Breakfast links: Ain’t easy being transit
Why a bus lane is politically hard
One resident of 16th Street who rides the bus and says buses are overcrowded still is skeptical about a bus lane, saying that it’s more important to still have parking on 16th. (Post)
Mini Metro shows real pressures
For all its simplicity, the Mini Metro game shows real pressures that transit systems face to expand service geographically without increasing capacity at the core. (Human Transit)
The waterfront will change
The Wharf project on the Southwest Waterfront will build 20 restaurants, hotels, and apartments on what’s now mostly boat parking lots. Unsurprisingly, some people think it’s “too big and too tall.” This isn’t the fist time the area was redeveloped, but all hope this round will work out better. (Post)
Rejected again
The Old Georgetown Board, Georgetown’s special federally-chartered preservation board, turned down another design for condos at the Key Bridge Exxon, because “industrial/modern design” doesn’t fit with the traditional brick. (UrbanTurf)
They still like Gehry’s Ike
Remember the controversial Eisenhower Memorial? Its backers haven’t given up on the Frank Gehry design, but Congress has all but canceled the memorial. Time to start over? (Post)
Big concrete hot potato
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and challenger Doug Duncan spar over the Silver Spring Transit Center. Leggett says the county will only use it once it’s safe, and won’t give a more detailed timeline. (Gazette)
Successful cities are growing less
The nation’s most desirable cities haven’t added as much housing as many others. Perhaps that’s why they are so expensive. Miami added the most housing: 24% in a decade. (Next City)
New bike mecca: Pittsburgh
The new mayor of Pittsburgh talks about how they’ve substantially grown bicycling, even while losing population. Also, here are ideas for selling and implementing bicycling around the country. (Streetsblog, RPUS)
And…
Speaking of games, there’s a cool new one. (Streetsblog) … Our region has always had plenty of grand plans, but never the leadership or funding to implement them. (WBJ) … Here’s the sculpture for the new Chuck Brown Park. (City Paper)