Port Huron, Mich. Photo by k.l.macke on Flickr.

Gas tax comeback? Congressman-elect Gerry Connolly (D-Fairfax) suggested raising the gax tax to close huge budget gaps. With Mary Peters and her seemingly-irrational opposition to the gax tax in all forms on the way out, gas prices low, and budget deficits high, this makes some sense. (WTOP)

Not going to help: Port Huron, Michigan and Hollywood, Florida are both removing all parking meters to boost flagging. Parking Today thinks that’s a mistake: employees will take up most of the spaces, parking still won’t be more attractive than at the mall, and the cities won’t even have money to use to improve downtown.

Greening our “unnecessary garages”: Today’s Post prints an op-ed by Ingrid Specht endorsing lower parking minimums for DC. “In fact, employees should receive benefits for not driving to work.” Specht suggests the Columbia Heights garage could be better utilized if it stayed open later for restaurant goers, filled in some of the empty space with bicycle parking, or added Zipcar spaces, “rather than hoping they are someday filled with personal vehicles, promoting pollution.” Tip: Michael P.

Paleolithic road planners: Dr. Gridlock considers a right-turn lane on Georgia Avenue at Spring Street (probably not a good diea) and reveals some ongoing old-fashioned traffic thinking at the Maryland State Highway Administration: “Their goal, [SHA traffic planners] say, is to get the most vehicles through the area in the most predictable way possible.” Even pedestrians aside, the goal should be to get the most people through the area, not the most vehicles. It’s an important distinction, since one bus carries as many people as a whole lane of cars.

And… The NOAA headquarters in College Park is indeed transit-unfriendly; Great Streets and the 11th Street Bridges may be on the budgetary chopping block; a Welsh translation attempt leads to a hilarious result.