Breakfast links: Fewer trains, more cars
Longer trains on Red Line
WMATA has reconfigured the Red Line as planned. There are now 41 rush hour trains rather than 44. Since there are more 8-car trains, 284 cars rather than 278 run the line. (Dr. Gridlock) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
Women’s History Museum moves forward
Meryl Streep is donating $2 million to establish the National Women’s History Museum. Sen. Collins (R-ME) sponsored a bill to make yet another exception to the rule against new memorials and museums on the Mall and lease federal land to the proposed museum, which could build over air rights for the 12th Street tunnel. (City Paper) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
Scrambling in Northern Virginia
VDOT is hurrying to finish highways and interchanges to accommodate the sprawl being induced by BRAC. (Post) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
More bike lanes, not in Chevy Chase
Montgomery County is proposing building a few off-street cycle-tracks and contraflow lanes in downtown Bethesda. But the adjacent Town of Chevy Chase opposes one of these lanes lest it “add cyclists to this already precarious mix of traffic.” (TBD) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
Convention Center hotel in Shaw
Plans are moving forward for the convention center hotel, which will be built with significant city subsidies. The project includes several restaurants and bars, but also a tunnel connecting to the convention center, which is sure to keep many hotel guests off the street. (City Paper) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
Clean the Anacostia
The EPA is demanding local jurisdictions prevent 600 tons of trash from being dumped into the Anacostia each year. Much of the trash flows in through storm drains. If they don’t, they could face a fine of $37,500 per day. (Post) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
Hooking up on P Street
“P Street Beach,” a park along Rock Creek by P Street, includes some city property and some NPS property. The jurisdictional confusion makes officers reluctant to police it. As a result, it has become a favorite spot for public sex. (Post) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
Taking on Buy America
Market Urbanism argues that “Buy America” requirements for rail cars simply favor large foreign companies over small foreign companies. FTA recently froze Houston Metro’s funding after finding their contract with CAF violated the protectionist regulation. (Tip: Eric Fidler)