Breakfast links: Transparency and residency in question

It’s Car-Free Day

Record numbers of people have taken the pledge to go car-free today. (WAMU) … Also, Capital Bikeshare is having a 1st birthday party tonight.

Agency communications turn gray

DC public safety officials will now encrypt police radios and censor the popular Fire & EMS Twitter feed. Journalists sparred with Mayor Gray over whether this breaks transparency promises. (Post)

Another pick disqualified

The mayor’s nominee to head the Board of Elections and Ethics doesn’t meet a residency require­ment to have lived in DC for 3 years. (Washington Times)

Diplomats flout parking laws

Foreign embassies owe DC $500,000 in unpaid parking tickets. Russia owes $27,200 in unpaid fines, while the UK owes just $20.  The city confirmed that it does occasionally boot and tow diplomats’ cars.  (WTOP)

Bad bypass doubles in price

A bypass that Albemarle County doesn’t need and Charlottesville doesn’t want has doubled in cost estimates. Some accuse VDOT of misleading leaders to sell the now-$436 million project. (Charlottesville Tomorrow)

Solar Decathlon houses set up

Teams set up their houses in East Potomac Park for the Solar Decathlon, showcasing the latest green technology and techniques. Lydia DePillis got pictures. (City Paper)

Big bike sharing coming to Chicago

Gabe Klein is replacing a very small bike sharing program with a much larger one. First that was in DC; now it’s in Chicago, with a goal of 3,000 bikes on 300 stations. (Chicago Tribune)

Wi-Fi coming to Amtrak Regional?

An Amtrak conductor told Aaron Morrissey that Amtrak will soon have Wi-Fi on all Regional trains. The conductor says it’s all installed and just has to be turned on.

And…

The grace period for new Prince George’s traffic cameras is over. (Examiner) … WMATA can now monitor 24 escalators remotely. (Examiner) … A psychiatrist will use CaBi to study how physical exercise influences patients’ health. (Post) … In another Washington, Georgetown is like H Street. (City Paper)