Streetcar meetings map by BeyondDC.

Support streetcars tonight

If you live in Ward 1, or even if you don’t, come support DDOT’s streetcar vision tonight at 7 pm at the Columbia Heights Education Campus, 3101 16th St, NW. The meetings in Wards 4, 2, and 7 follow later this week, with 8, 5, and 3 next week. BeyondDC made a handy map of the meetings to help you find the one nearest you.  

Rail safer than driving, in numbers

The Coalition for Smarter Growth compiled statistics showing how much safer rail transit is than driving. Even though press articles about Metro can’t seem to say anything without picking on the system for safety, in relative terms, it’s not the problem. (Coalition for Smarter Growth, Matthias)  (Tip: Matthias)  

More purple and green for PG

Prince George’s County is adding some more transit to its master plan, including a Purple Line around from New Carrollton to Westphalia and National Harbor and a Green Line extension to Fort Meade via Konterra. They’re still focused on building big developments at the edge of the region, but at least they want to send transit there. The revised plan also adds some bike trails. There’s a public meeting on the plan tonight at 7. (Post, Cavan)  (Tip: Cavan)  

Pennsylvania Avenue L’Enfant’s way?

Some Capitol Hill residents oppose potential redesigns of the Eastern Market Metro plaza, including some narrowing of Pennsylvania Avenue, because L’Enfant wanted wide streets. But besides the silliness of venerating an over 200-year-old plan, WashCycle points out that his plan calls for less space for cars than the current roadways, with large “tree-lined gravel paths.”  

Tysons’ free lunch shuttles

So many office workers in Tysons have to drive to get to some food that there’s a third rush hour around lunch. Fairfax is setting up two free shuttles in the middle of the day to connect major office parks to the two malls.  

Day off for killing a kid

A Dallas police officer (not using lights or sirens) drives 70 mph in a 40 mph zone, and hits and kills a child on a bicycle. His punishment? A one-day suspension. (ScienceBlogs)  

From Raleigh to Sprawleigh

Raleigh built part of an outer beltway, and it’s generated miles of sprawl. So planners are now working hard to plan the rest of it, using the same old “will reduce traffic” arguments. (The Bellows)