Breakfast links: Making the roads safer

College Park camera upheld

Despite AAA’s claim of inaccurate timestamps, a Maryland judge upheld speeding tickets from a camera in College Park; the city feels they’ve improved safety. (Examiner, Patch)

Biking getting safer

Bike crashes per rider have declined over time as the number of bike lane miles has increased. (WashCycle) … You can reduce your chance of crashes with confident city cycling classes this fall. (WABA)

Not so deluxe

A Washington Deluxe bus from New York City crashed with a tractor trailer on the New Jersey Turnpike. “About a dozen” people suffered minor injuries. (Post)

Car insurance limits too low?

Even when a driver’s at fault in a crash with a cyclist, low liability insurance minimums can mean the cyclist can’t get full medial reimbursement. Perhaps there should be higher limits for non-motorist damages. (RPUS, WashCycle)

Whither the streetcar?

Delays and Amtrak’s refusal to let DDOT run under the Hopscotch Bridge have dampened energy around the streetcar. It’ll get built, but all 3 options to connect to Union Station are imperfect, and some worry DC might just temporarily end the line at 3rd and H NE. (City Paper)

Name that memorial

The MLK Memorial is getting a lot of attention, but DC actually has many lesser-known memorials. There’s now an interactive map to explain them all, from Lincoln to the women of the

Titanic. (NCPC)

First woman driver, 111 years ago

The “first woman driver,” or at least the first with a license, is Anne French, who lived on Capitol Hill. She got her license in 1900, a year after DC started requiring them. (TBD)

Maryland may raise gas tax

Maryland may raise its gas tax to compensate for a fall-off in federal stimulus money.  Last year the General Assembly refused even to index the current tax, set at 23.5¢ per gallon, to inflation. (Examiner)

And…

A Japanese cafe is designed to look like the street in front of it. (ArchDaily)  … Politicians blame DoD for BRAC moves that Congress originally approved. (Examiner) … Repairing earthquake damage to the National Cathedral will run into the millions. (Post)