Breakfast links: Pedestrian and cyclist deaths rose nationwide, while motorist deaths fell
Cyclist and pedestrian deaths rose nationwide in 2018
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administraton released data showing that over 36,000 people died from motor vehicle crashes last year. That’s a small decrease overall from 2017, but pedestrian deaths rose 4% and cyclist deaths rose 10% from the previous year (Aaron Short / Streetsblog)
Maryland will test out digital license plates
Maryland will test out digital license plates that can automatically update registration information on 22 state vehicles during a two-year pilot. The state will weigh convenience against the cost of the new plates, and concerns about driver privacy. (Colin Campbell / Baltimore Sun. Tip: Chester B.)
DC will spend more on public housing after the budget debate closes
The District received an additional $25 million on public housing, after the CFO and the Council resolved a dispute over reprogramming money in the budget. The extra funds pale in comparison to the repairs needed in the city’s public housing stock. (Martin Austermuhle / WAMU)
US cities are realizing the pitfalls of single-family only zoning
Large swaths of most American urban areas only allow single-family homes, and some cities and states are noting the drawbacks of this type of zoning amidst the critical housing shortage. These city maps show how much land is dedicated to single-family homes. (Emily Badger and Quoctrung Bui / NYT)
Single-family zoning is only for certain definitions of the word family
Restrictive zoning laws don’t just apply to the buildings on a lot, the law can also dictate the number of unrelated adults living together as a “family,” effectively punishing people whose chosen families deviate from the expected norm of a monogamous couple raising children. (Kate Redburn / CityLab)
Marc Elrich wants to add development fees to ADUs
In response to a bill that would allow ADUs in Montgomery County, County Executive Marc Elrich proposed amendments to narrow the scope of permissible units and proposed requiring “impact fees” for ADUs, which typically cost $25,000-$50,000 (Dan Schere / Bethesda Beat)
Lack of transparency is inflaming the Jack Evans ethics investigation
After Evan’s multiple ethics violations were reported to the press, both critics and supporters of Evans are demanding more details from WMATA’s ethics committee. (Roberty McCartney / Post)
A Maryland Congressional rep is opposing Hogan’s highway widening plan
Representative Anthony Brown introduced an amendment to a spending bill to block funding for the environmental study needed to move forward with toll lanes and highway widening on the Beltway and I-270. (Katherine Shaver / Post)
Metro will study the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines
WMATA will kick off a two year study to examine and fix persistent issues with lateness and service disruptions on the three lines. The study will focus on problems like the bottleneck caused by the single Rosslyn tunnel under the Potomac river and rippling delays caused by sharing tracks in the District. (Andrew Giambrone / Curbed)
Two pedestrians were killed in Arlington crashes last week
Last week, in two separate incidents, two people walking were struck by drivers in Arlington. Martha Saltos, 77, and Robert Bramwell, 66, later died from their injuries. (ARLnow)
What did councilmembers learn from taking the Transit Challenge?
Councilmember Hans Reimer reflected on commute times, level of service, and transit-oriented development after a week of taking the bus to get around Montgomery County as part of a local transit challenge. (Mike Diegel / Source of the Spring)
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