Breakfast links: It’s a rumble in the court over shady landlord practices
Image by Grace C licensed under Creative Commons.
Lawsuit challenges rent concessions practices
In DC, rent concessions, where a tenant is offered a discount upon signing a lease, are a common practice but landlords use the tactic to bypass rent control regulations, increasing rent on the original price, not the discount. A new lawsuit could change that. (Andrew Giambrone / City Paper)
Multiple DC schools close playgrounds and fields
Several playgrounds at DC schools have closed because they failed city shock absorption tests. The city has not released a full list of the closures and is working to find work-around solutions. (Brady Holt / Current)
What effect do Uber and Lyft really have on the region’s traffic?
How do ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft affect traffic and commutes in the DC region? We're not quite sure. Uber reports figures such as active drivers, but many have never taken a single trip, making it hard to gauge the service's cumulative impact. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)
Fairfax City redevelopment moves forward (again)
The redevelopment of a Fairfax City strip mall is officially a go, again, now that Giant Foods has agreed to occupy a space planned for a grocery. The redevelopment will feature 400 apartments and 29,000 square feet of retail, plus the grocery store. (Karen Goff / Business Journal)
Improve walkability? Remove “monolithic” spaces from the street
Akron, Ohio wants to create a more walkable city by removing “monolithic land use,” or large tracts of street front devoted to a single purpose such as parking. These areas reduce the streets' aesthetic appeal and do not draw more pedestrians to the street. (Angie Schmitt / Streetblog)
Report: keep cyclists safe by making roads more bike-friendly
The Governor's Highway Safety Association has discovered that friendlier roads keep cyclists safer. In their newest report, the association recommends improvements such as protected bike lanes and bike boulevards to incentivize cycling and protect cyclists. (Kelley Coyner / Mobility Lab)
Slow down for cyclists? Yes, please!
The speed of a car directly correlates to the level of injury inflicted on a cyclist or pedestrian in a collision, according to a new NTSB report. The board recommends fixes such as speeding cameras and re-evaluating speed limits in cities. (Michael Andersen / People For Bikes)
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