Streetcars alight in DC
DC’s streetcars arrived in Anacostia at the new test track. DDOT plans to start testing them on H/Benning by October and carry passengers once the Federal Transit Administration approves. (Post)
“Young urbanists” electorally growing
Elissa Silverman had a strong showing in the special election with many votes from 20- and 30-something DC residents, including many young African-Americans, partly by campaigning on good government and a strong safety net. (Post)
Rooftop bars mapped
A crowd-sourced map of rooftop bars shows a wealth of choices in central DC and Arlington, but just one for Marylanders: the Doubletree Bethesda. Are there others? (Map Attacks, Tom A) (Tip: Tom A)
Height study starts with meetings
The upcoming federal/local study on possibly maybe changing the height limit announced 2 public meetings, Monday May 13 at the Petworth library and Saturday May 18 at the MLK library.
DC-CANnot give you Internet
DC has built a huge fiber-optic network with federal stimulus, but franchise agreements with Comcast and Verizon prohibit offering Internet access directly to residents. (City Paper)
Government goings-on
Mayor Gray wants to offer driver licenses to undocumented immigrants. (DCist) … DC now has federal permission to hire an interim CFO. (Examiner) … There’s a lot of finger-pointing around the Silver Spring Transit Center. (Examiner)
Freeloading ends in Ocean City
Ocean City is raising its parking rates and adding meters on some streets where visitors were parking all day for free. (WAMU)
And…
Technology won’t entirely replace transit maps. (Human Transit) … ““If you are going to get arrested, do it in Arlington County.” (Colbert) … Who’s on the board that decides Virginia transportation policy? (Tysons Engineer)
Top image: Photo by DC Streetcar on Twitter.
A good weekend to bike
After the Cherry Blossom holiday, Metro track work is back with a vengeance this weekend, with all 5 lines affected. The Red Line will include a downtown shuttle between Farragut North and Gallery Place. (Post)
Saved from the tracks
A man fell off the platform at Pentagon City Metro. An Annandale woman and her father in his 70s immediately pulled him to safety. (Post)
No one wants the middle seat
In a study of passenger behavior in the NYC subway system, the Transportation Research Board finds that riders like to stand near a door, prefer vertical poles to overhead bars and avoid middle seats. TRB’s recommended layout replaces bench-style seats with “airline” seats at both ends of the car. (Wired)
Move Constitution Avenue?
The US Institute of Peace wants to move part of Constitution Avenue, or really the on-ramp to I-66 past its new building, because there’s too much “noise and vibration.” Still unclear is who would pay for this, where the new ramp would be, and why they didn’t anticipate the noise before. (NBC4)
The rent really is damn high
Rents in the DC area rose more than anywhere else from 2009-2011. (Examiner) … Windowless 2-level units in Adams Morgan are renting quickly. (City Paper) … Bethesda could get 3,700 new units; it needs them. (BethesdaNow)
DC gov employees will get fatter paychecks
The Gray administration announced pay raises totaling 13% over the next 4 years for about 23,000 city employees, about two-thirds of the total workforce. Unions representing police, firefighters and teachers have not yet reached agreements with the city. (Post)
Cuccinelli won’t repeal VA transpo funding
The presumptive Republican gubernatorial candidate, who opposed the recent $1.4 billion transportation package, says he won’t attempt to repeal it if elected. (Post)
Ride Montgomery for Earth Day
The Sierra Club, Montgomery Bicycle Advocates, and Greater Greater Washington contributor Dan Reed are organizing a bike ride Saturday from Silver Spring to Takoma Park. (Patch)
Share with brotherly love
Philadelphia is considering launching bike sharing as soon as fall 2014. DC and Boston experts offer advice from experience: go big in the first phase, put stations in low-income neighborhoods, offer subsidized memberships. (Next City)
Top image: Photo by Kevin H. on Flickr.
White House floats 2014 budget
The GSA budget includes $261.5M for Homeland Security at St. E’s but zilch for an FBI move. (WBJ) … The transportation budget calls for $40 billion in infrastructure repairs and more TIGER grants. (Streetsblog) … It also endorses DC budget autonomy. (DCist)
MoCo ped enforcement to target drivers, too
Montgomery police, whose past pedestrian enforcement has not targeted drivers, plan to enforce against drivers’ failure to yield in this year’s campaign. (Ben Ross) (Tip: Ben Ross)
Charter preference lives
David Grosso introduced a bill that would allow (but not require) charter schools to give preference to local children. (Examiner) … A task force recommended against this, but many people feel they ignored many factors.
Area home prices reach historic highs
The median home price in the region rose 8% in one year; the biggest price gains were in Falls Church, Alexandria and DC. (Post)
“ABRA-ization of development”?
Mark Lee blasts Mary Cheh’s proposal to let ANCs and citizen groups officially weigh in on large matter-of-right projects. It’s a little much to call her “Queen of the NIMBYs,” though. (Blade)
Greenway drivers seeing red
Loudoun drivers complain to a state regulator that Dulles Greenway tolls are too high, pushing them onto other roads. (Examiner)
Baker gets partial school control
The Maryland legislature gave Rushern Baker some control of Prince George’s schools: he can pick the superintendent and chair and vice-char of the school board, but can’t control the budget. (CBS)
How’s the gender gap?
The gap between women’s pay and men’s in the DC region is much less than the national average, perhaps largely thanks to the federal government. However, the region has the 3rd largest pay gap for minority women. (Post)
And…
The first 90-degree day in April since 2010 shuttered nine DC libraries. (Post) … DC tries again to get a developer for the Franklin school downtown. (City Paper) … Cicada Brood II will return from its 17-year hiatus this summer. (Post)
Top image: Photo by OhKyleL on Flickr.