Morning links: Streetcar days of future past
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Photo by DearEdward on Flickr.
Streetcars and taxes cut
The DC Council approved the budget proposal to shrink streetcar funding and lower taxes. Mary Cheh says the council still supports the streetcar, but DDOT has also mismanaged the project. Maybe if the line were running by now, it would be harder to cut. (City Paper, Post)
Remembering Angelou
Dr. Maya Angelou died yesterday. Before she was a well-known poet, Angelou was San Francisco’s first black female streetcar conductor, where she broke barriers for women in transit. She recalled, “I loved the uniforms. So I said, that is the job I want.” (Post)
No help with mold
After an Adams Morgan resident discovered mold in her apartment, she couldn’t get help from DCRA because mold isn’t actually a violation of DC’s housing code. A new council bill could change that. (City Paper)
Prepare for Silver Line
As the Silver Line gears up for service, what changes can riders expect? Some stations will have fewer rush-hour trains while others have more. During “simulated revenue service,” commuters can ride trains before the line opens. (WTOP)
Predict CaBi’s future
Think you can predict CaBi ridership? A researcher just posted Capital Bikeshare usage data onto a science competition site to see who can predict usage most accurately. (Kaggle, Ken A) (Tip: Ken A)
Trump makeover for Old Post Office
With the Trumps in charge, renovations on the Old Post Office building will start Saturday. Trump plans to open the hotel for the 2017 presidential inaugural parade. (NYT)
McMillan needs transit detail
Members of DC’s Zoning Commission aren’t yet sold on plans for the McMillan site. Architect of the Capitol rep Michael Turnbull thinks some buildings are too big, and wanted more detail on improving transit. (UrbanTurf)
Semantics of street closures
San Francisco may ban cars from winding Lombard Street on some weekend days. But because our language centers around the automobile, many stories said the street is “closing” even though it will be open to other users. (Streetsblog)
The drive for more miles
As the US population grows and the economy continues to recover, Americans are driving less. Per capita driving is at its lowest point since 1994, but state DOTs still forecast the return of rising mileage. (Streetsblog)
And…
Mayor Gray will push for DC United Stadium funding. (WBJ) … The DC region is next to last as the least affordable region to buy a house. (Post) … What could the new Potomac Yard Metro station look like? (Alexandria Times)