Breakfast links: Legislative action
Not all love Gray’s budget
Mayor Gray’s budget has drawn criticism from Jim Graham, who says it cuts support for the poor too much, and David Catania, who wanted to see cuts in pensions reeled and a raise for government workers. But in not raising taxes, Gray likely avoids larger fights. (Examiner)
Evans introduces bill he didn’t understand
Jack Evans introduced a developer-written bill that would cause DC to pay more for properties taken under eminent domain. Evans now says he didn’t realize the bill’s effect and won’t support it. (Post)
Confusion kills PG bag fee
A Maryland House killed the Prince George’s bag fee by one vote, despite support from county officials. It would have passed had James Gilchrist (D-Montgomery) not gotten confused. (Post, Julie Lawson)
Privatization reaches Maryland
A Maryland bill backed by Governor O’Malley would make it easier to privatize building, maintenance, and operation of roads, bridges, and government buildings. However, it would let state officials avoid competitive bidding, possibly encouraging corruption. (Post)
Property tax to fund BRT?
Montgomery County may end up paying for the Corridor Cities Transitway
a county-wide BRT system through an increase in property taxes, though the details of an increase is still undecided. The increase could hit the entire county, those near the route, or those outside the agricultural reserve. (Post)
Bethesda built for cars
Downtown Bethesda may be the most pedestrian-friendly place in Montgomery County, but it is still rife with obstacles to walking. A recent enforcement sweep cited 2,069 walkers versus 127 drivers. (Bethesda Magazine)
WHO likes bikes and pedestrians
The World Health Organization has developed a tool that calculates the economic benefit of the decreased mortality rates and increased health thanks to bike and pedestrian infrastructure. (Streetsblog)
And…
There’s another neat visualization for CaBi trip data, in bubble form. (MV Jantzen) … Arlington businesses save $2 million as a result of Green Games. (WAMU) … Take a listen to the sounds of the NYC Subway. (Gothamist, Matt Johnson)