Breakfast links: Mean streets of Maryland

Cyclist dies at spot slated to become more auto-centric

An SUV driver killed a 16-year-old cyclist while she was riding (legally) on the sidewalk on Great Seneca Highway and trying to cross an entrance ramp to Sam Eig Highway. This spot is in the Gaithersburg West area, where planners claim to be trying to create a walkable and bikeable area but plan even more grade-separated, high-speed interchanges including at this intersection. (ABC7, Jaime)  (Tip: Jaime)

That’s not all

There have been a lot of fatal crashes in the news lately. A driver struck and killed a pedestrian in Germantown, at a poorly lit, poorly marked area (Post). And a pickup truck driver killed a Metro transit police officer riding a motorcycle in Carroll County on Monday. (WTOP)

Behave yourselves!

The Boston Globe reports on that city’s efforts to become more hospitable to cyclists, but throws in some editorial commentary about cyclists following the laws. Newton Streets and Sidewalks wonders what it would be like if every time a newspaper covered a bridge repair or road repaving, they exhorted drivers to stop speeding so much.

Watering trees by bike

Casey Trees has a new “Water By-Cycle” to water street trees without driving a huge truck around the city. It’s a bike with a custom 6-foot cargo trailer carrying tree maintenance and watering equipment.

Amtrak on Google Transit too

Amtrak is the latest rail provider to participate in Google Transit. Now, presumably, people looking up long-distance driving directions will see options to travel by train as well as by car. (Webwire via Planetizen)

Road connectivity dialogue proceeding over DMPED’s objections

At July’s Council hearing, Ward 7 residents and activists urged the Council to reserve public land for a street connection at Minnesota and Benning as proposed in the Great Streets Plan. DMPED’s Ayris Scales called it a “road to nowhere,” but the developers, who hadn’t engaged much with the community previously, reached out and promised to look into restoring the road connection, despite Scales’ “vocal disagreement.” (Ward 7 Connections, East of the River)

Cheh, Graham, Wells safe; Mendelson, Fenty maybe not

Mary Cheh (ward 3) is in a strong position for reelection next year, with 53% of voters in a recent poll “definitely” voting for her. Jim Graham (ward 1) and Tommy Wells (ward 6) are likewise strong, while Phil Mendelson (at-large) seems vulnerable, with only 32% definite voters. However, last time he won the Democratic primary handily despite early poll weakness, and 53% of voters still view him favorable. Fenty, too, only has 30% of Democratic primary voters in wards 1, 3, and 6 definitely supporting his reelection, though his favorability rating is 68%. (Examiner)