Dinner links: Visions of transportation

WABA action: restore Columbia Road bike lanes

WABA writes:

A few years ago, thanks to your support, WABA was able to restore promised bike facilities along 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan.  We had hoped that that would be it, but we have recently discovered that companion bike facilties on Columbia Road have been dropped from the design plans for the intersection.  Adams Morgan, Mt. Pleasant and Columbia Heights are the epicenter of cycling in the District of Columbia and residents and visitors alike deserved the best bike infrastructure possible.

We are asking concerned cyclists to write a short message to Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham to ask him to work with the District Department of Transportation to have the bike lanes restored to the intersection of 18th and Columbia Road NW.

Trail users “undesirable” to one Vienna councilmember

Vienna Town Councilmember Dan Dellinger opposes walking and biking trails from Vienna to Tysons because they would “bring the other undesirables into our neighborhood.” The old myth of transit bringing crime to leafy suburbs rears its ugly head again. (FABB)

Making Thomas Circle a usable park

Chris Loos looks at the potential for Thomas Circle, currently a simple traffic circle but one that could potentially become a real public space. (DC Metrocentric)

Baltimore Red Line fight looking a lot like purple

Up in Baltimore, some residents of a wealthy community are gearing up to fight a light rail line that will improve east-west connectivity in a densely populated region. Residents of the Canton neighborhood want the line underground. But if it goes underground there, it would be unfair not to also underground the line in poorer, more minority West Baltimore, and one more underground segment would be cost prohibitive enough, let alone two. The best current design calls for a tunnel downtown and surface rail elsewhere. (The Transport Politic)

Cheaper gas changing little

Some people started driving less when gas prices rose, and still drive less. Others didn’t drive less and still don’t. (WTOP)

Zoning Commission hears from proponents

So, Ward3DC has a summary of the third hearing for the Wisconsin Giant PUD, where the ANC and other proponents finally got to speak. It’s a very helpful writeup unless your dad drilled into you at a young age that starting a sentence with “So,” is an awful crime against good writing, as mine did.

DC unveils artistic bike racks

DC’s new bike racks will include one that looks like the DC flag, a briefcase shape (for downtown), an agricultural-looking one for Eastern Market, a dragon for Chinatown, some sort of wheel for NoMa (?) and a stylized D and C. Plus, if we ever want to get rid of the DC one, it looks like you could plant it a little higher and farther east and make it look like it says PG. DDOT unveiled them at a ceremony at USDOT, which fortunately the security guards did not try to stop.

At least we’re not in London

USDOT might have some overzealous security, but that’s nothing compared to the two London policement who forced some tourists to delete photos they had taken of the Tube and the Vauxhall bus station. Supervisors are investigating. (Upgrade: Travel Better)

People near transit own fewer cars

Transport Textbook has some great maps that show the effect of living near a tram (streetcar) line in Melbourne:  You’re much more likely to own only one car instead of two or three. (Michael P)  (Tip: Michael P)