Breakfast links: Hot trains

MARC heating up

The heat is interfering with many MARC trains. Bob Ehrlich, who’s polling well so far, has been using MARC’s performance as a campaign issue. But one letter writer notes that Ehrlich wasn’t very attentive to MARC when he was Governor. (Baltimore Sun, Examiner, WJZ)

Swing through BART

Someone installed three swings on BART trains. Did they get the idea from the London bus stop swing? (Treehugger via Examiner and Unsuck DC Metro). Update: Oops, this is an old story that was re-reported on the Examiner and Unsuck.

And…

Arlington apparently has math gangs (Blacknell.net) … The Census missed a whole building in College Park (Post) … Costs are rising faster than ridership on local transit systems except Circulator and ART (Examiner) … Area states are better than average in anti-distracted driving laws. (Examiner)

Purple single tracking not dead?

In the midst of his reelection campaign, Purple Line mostly-supporter Roger Berliner is touting efforts to try to get the line single-tracked to appeal to anti voters. Single tracking would cripple the line’s capacity; Baltimore fortunately got rid of its single track bottleneck for the planned Red Line. (Gazette)

Favoring taxes

A USDA study shows a soda tax would reduce obesity. Mary Cheh isn’t giving up. (Yglesias, DCist) … The Post editorializes for a gas tax increase, whose public support remains low but depends on how the revenue will be used. (Streetsblog)

A walkable crossroads

Fairfax Supervisors will consider plans for Bailey’s Crossroads, which would turn 530 acres into a mixed-use neighborhood centered around two streetcar stops at the end of Arlington’s Columbia Pike line. (Post)

CaBi locations and colors

Capital Bikeshare’s locations in Arlington are now revealed, along with the bikes’ color scheme, which will be red and white like the DC Circulator and streetcar. (CommuterPageBlog, Stephen Miller)  (Tip: Stephen Miller)

It’s complex

Tenants purchasing an apartment building in Columbia Heights didn’t work out quite as hoped … More on the rent control debate … DC needs more free Wi-Fi coffee shops. (Housing Complex)