Dinner links: The future of sitting, driving, biking

New BART seating strategy

Some BART commuters discovered a new feature on their trains: swings. Some local pranksters installed them, then left. Something Metro should consider for the next generation of rail cars? (Laughing Squid, Jim)

Road pricing: the time is now

Pricing our roads based on congestion could speed commutes, reduce pollution, and improve the transit system, argue Alice Rivlin and Benjamin Orr of Brookings.

Look at all the traffic

GOOD shows some photos of LA traffic from the air. (Michael P)  (Tip: Michael P)

Road closures and parking divide Eastern Market

Capitol Hill residents and business are debating whether to reopen 7th Street in front of Eastern Market. The city closed it after the fire to add more space. Now some merchants say the competition from weekend outdoor vendors is too great, and farmers say they need room to park trucks on the street. Many residents, especially younger ones, want the road to stay closed. In addition, market visitors are supposed to be able to park at Hine Junior High, but many Maryland and Virginia drivers are parking there and taking Metro with impunity. (Hill Rag)

German city more neighborly

GGW contributor Dave Murphy is in Germany for work. His city, about the same size as Columbia, MD, “has more parkland, more greenspace within walking distance, less traffic, less crime…” Plus, he’s met many of his neighbors and the owners of local shops, unlike most of our experiences in similarly-sized cities here.  (Tip: Dave Murphy)

Arlington needs a few good counters

Arlington could use a few more people to count pedestrians and cyclists on Thursday during morning and evening rush around the county. If you can help, email bikearlington@arlingtonva.us. (Michael)

Some Fairfax Connector buses raise fare to $7

Routes 380, 595, and 597 will have a one-way fare of $7. Fairfax is also cutting some routes and reducing service on others. (Wesley, Transport)  (Tip: Transport.)

Give the robot your bike

Here’s what we could do with the unused parking space at DC USA: build an enormous robotic bike parking system. We covered this before, but now there’s an even better video with more information (though also ads). This system grew the Tokyo neighborhood’s already-high rate of bicycle usage by another 20%. (Hard Drive, Nat)