Afternoon links: Budget surprises
New revenue funds few priorities
DC’s revenue estimates have risen by $77 million, but that’s not enough to fund more police officers, affordable housing or any of the original conditional items after the council put green teams and Medicaid expenses ahead in the queue. (Washington Times)
Councilmembers should read amendments
The DC Council approved a huge smoking ban exemption at the last minute during the budget, but didn’t mean to pass what they passed. Phil Mendelson may be the only one who actually read the language. Maybe they should avoid voting on things they haven’t read in the future. (Smoke Free DC)
Residents obeying laws more
Great news: street sweeping and red light enforcement tickets are pulling in less revenue than expected because people are actually following the laws, stopping at lights, and moving cars out of the way for street sweeping. (WTOP)
NJ rep takes money from NJ rails
New Jersey Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen added an appropriations amendment to cut all the HSR money awarded to the Northeast Corridor and use it for Mississippi River flood control. (Star-Ledger)
Return of the luxury train
A West Virginia resort is building a private luxury train that will travel once a week from DC to the resort and back. Round trip tickets will cost $650. (Charleston Gazette)
Women biking = the economy?
Why don’t more women bike? Commonly cited reasons are “fear and fashion,” but maybe it’s really the economy (which could also partly explain why more women bike in DC than most places). (Grist)
So much for conservation
To lower gas prices, the Obama Administration decided to release 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves. We might as well assume that a carbon tax or a gas tax increase is dead. (AP)
Hampshire-Cowen for TOD, solutions
New Prince George’s WMATA Board member Artis Hampshire-Cowan wants to see more TOD in Prince George’s, and otherwise, generally “want[s] to be part of the solution.” (Post)
Council opposes Western Bypass
A Virginia town is speaking out against the Western Bypass. This particular one isn’t the Outer Beltway DC area road lobbyists have been pushing, but a similarly sprawl-inducing freeway outside Charlottesville. (Daily Progress)