Breakfast links: You break it, you buy it

Metro sues for Orange Line damage

Metro has sued one of Douglas Jemal’s development companies. They allege that the developer dumped soil on Metro property, which made a hillside fall, which weakened the foundation for the track supports between Cheverly and Deanwood. Trains have to operate more slowly there now. Metro is seeking $11 million. (Examiner)

Not the right route

Metro’s trip planner suggests a suboptimal route from the eastern Red Line to a U Street club. (DC Transportation Examiner)

No more E-Z perks

After pressure from Maryland Politics Watch, state legislators will no longer receive free E-ZPasses. Some of them are grumbling about the impact on their finances during the recession. Boo hoo. Elected officials ought to pay for all the same things that other citizens have to pay for; otherwise, it distorts their policy perspectives. (Maryland Politics Watch)

Vacuum chic not cycle chic?

At last night’s “Cycle Chic” forum, the Danish cycling fashion blogger said there isn’t really a Danish bicycle culture any more than a Danish vacuum cleaner culture. WashCycle also disagreed with some of his arguments about bicycle marketing. (WashCycle)

Riders would pay for bikes on Amtrak

An online survey found strong support for allowing unboxed bicycles on Amtrak’s Capitol Limited, which parallels the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal towpath. Most people would be willing to spend $20-25 extra on their ticket for the privilege. (Gavin Baker)  (Tip: Gavin Baker)

Speed cameras working, mostly

Rockville’s experience with speed cameras shows that drivers adapt, slowing down around the cameras and receiving fewer tickets. That means less revenue, but revenue should not be the purpose of speed cameras: ideally, they’ll earn nothing and catch nobody because everyone drives at a safer speed. (Post) … Many people just slow down right around the camera, which is why a good strategy other cities use is to have a bunch of dummy cameras and a few real ones, then move the real ones around randomly.

Commuters find a way around I-66

Congestion on I-66, while very annoying (I had to drive it yesterday), also leads many commuters to carpool, take transit, or spread out their trips to other times. That’s not stopping advocates for widening I-66, like road booster Bob Chase, who don’t seem to have heard of induced demand. (Examiner, Michael P)

Thanks, states

Stimulus finding for road repair has mainly bypassed metropolitan areas, even though most of the roads rated as bad are in the metro areas. Dallas, for example, is getting just 1% of Texas’ $530 million in road money. DC’s status as a pseudo-state actually means this isn’t a problem for the District, though it is for Virginia and Maryland. (USA Today)