Breakfast links: Barriers to entry
Concert closures
The Concert for Valor scheduled for the National Mall is causing commuting headaches. Metro will suspend service on the Blue line and several roads are closed. Here are the details on how to get around. (WAMU)
No kids around the office
A mixed-use building in Bethesda replaced an old McDonald’s but kept the McDonald’s on the first floor. Companies wouldn’t rent space in the building, perhaps because of all the high school kids hanging around. So the owner kicked out the McDonald’s (and the kids), and now companies are moving in. (Post)
Lane block
Double-parked delivery trucks block driving and bike lanes while car drivers block loading zones. DDOT proposed letting trucks park in metered spaces for free and increasing fines, but truck drivers don’t think that will help. (Post)
For the birds
Real estate developers predicted a Buzzard Point development boom all the way back in 1989, but little has happened. Could problems with the stadium deal delay a neighborhood renaissance even longer? (City Paper)
Transportation on the table
Efforts to gut Virginia’s 2013 transportation funding bill haven’t gone away. Rep. Bob Marshall proposed amendments in a special session to undo the gas tax increase and force counties to use money for transportation. The amendments didn’t pass, but could be back. (WAMU)
ICC complete
The last segment of Maryland’s Intercounty Connector opened on Monday. But traffic volume is still falling short of predictions. (WAMU)
Suburban crawl
Can second-ring suburbs, built for cars adapt to evolving demand? Or will existing residents continue to push away mixed-use development? One Minnesota suburb chose the latter. (Streets.mn)
Buses vs. “neighborhood feel”
San Francisco wants to replace stop signs with transit-priority traffic signals on some bus routes. Even though pedestrian injuries declined after similar streets got the signals, residents fear they will affect “neighborhood feel.” Should this factor into planning? (Human Transit)
And…
A pilot program helps Loudoun homeowners fund solar power systems. (Post) … Aftermarket bicycle wheels offer built-in motors and communicate with a rider’s smartphone. (Guardian)