Breakfast links: Unifying Union Station

LinksBy Jamie Scott (Guest Contributor) August 23, 2011

Photo by M.V. Jantzen on Flickr.

Streetcar will open mid-2013

DDOT announced that the H Street streetcar will open by mid-2013. The city still needs to build a car barn and a connection to Union Station. (DCist) … There are 3 current options: On top of the Hopscotch Bridge, at 2nd and F NE, or going up to NY Ave Metro and then back down 1st Street NE. (City Paper)

Columbus Plaza getting fixed, finally

After Labor Day, work will finally begin on a reconfiguration of the roadways and parkland outside Union Station 7 years in the making. It would be even better with fewer bollards. (City Paper)

Tweet for DC voting rights

Drawing on the MLK memorial opening, Mayor Gray wants District residents to tweet or post Facebook messages calling for DC voting rights at 8:28 this morning. (NBC Washington)

Nowhere to put a bike at MLK

The MLK Memorial opened yesterday to the public (Examiner); unfortunately, there’s nowhere to park a bicycle. Police chased off a guy (African-American, no less) on a bike. (TheWashCycle)

Brown would consider tax hike

Kwame Brown has reversed his earlier position and now says he would consider raising taxes on wealthy residents. Brown says the revenue should pay for maintaining parks, schools and recreational facilities. It would also delay the municipal bond tax. (Post)

Alexander faces more challengers

Kevin B. Chavous and Tom Brown are running against Yvette Alexander for the Ward 7 council seat next year. Chavous and Brown join Ron Moten as challengers. (Post)

Is photography a constitutional right?

DC wants to throw out a lawsuit in which police stopped a man for photographing a traffic stop. The man says police violated his constitutional rights but DC officials argue there is no constitutional protection for photographing public servants. (Georgetown Patch)

And…

Montgomery County is introducing QR codes for its parking meters (Post) … Central Americans comprise a large portion of the DC’s growing Hispanic population (DCentric) … Take a look at some of DC’s best murals (TBD) … District zoning regulations are over 50 years old. (@OPinDC)