Morning links: Rebutting stereotypes and arguments
End tired bicycle stereotypes
Ann Scott Tyson summarizes Metro’s efforts to encourage biking to stations, but Lydia DePillis takes exception to the characterization of bicycling as only for the intrepid or ideologically dedicated. (Post, City Paper)
“Cheap shot” on BRAC
Richard Layman says an Examiner editorial criticizing local governments for not just building roads around BRAC installations is a “cheap shot,” since local governments don’t have that money, Congress could have stepped up, and since when is the Examiner a fan of unfunded mandates? (RPUS)
Floreen vs. the bag fee
Montgomery Councilmember Nancy Floreen comes out against a 5¢ bag fee, saying it’s a “nickel and diming” waste of time if it won’t clean up the Chesapeake all on its own; Keith Berner says it’ll make a positive impact and the Council spends plenty of time on more frivolous topics. (Post)
Talking buses hot topic in Portland
Portland spent $46,000 on audible turn warning systems for their buses. A female engineer duplicated the talking bus technology for $10 on YouTube, which prompted the CTO of the company that sold it to make a sexist remark in the comments. (The Oregonian, Ken Archer) (Tip: Ken Archer)
Metro morsels
No Board members and only 2 members of the public attended a hearing on WMATA’s capital budget … After eliminating closely-placed bus stops along 4 lines in the fall, Metro has backtracked on some of the changes in wards 4 and 5 following some resident pushback. (Examiner)
How to win a contest
Robert Solorzano, winner of the Capital Bikeshare “Winter Weather Warrior” contest, rode to every one of the 104 stations in one bad weather day, including east of the river and Crystal City. (TBD)
TJ parents argue over ESL
Fairfax County’s most elite public high school, Thomas Jefferson, will offer English as a Second Language instruction, raising some questions about whether the school emphasizes math and science too much in admissions and angering others who resent the numbers of immigrants at the school. (Post)
Tell residents, not commuters, about program
To advertise a HUD-financed program to encourage home ownership among long-time residents of Ivy City and Trinidad to encourage home ownership, a sign was placed along a commuter highway that the residents don’t use. (District Curmudgeon)
Lessons from New York
The Bloomberg administration defended New York’s new bike lanes, noting that most New Yorkers support them including local community boards (like DC’s ANCs). (Streetsblog, NYT) … New York’s grid is now 200 years old, an urban form that gets newfound respect (like in Tysons and White Flint) after a period of scorn during suburban development. (NYT, Post)