Breakfast links: Law and Order

Commuter scofflaws get amnesty

DC is offering amnesty on late fees for unpaid parking tickets and traffic fines. VA & MD residents are responsible for 61% of DC’s unpaid tickets. (Examiner)

We know so little about crime

Criminologists wonder why crime has declined steadily since the early 90s, even during recessions.  Perhaps the 70s and 80s were a “crime bubble”. (MetroTrends) … Two Examiner articles, one year apart, wonder if there’s a link between heat and crime, but the crime changed in opposite ways. (Homicide Watch DC via Mike DeBonis)

Tourmobile contract invalid?

Attorneys helping the National Coalition to Save Our Mall believe the Tourmobile contract actually doesn’t prohibit other transportation like Circulator, and NPS’s repeated extensions might be illegal to boot. (City Paper)

How to legalize urbanism

Many historic neighborhoods, like downtown Annapolis, would be illegal to build today. A few simple policy changes would make urbanism legal. The ones applicable to DC are allowing corner stores and accessory dwellings in residential areas, both of which have drawn strong opposition. (Switchboard)

Bethesda ditches nostalgic buses

Downtown Bethesda’s free circulator bus has replaced its fleet of fake trolleys with modern, low-floor buses that resemble the DC Circulators. (BeyondDC)

No brain drain at DDOT?

Gabe Klein says Terry Bellamy “absolutely is forward-thinking and progressive,” but might not be allowed to innovate enough or keep good talent. Bellamy says DDOT is not experiencing a brain drain. (Post)

Is CaBi becoming a victim of its own success?

An unnamed Capital Bikeshare worker admitted that the Living Social membership discount may have overwhelmed the system. Hopefully new and expanded stations will provide relief. (Washington Times)

Bike lanes on Oregon Ave?

DDOT may add a shared-use path or sidewalks and bike lanes to a section of Oregon Avenue which currently has no bike infrastructure. WABA is asking people to comment in support of bike lanes. Comments are due tomorrow.

And…

Metro will replace the lengthy, unreliable escalators at Bethesda in 2014. (Post) … Mayor Gray is expected to name transportation consultant Ron Linton as chair of the Taxicab Commission. (Post) … Flight from DC schools is uneven across the city’s neighborhoods. (City Paper)