Breakfast links: Transit or traffic for lovers

Arlington v. Virginia

Arlington County filed its lawsuit against FHWA and VDOT today over HOT lane plans for I-95 and I-395. Officials want VDOT to consider better alternatives to simply adding lanes — almost the exact same critique as for the I-270 widening in Maryland. Delegate David Englin says, “A win-win solution will be based on transit that moves people and does not simply increase the volume of cars moving from Stafford and Prince William into the District of Columbia.” (Arlington County, Connection)

Virginia Railway Expansion

VRE got $9.8 million in stimulus money to purchase locomotives, and Prince William’s PRTC got about $4 million for buses and shelters (Washington Post, Cavan) … Spotsylvania County will join VRE and start contributing to operations, as long as the pro-VRE supervisors aren’t voted out of office this year.  (Tip: Cavan)

Shoulda coulda woulda

Upon seeing huge numbers of trees cut down to build the ICC, one Silver Spring resident wishes he’d thought about the issue more when Montgomery County was debating the freeway. (Post/PressDisplay, Bianchi)  (Tip: Bianchi)

Seattle rejects bag fee

Seattle voters rejected the city’s 20-cent bag fee in a referendum Tuesday. The plastic industry outspent supporters 15 to 1, which helped the opposition get about 58%. However, the measure helped mayoral candidates who supported the fee, like Sierra Club’s Mike McGinn, who also supports a surface boulevard over a tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way freeway. (MSNBC, Crosscut)

Float to the game

DC has opened the pier next to Nationals Park for water taxi service. Six charter companies will run service from National Harbor, Alexandria and elsewhere. (DMPED)

Walkability is money

A recent study found a very strong correlation between walkability and home values. The study could only demonstrate correlation, of course, not prove causation, but they controlled “for all of [the] other factors that are known to influence housing value. Here’s the complete study. (City Parks Blog, Stephen Miller)  (Tip: Stephen Miller)

Twelve feet

A video shows just how far a cyclist has to ride from parked cars to be safe from dooring. Basically, if there’s a bike lane, ride at the very edge of the lane. (Virginia Bicycling Federation via WashCycle)

College Park wants in

College Park wasn’t originally part of the regionwide bike sharing program TPB included in its TIGER grant proposal, but it’s now in after the City Council requested it. How was the original list determined, I wonder?