Breakfast links: Better or worse?

Flip it

A Dutch firm designed a cool bridge to switch traffic from one side of the road to the other when crossing between Hong Kong and mainland China. But wouldn’t it be cheaper and simpler to just do this on land? (Fast Company via The Straight Line)

Is Metro safer?

One year after the Red Line crash, is the system safer? Experts conclude: there’s no way to really know, but it looks that way. There will be a memorial service tomorrow. (Kytja Weir/Examiner, Ann Scott Tyson/Lisa Rein/Post)

Tysons blown?

The head of the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and a former member of the Tysons Task Force thinks Fairfax blew it with the changes to the plan, losing out on the street grid and much residential development. (Jonathan O’Connell/Capital Business)

TOD or transit-occupying sprawl?

Dave Murphy is worried about Maryland’s plans to move an agency to a Prince George’s Metro station. Will it just be another suburban office building surrounded by tons of parking that is now taking up land near a Metro station? (Imagine, DC)  (Tip: Dave Murphy)

Rail to Richmond and Norfolk, almost

There will be Amtrak service from Norfolk to Richmond and on to DC, starting in 3 years. Or, rather, from almost downtown Norfolk to nowhere near downtown Richmond. (Virginian-Pilot, Gavin, BeyondDC)  (Tip: Gavin)

Crash tax?

Denver is considering charging a “crash tax” for people who get in at-fault crashes to pay for emergency response costs. It would just apply to non-residents. (Denver Daily, Michael P.)  (Tip: Michael P)

We’re not a big city?

At New York Ave Metro, a “large tourist family with thick Southern accents” said, “How can you call Washington DC a big city if it doesn’t even have a Wal-Mart?”  (DCist)

Petworth getting a market

A community market selling food and arts and crafts will open in Petworth on Friday, becoming the only community market in Ward 4. (Kent Boese/Park View DC)