Breakfast links: Better parking tech means fewer tickets in DC
Parking tickets down thanks, in part, to pay-by-phone
Since launching the pay-by-phone meter technology ParkMobile across the city, DC is issuing fewer parking tickets and collected less revenue overall, even though fees have not decreased. Revenue from parking is down for the seventh year straight in DC. (Kathy Stewart / WTOP)
The historic National Geographic building?
Should the glass-box National Geographic building become a historic landmark, as an example of New Formalism architecture? The DC Preservation League thinks so, but the Historic Preservation Office still has to decide. (Michelle Goldchain / Curbed)
Riverdale Park Whole Foods opening doors for Prince George’s
The new Whole Foods in Prince George's Riverdale Park is opening today, and it anchors a major development that will bring more stores, restaurants, and homes to the neighborhood. Some residents had opposed the rezoning of the lot, but others are hoping it increases the profile, and the home values, of Riverdale Park. (Luz Lazo / Post)
The promised Purple Line seems far away to Maryland residents
The long-awaited Purple Line will bring new transportation options and economic activity to Montgomery and Prince George's, but the project has been threatened by lawsuits and the loss of federal funding, even though both Maryland Senators support it. The delays are causing doubts and headaches for some and trepidation for others. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)
Democratic candidates have a serious edge in race for Virginia governor
The two Democratic candidates for Virginia governor, Ralph Northam and Tom Perriello, lead by double digits over their GOP competitors, according to a new poll. (Rebecca Savransky / The Hill)
Protected bike lane project stalled
The District Department of Transportation planned to build a protected bike lane from Shaw to the Mall, using either 6th Street or 9th Street, but the project has fallen behind schedule. Here are a few things you can do to help get the project moving again. (Tamara Evans / WABA)
Free parking is driving more driving and congestion
Parking is far too abundant and far too cheap in most western cities, write editors of the Economist. As part of their case, they cite a study of DC that found that free parking made residents 97% more likely to drive to work. (The Economist)
DC area real estate had a big month
This past month saw the DC area's highest recorded home sale prices ever for the month of March, and an uptick in the number of home sales from last year. Arlington was the only local jurisdiction whose home prices were lower than they were a year ago. (Nena Perry-Brown / Urban Turf)
Hyperloop hype misses the point
Some people are pretty sold on the Hyperloop, the faster-than-air-travel system where pods glide through track tubes, even though it hasn't moved past its infancy in testing. One thing they're forgetting is that actually solving transportation problems is about politically difficult choices that cut back on driving, not just making new technologies. (Angie Schmidt / Streetsblog)
Tap your inner real estate developer with a zoning game
In this game from the Center for Urban Pedagogy, players get a virtual 2,000 foot plot for building a house. The game tracks zoning metrics like setbacks, lot coverage, and floor area ratio as you build to give a better sense of how zoning affects real world structures. (Kelsey Thomas / Next City)