Breakfast links: Routes to school and the route for a school

Bright future for Hine

The Stanton/Eastbanc team has won the competition to redevelop Hine Jr. High on Capitol Hill. David C. liked this proposal best of the four finalists. The plan includes reopening C Street to pedestrians

between 7th and 8th with a midblock plaza for events, space for the Shakespeare Theater, and a mix of residential, office and hotel uses. (The Hill is Home, David C)  (Tip: David C)

Stifling routes to school?

Many parents don’t let their kids walk to school because they’re afraid of kidnappers, even when kids live only two blocks away from school, and even in the suburbs. Many kids take the bus just a single block, and parents pick them up and drop them off at the bus stop, refusing to let them wait alone for even a moment. Is this prudent or overprotective? (New York Times, ah)  (Tip: ah)

Buses vs. people

A bus driver ran over a bicycle yesterday, but apparently the cyclist wasn’t on it, or maybe the cyclist hit the bus; details are sketchy. Regardless, the cyclist is okay. (DCist) … That bus driver who hit a jogger recently, meanwhile, had two prior crashes, in 2003 and 2004. (Post, Michael P)

Camper bike

An artist created a camper pulled by a bicycle (actually a tricycle). The small camper has enough room for a couch, bed, desk and TV (though in pretty tight quarters). (Gizmodo, Michael P)  (Tip: Michael P)

Wisconsin without Circulator?

The Circulator in Georgetown might stop going up Wisconsin. The line has much lower ridership on that segment, and the 30s already serve the area. But Georgetowners are fighting the change, and successfully blocked the same change last year. Richard Layman thinks it makes sense, and wishes people weren’t so focuses on getting the “sexy” Circulator over “plodding” traditional buses. (Georgetown Metropolitan, RPUS)

Not your father’s affordable housing

Plans for a new police station at White Oak also includes some affordable housing, which residents oppose on the grounds that East County already has more than its share of affordable housing. But Dan Reed argues that this isn’t the same “affordable housing” as the old Section 8 stuff people hate. (JUTP)

McCain, Coburn: Everything but highways is “wasteful”

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is trying to remove funding for 20 specific transit projects from the USDOT funding bill. He is complaining that they’re wasteful earmarks that increase the deficit, but if struck from the bill, the money will only revert to the FTA. McCain also ignored all but one of the highway earmarks in the bill. Meanwhile, Tom Coburn (R-OK) proposed amendments to prevent transportation funds from going to bicycle and pedestrian projects. (Streetsblog)