Photo by marrngtn (Manuel).

The transit divide

Metrorail riders make more money, are more educated, own more cars, and are more likely to be white and male than bus riders, says a Metro survey. The average rail rider makes $102,110; 80% own cars, 25% are minorities, 80% have a college degree and 53% are female. Bus riders make $69,620 on average, with only 50% owning cars, more than half minorities, 59% holding a college degree and two-thirds female. (Examiner)  

Suburbanites want more city amenities

According to a survey, large numbers of Fairfax residents

suburban residents and workers would like more convenient public transit, more walkable neighborhoods, more housing choices and more diversity. We can keep this in mind the next time someone says we should all butt out of discussing transportation and planning in Fairfax. (WTOP)  

Bag fees would cut bags 80%

According to the projection from DC CFO Natwar Gandhi, passing the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act (“bag bill”) would reduce bag usage by 50% in the first year, rising to 80% by 2013. (WTOP)  

Roads don’t pay for themselves

Repeat after me: roads don’t pay for themselves. No road in Texas pays for itself in gas taxes, when you factor maintenance costs into the equation. And that comes right from Texas’ DOT, which is sure eager to build more roads (but with tolls). (Austin Contrarian via Matt Yglesias)  

Open Champlain, already

Following a police shootout around the closed segment of Champlain Street in Adams Morgan, Councilmember Graham calls for speed in reconnecting the road. City Paper plays up the controversy between ANC Commissioner Bryan Weaver and Graham over whether it’s appropriate to use the shooting to talk about the importance of redoing the street and/or improving Marie Reed. Regardless, we should redo the street and improve Marie Reed!  

Look at those cute bicyclists!

Leading up to Bike to Work Day, the Post wrote, “Commuters all over the D.C. area are hopping on their bicycles Friday for the annual ‘National Bike to Work Day,’ so drivers should be careful as they navigate morning and evening commutes.” As many of the commenters point out, drivers need to watch out every day, and it’d be nice if the Post’s coverage made bicycling sound like a little more than a funny once-a-year curiosity. If they did, perhaps the other half of the commenters wouldn’t crack jokes about all the bicyclists they get to run down for points.