Breakfast links: Need space
Can’t get there
About a third of Metrobus stops are inaccessible by wheelchair. WMATA can do little to force the local jurisdictions to improve the stops, meaning WMATA has to use the more costly MetroAccess service. (Examiner)
BRT will need land
Montgomery County Planners want BRT lanes to replace existing travel lanes wherever possible but in some areas they will likely need to claim property if they hope to avoid the buses getting stuck in traffic. (Examiner)
Cafritz gets OK
The Prince George’s Planning Board approved the Cafritz rezoning 4-0, clearing the project to move to the District Council, where there will likely be more debate. (RTCP)
OK to tailgate bikes in Virginia
A Virginia House subcommittee rejected a bill that would have outlawed tailgating a bicycle. Virginia appears to be the only state where tailgating a bike is still legal. (Pilot)
Not so super or grand
Big sporting events, like the Super Bowl and Baltimore Grand Prix, might not be the huge economic wins that the host cities expect. (RPUS)
Cars make room for humans
Manhattan has a fifth less parking than 30 years ago, and residents now park in spaces once used by commuters. A number of former parking garages are now condos. (NYT, Ben Ross) (Tip: Ben Ross)
Bet on downtown Vegas
Zappos is moving its headquarters to downtown Las Vegas and CEO Tony Hsieh is investing $350 million of his own money to revitalize the area. And while other large corporate headquarters tend to be insular, Hsieh wants Zappos to integrate with the community. (Marketplace)
Walk like an Englishman
Urban planners take a new look at the choices pedestrians make, taking into account things like desire lines, and come up with clever solutions like a shared space for London’s newly opened Exhibition Road and instituting a Barnes Dance in Oxford Circus. (The Economist, David Gorsline) (Tip: David Gorsline)