Breakfast links: Baffling bike blockages
L St bike lane blues
The L Street protected bikeway will remain closed for at least 2 years. Construction has forced cyclists and pedestrians to share a narrow lane, but DDOT says the changes comply with DC law. (WAMU)
Arlington’s bike plan is ancient
Arlington’s bike plan is so old that it says nothing about protected bikeways. That’s holding Arlington back from building more, so WABA is calling on Arlington to update its plan.
Westbard’s way forward
Montgomery County approved a master plan for Westbard in Bethesda with small changes to include more affordable housing but less density by retaining old zoning in areas unlikely to develop soon. (Bethesda Magazine)
Pepco-Exelon approved
Despite public and political opposition, the DC Public Service Commission reversed two previous denials and approved the merger of Pepco and Exelon without special rate protections for residents. (Post)
The area grows
The Washington metro area has passed Philadelphia to become the nation’s sixth largest (after New York, LA, Chicago, Dallas, and Houston).
The history behind Reston
Reston was designed from the ground up to bring people together and foster community. Here’s where Reston’s founder drew his inspiration for the project and what he hoped to accomplish. (CityLab)
Gondola study gears up
A study to determine if a gondola connecting Georgetown to Rosslyn makes sense will begin next month, with final recommendations expected by the end of the year. (UrbanTurf)
Metro union impressed with Wiedefeld
The head of Metro’s main union had strong praise for the newly appointed chief Paul Wiedefeld and his recent shutdown of Metro, claiming he was the only recent manager to take safety seriously. (Post)
Send in the drones
DC might become home to a pilot for sidewalk drones. The drones would deliver small packages, like groceries, by traveling along sidewalks at up to 4 mph. (Post)
NYPD v. pedestrian
A New York police officer on a cell phone killed a teacher who was crossing with the light. Bafflingly, the NYPD argues that by crossing the street, he “assumed the risk” of getting hurt and the police have no liability. (Streetsblog)
Behind BART’s twitter
Meet the team behind those “brutally honest” BART tweets about how the system just can’t keep up without money. Alicia Trost and Taylor Huckaby talk about why they don’t just pretend everything’s fine. (Verge)