Breakfast links: Cracks in the surface
Adaptive reuse for potholes
Frustrated by Montreal’s inability to fix potholes, two Montreal artists came up with their own comic ideas for using the spaces. (Jaime via @seeclickfix) (Tip: Jaime)
Irate riders and serious policy ideas
Lena Sun recaps last night’s Metro town hall, including my comments about a “peak of the peak” fare. The next one is now on the GGW calendar, Wednesday evening in Falls Church. (Post) (Tip: Michael P)
VRE sets a record
VRE ridership is up, and the railroad set a new ridership record last Wednesday. There wasn’t a special event that day. Officials aren’t sure why, but suspect the new, higher federal transit benefit played a big role. (WTOP) (Tip: Michael P)
The unappealing plan vs. the impractical one
The Virginia gubernatorial campaign has largely focused on transportation, but it’s been a minefield, with Deeds getting political flak for suggesting he might raise taxes and McDonnell not really having a plan at all. Ryan Avent says congestion pricing is the only way, but we’re still far from being ready politically to embrace such ideaas. (Streetsblog Capitol Hill) (Tip: Michael P)
Neighbors jab at Boxer Girl
Bloomingdalians debated the Boxer Girl mural last night. Should neighbors get to veto controversial art? Is it different if the art is on private property? (Bloomingdale (for now?)) (Tip: Michael P)
Win a Nobel, get free parking (not free transit)
Nobel Prize winners at UC Berkeley get a free reserved parking space, including new economics prize winner Oliver Williamson. The space is worth $1,500 a year. Has any winner, in economics or otherwise, ever tried to “cash out” their space by renting it to others, or asking the university to offer this perk in a BART pass or other alternative form? (NPR)
“Complying” with the ADA
Jackson, Mississippi is spending millions to build curb ramps to comply with ADA requirements. But many of them connect to nonexistent sidewalks, have deep trenches separating them ramps from the street, or are otherwise unusable. (Planetizen)