Breakfast links: Transformation

Bike on Penn now

Mayor Fenty, Congressmen Blumenauer and Oberstar, Secretary LaHood and others formally opened the Penn. Ave bike lanes yesterday. Newschannel 8 criticized the “bike lines” [sic] because, no joke, drivers feel less safe. (They say the lanes were narrowed, which they weren’t.) (TheWashCycle)

“Glass half full” vs. “frowny inflection”

Lydia DePillis noticed the same thing that I did about the relative tenor of coverage in the Examiner and Post on the Metro crash’s one-year anniversary. She writes, “Do you want to be happy or sad? … Now you know who to read.” (Housing Complex) … And today’s Post article is “frowny” once again.

Tysons transformed! Well, eventually

The Fairfax Board of Supervisors approved the ambitious plan to turn Tysons into a real city, focused around the four Metro stations and with incentives for residential development and community amenities. 2 of the 3 Republicans voted against the plan, wanting more time. (Kafia Hosh/Derek Kravitz/Post)

More ethnic food carts, hooray

More food carts in DC (about 10% now) are offering ethnic food instead of hot dogs. However, the depots where the carts are stored often pressure vendors, sometimes very hard, to buy supplies from them, which means hot dogs. DC is trying to educate the depot owners. (Tara Bahrampour/Post)

Tear down power lines, not flyers

An appeals court reinstated a lawsuit Brookland activists filed against DC when city officials tore down their flyers about burying the aboveground power lines. (Alan Suderman/Examiner)

Fenty late to Metro memorial

Mayor Fenty was late to yesterday’s Metro crash ceremony, and wore a possibly-inappropriate light-colored suit. Mike DeBonis notes that he’s definitely busy, but “showing up… shows you care” and seems especially important when locked in a close reelection fight. (Post)

TOD without ped safety brings tragedy

A truck driver passing another stopped truck killed a woman at Hollywood and Vine, LA’s premier “Transit-Oriented Development.” It’s atop a rail station and has development, but the roads were never redesigned to be safe for pedestrians. (Streetsblog Los Angeles, Chris L.)

The “compass crusader”

A helpful New Yorker has sprayed graffiti at the entrance to several subway stations, but this graffiti is a compass rose showing people which way is which. Will NYC leave them up like the guerrilla freeway sign in LA? (NYC The Blog, Jason)