Breakfast links: Cutting back and cutting through

Cherry blossoms without Circulation

DC might not be cutting the Wisconsin Ave Circulator, but they’re still cutting the Mall loop completely for six months. Unfortunately, they forgot to check the Cherry Blossom Festival schedule: its first week overlaps with the closure. DDOT officials may look into getting the line back a week early. Now if only NPS could tell Park visitors about the line. (Examiner)

More park, less cut-through in SF

San Francisco is exploring ways to reduce traffic in the Presidio. 60% of traffic on Presidio Boulevard is cut-through, and they want drivers to take the main approach highways to the Golden Gate Bridge over cutting through the park roads themselves. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Park Service ever suggested some programs like these? (Streetsblog San Francisco, Mike)

Dulles taxis unpopular

Dulles’ taxis were one of the major items of dissatisfaction in a recent MWAA survey. The article doesn’t specify the exact percentage that mentioned taxis or link to the survey, but 20% of people passengers generally reported unhappiness with the ground transportation and many noted taxis as a problem. Meanwhile, 95% of people were satisfied with taxis at National. One big difference between the two is the Washington Flyer monopoly, which Steve Offutt has suggested abolishing. (Examiner)

A tale of two Safeways

Safeway wasn’t interested in a mixed-use structure in Tenleytown, partly or wholly because of the danger of neighbor resistance to anything over one story. But in Wheaton, they’re proposing a 14-story building, with 310 apartments over a new store similar to the one in City Vista. Many are enthusiastic, but some residents worry about the height and — you guessed it — parking. (Gazette)

Parking far more subsidized

Six times as much federal money goes into the commuter parking benefit than the transit benefit. Until this year, people could also deduct about twice as much for parking as for transit. (Streetsblog Capitol Hill)

San Jose rail light but not rapid

San Jose has one of the nation’s longest light rail systems, but it’s really slow and only lightly ridden compared to similar systems. Officials at the local VTA are looking into ways to speed up the system, including changing some single tracks to double track, running express trains, an overpass above a congested intersection, and running spur lines all the way to downtown instead of requiring transfers. (San Jose Mercury News, Mike)

Everybody wants the TIGER

State and local governments applied for $57 billion in grants in the TIGER program, which can distribute $1.5 billion. USDOT will be picking the winners between now and February. Transit grant applications totaled about $17 billion, compared to $32 billion in highway requests. (TheWashCycle)