size varies with the debt ceiling. (Post)

Beauregard a go: The Alexandria City Council unanimously approved the Beauregard area plan, which allows for more density than would normally be allowed in exchange for affordable housing and other amenities including parks and a fire station. (Post)

More room to eat your jumbo slice: Construction is ending for Adams Morgan sidewalks that are now wider and feature new bike racks. Some local businesses worry traffic won't bounce back to what it was before construction. (DCist)

Siding sidelines project: The Arlington Planning Board voted down a project which uses cheap siding instead of a better material and limits car movements. The project meets zoning, so it's unclear if the board can stop it. (Arlington Mercury)

Plan transportation for Fairfax: Fairfax County is looking for a transportation planner. Requirements include 2 years' experience, good verbal and writing skills, ability to ride a bicycle, and capacity to lift 25 pounds. (Why on that last one?)

And...: Governor O'Malley agrees to make the Corridor Cities Transitway a BRT system and apply for federal funds. (Post) ... Bus riders only suffered minor injuries in a route 92 crash. (DCist) ... Google's self-driving car appears in Georgetown. (Patch, Corey Holman) ... Google Maps now shows the interior of subway stations in Boston. (BostInno)