Breakfast links: Scrutiny for new business

Walmarts see design scrutiny

Opposition to Walmart usually rests on labor practices and impacts on local economies.  DC officials are more concerned with bringing fresh groceries and good urban design to the 4 proposed locations. (Dirt)

ANC may dry H St

ANC 6A is considering a liquor license moratorium for H Street NE. (Hill is Home) … Some DC neighborhoods have ended their moratoria and others have rejected the creation of new moratoria. (DCist)

DC gets a new bus line

In this era in transit cuts, WMATA is creating a new bus line, 74, that will connect the Convention Center to the Southwest waterfront.  The route is similar to an existing Circulator route that DDOT had proposed eliminating. (WMATA)

Gas tax increase unlikely in Maryland

Maryland may not increase its gas tax next year.  Some of the state’s rural legislators want places like Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties to pay more for state-funded transit projects. (Washington Times)

Accenture moves to transit location

Accenture is moving its headquarters from Reston to Ballston. (WBJ) … Years ago, the company moved from downtown DC out to Reston, so this restores Metro accessibility for its employees.

NYC chooses bike share system, imitates DC

New York City announced it will use the same bike sharing setup as DC: Bixi bikes rebalanced and maintained by Alta Bike Share. The initial network will include 10,000 bikes and 600 stations. (Streetsblog)

Parking problems frustrate for decades

A 1946 publication suggests that DC’s parking problem can be solved by parking underground and behind buildings. (TBD) … The idea fails to consider congestion generated by commuters driving downtown to park.

Dostoevsky on DC

DC and St. Petersburg, Russia, were both designed as national capitals.  A close reading of Dostoevsky and Gogol reveals the cities share a lot in common from calculated street systems to calculating, systematic bureaucrats. (TBD)

And…

See an Anacostia butcher shop in 1925.  It’s now a parking lot. (Shorpy) … College Park is home to dinosaur fossils. (Post) … Average SAT scores are falling nationwide and in our area. (Post)