Brunch links: Western wires
Student plans Oakland streetcar
A Stanford undergraduate designed a plan to revitalize Oakland, California. The centerpiece is a streetcar line connecting two BART stations and the city’s center. (Chip Johnson/SFGate, Michael P.) (Tip: Michael P)
Hybrids or electric trolleybuses?
Seattle’s transit agency wants to replace electric trolleybuses with hybrids because they’re more expensive and can’t detour around each other, but residents love their quieter operation and better acceleration. All of these arguments also come up in streetcar debates. (Scott Gutierrez/Seattle PI)
Boycott driving, drill for subways
Some consumers are boycotting BP stations, but station owners insist it just hurts them as franchisees, not BP itself (Gary Haber/WBJ) … The real way to get back at BP is to drive less (Jeremy Holmes/RIDE Solutions via Streetsblog). And President Obama could alleviate our oil dependence by building subways instead of drilling oil wells. (Michael Daly/NY Daily News, Ben Ross) (Tip: Ben Ross)
Stop “careless driving” in New York
The New York legislature has passed a bill adding a “careless driving” offense so police can prosecute people like the driver who left an idling van unattended and killed two preschoolers. (Noah Kazis/Streetsblog)
Bus driver hits rider
A Route 71 Metrobus driver assaulted a passenger after an issue over a bus fare. Many people’s initial reaction: will he just get reinstated like the driver who hit McGruff the Crime Dog? (ABC 7)
First class bus to NY
There’s now another bus option to NY: Vamoose’s first class “Gold Bus,” which will leave from Bethesda and cost $50 one way. Sounds similar to the Boston-NYC LimoLiner. It’s half the (last minute) price for Amtrak, but Lydia DePillis points out it lacks Amtrak’s biggest advantage: the ability to usually not get stuck in traffic. (Housing Complex)
Md. agency moving to Metro station
Maryland’s Department of Housing and Community Development is moving from Crownsville, MD (in Anne Arundel County) to Prince George’s County, and will be near a Metro station, following Governor O’Malley’s Transit-Oriented Development initiatives. (Sarah Krouse/WBJ)
Somewhat urbanism-related quote of the day
“There are two novels that can transform a bookish 14-year-kid’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish daydream that can lead to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood in which large chunks of the day are spent inventing ways to make real life more like a fantasy novel. The other is a book about orcs.” (Raj Patel via Tudor Bosman, Friendfeed)