Breakfast links: Questions in Alexandria

Should Alexandria spend on regional transportation?

Alexandria Councilwoman Alicia Hughes questions whether partnering with Arlington County on streetcar projects is in Alexandria’s best interest.  (Alexandria Gazette Packet)

Alexandria to wait and see on more bike signals

After installing its first bike signal on the Mount Vernon Trail, the city has said it will evaluate whether cyclists heed the signal before installing any more. Rob Pitingolo takes issue with this approach. (Local Motion, Extraordinary Observations)

Not so much Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Historian for Hire has an intriguing write up of the sordid Montgomery County “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” historic preservation fiasco.  (Tip: Historian4Hire)

Good luck organizing a block party

Throwing a block party is a great idea, but there’s way too much red tape. (Park View, DC)

Amtrak signals possibly sabotaged

Some MARC riders yesterday morning were told “signal problems,” while others were told “police activity” were to blame for delays. It turns out both were true, as the Amtrak signaling around New Carrollton may have been sabotaged. Here’s a timeline. (Inside Charm City)

How to balance the budget

According to Esquire, we can completely erase the federal deficit by 2020 through several major changes, including raising the gas tax by $1 per gallon, generating $130 billion in 2020. (Esquire, charlie)  (Tip: charlie)

Transit indirectly brings cars?

A new study puts some unsurprising elements together in a provocative way, finding that transit raises property values, stimulating gentrification and ultimately more cars. Including affordable housing and imposing parking limits are the suggested tools to combat this effect. (Streetsblog Capitol Hill)

A bike section in the paper?

The New York Times publishes an Automobile section every week. Why not replace it with a Bicycles section once a year? (Ride the City)