Morning links: Out of the road
Bus tragedy
A small tour bus full of Pennsylvania parents and children careened over the edge of a fly-over and fell onto I-270. The driver was killed and several others injured. The passengers had spent the day at the National Zoo. (WTOP)
Keeping bike racks off Pennsylvania
Why are there no bike racks on America’s Main Street? The National Park Service again, which even controls the sidewalks in front of the Wilson building. Racks would also require NCPC and CFA approval. (Housing Complex)
Opposing comes at a cost
DC will have to spend $400,000 as a result of opposing a homeless shelter on Georgia Avenue (Housing Complex) … Meanwhile, the Manassas has to spend $70,000 to establish a policy against sex shops in most areas. (TBD)
Food trucks roll around for another article
The Post looks at food truck politics, including how far trucks have to stay away from brick-and-mortar competitors. (Post, Eric Fidler) … Wasn’t there a City Paper cover story on this just a week ago? (Tip: Eric Fidler)
Fishing for tows
A towing company is aggressively towing in locations around Arlington. Is this predatory or just enforcing the law? (ARLnow)
Google the Shweeb
Google recently awarded $1 million to a recumbent bike monorail called the Shweeb, in the “Innovation in Public Transport” category of its Project 10
grant program. TheCityFix calls the award “wasteful” and “less financially responsible” than promoting better bike and bus lane concepts. (Planetizen, TheCityFix, Eric Fidler) (Tip: Eric Fidler)
And in Oregon…
Eugene has removed its downtown parking meters, implementing a two-hour time limit instead. (The Columbian, Michael P) … A group in Portland offers to fill potholes on your street if you donate to charity. (Portland Tribune, Eric Fidler) … GOOD has a video on Portand TriMet’s efforts to make their data open. (YouTube, Ed B.) (Tip: Michael P)
Cities in focus
Tonight at EMBARQ, David is speaking on a panel about sustainable transportation practices in cities, along with Gabe Klein and NYC DOT’s Jon Orcutt. (Tip: BeyondDC)
Vision on the SW Waterfront
The master plan for the Southwest Waterfront was unveiled last night at Arena Stage. The ambitious plans are impressive but may invoke resistance from neighborhood residents. (Southwest TLQTC, Housing Complex) (Tip: BeyondDC)