Breakfast links: Get out of park
Parking minimums impede Anacostia
One obstacle to Anacostia revitalization? Parking minimums. Getting zoning relief is costly and time-consuming, a large burden for businesses and nonprofits like the Anacostia Playhouse. (City Paper)
Streetlights people
Alexandria has rolled out an excellent new system that lets residents report issues. It works well, but there’s no way to report streetlight problems online. (Arlandrian)
Wrongheaded enforcement
In an effort to promote pedestrian safety, Montgomery Police gave citations to 1100 pedestrians but to only 38 drivers. (Gazette, Ben Ross) (Tip: Ben Ross)
WSSC would force suburban patterns
WSSC, Montgomery’s and Prince George’s water utility, wants 80-foot setbacks near large water pipes. This could protect builldings against pipes exploding, but also impede walkable urban development. (Post)
Credit card readers maybe?
DC may get credit card readers in its cabs by August, but likely also with a higher flag drop fee and $1 surcharge per extra passenger. (DCist)
Bag some bag fees?
The Montgomery County Council will consider changes to the bag fee, including exempting non-food stores (as DC does) or even banning plastic bags altogether. But most likely they will leave it as is. (WTOP, Examiner)
Where the cranes are
The number of cranes is often a good proxy for development activity. DC has 50 of them spread across the city. While most sites have one or two, there are 12 at Blue Plains. (Park View DC)
Report card time
Civil engineers gave US infrastructure a D+, actually an improvement from last year. Passenger rail scored a C+, while transit got a D. (Next City)
And..
What if all North American heavy rail systems connected together? (BeyondDC) … DC’s medical marijuana dispensaries are set to open next month. (Examiner) … The Walter Reed site draws interest from 9 developers. (WBJ)