Breakfast links: Will it get built?

Budget passes, Silver doesn’t

One day after voting with his fellow Democrats to reject Virginia’s budget due to its not funding the Silver Line, Senator Chuck Colgan changed his mind and joined the chamber’s Republicans to pass the budget. Bidding out contracts for phase 2 is on hold as Loudoun decides whether to participate. (Post)

Concrete solutions

Options for fixing faulty concrete at the Silver Spring transit center range from filling in cracks to tearing down and starting over. The contractor disputes that a problem exists, but WMATA will not accept the facility as is. (Examiner)

Where people bike and carpool

In Logan Circle (actually Dupont and Logan), there are more bicycles than cars, and 56% of trips happen by foot. In Woodbridge, 40% of car trips are carpools, thanks to the HOV lanes. These and more statistics came out of TBP’s household travel survey of a few selected spots in the region. (Examiner)

Incomplete passes

Besides the proposed $230 pass, WMATA’s old computer system makes more monthly passes unlikely in the near future. CEO Richard Sarles says they hope to upgrade computers soon to allow more passes. (Examiner)

Kabuki transportation bill

The House passed a transportation bill that amounts to a “kabuki dance,” because as soon as it reaches the Senate it will be replaced with the Senate’s already-passed bill. (Post)

Money isn’t everything

Capital Bikeshare might not make an operating profit, but that doesn’t matter because it provides many positive externalities like a healthier population, less pollution, and increased economic activity. (WashCycle)

We want retail

After sitting vacant 14 years, developers put forth plans for a 6-story residential building along Rhode Island Ave, but neighbors want more than the proposed 3,000 square feet of retail. (City Paper)

Not in the zone

While the height limit gets lots of attention in DC, other zoning restrictions are a bigger problem, argues Josh Barro. Many projects require variances or PUDs, making it difficult and expensive to build for all but the most experienced of developers, or else keeping density low. (Atlantic)

Last call

Even if Mayor Vince Gray succeeds in extending bar hours, 20% of bars would not be able to stay open later thanks to existing voluntary agreements. While this might ease community opposition, it will also limit extra tax revenue. (Post)

And…

Ride On gets a real time tracking app (but still no API). (Examiner) … Car2Go is still getting erroneous parking tickets. (TBD) … Mitt Romney is apparently a spandex-wearing cyclist. (Palm Beach Daily News)