Photo by dave_mcmt.

Free transit if you develop an app

Not from WMATA. The Boston MBTA is offering a free year’s worth of transit on their subway and bus for the best applications that help riders navigate the system (using schedule and stop location data) or visualize information (using anonymized rider entrance and exit data they’ve released). (transit-developers, Michael P)  

Put the jobs near the people

A great Post article discusses the imbalance of jobs and housing in the region. Instead of recommending more freeways to help commuters, the article quotes several advocates for putting more jobs in Prince George’s County, eastern Montgomery County, and southern Fairfax so fewer people have to drive long distances to the Favored Quarter in the north and west. (Post, Cavan)  (Tip: Cavan)  

Why-Mart?

Marion Barry is interested in wooing Wal-Mart to DC, probably for the big box site south of Poplar Point. But DC Council colleagues like Phil Mendelson aren’t so enthusiastic about bringing Wal-Mart’s labor practices to DC.

At the end, the two News 8 reporters talk about how DC would have to make substantial zoning changes and even help Wal-Mart acquire more land for all its parking. Why should it? The purpose of zoning is to define what kind of development we want for an area. If Wal-Mart wants to build a store that fits with the vision for the area, they can. If not, DC should spend its economic development dollars on someone who wants to contribute to building a neighborhood instead of turning it into a parking-lot wasteland. (News 8, Congress Heights on the Rise)  

Distracted reporter driving

A NYC reporter films a report on distracted driving … while driving. As he talks about the high level of danger associated with looking away from the road, he looks away from the road and into the camera. (Streetsblog NYC)  

Don’t be chicken

Tommy Wells introduced a bill to legalize owning chickens in DC, as long as neighbors agree. Chickens are a good source of eggs, of course, but those who want to supplement their rooftop vegetable gardens with chickens have formerly had to do so in secret and against the law.  (DCist)  

Klingle all the way

Remember Klingle Road, the controversial right-of-way that the DC Council voted to make into a hiker-biker trail instead of a highway across Rock Creek? The study to create a is moving forward, and holding a public meeting on on Wednesday. (TheWashCycle)  

Two mayors on parking

Mayor Bloomberg proposed better multispace meters that offer pay-by-phone, as well as an amnesty program to collect some of the $700 million in outstanding tickets. On the other coast, Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco opposes extending meter hours past the existing early end time of 6 pm.  (Daily News, Streetsblog SF, Michael P)