Breakfast links: What’s on your Metro?

Are cloth seats wise or germ havens?

BART is considering switching from fabric to vinyl for their seat coverings because the cloth sometimes harbors bacteria. Meanwhile, WMATA has been leaning toward cloth on new cars. Is that wise? (NYT via Kytja Weir)

McDonnell finally backs Metro funding

After more than two weeks of vague non-promises and “telephonically” communicated mixed messages, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell finally actually asked Congress to save WMATA funding. (Post)

Henderson getting the job

Mayor Gray is expected to name Kaya Henderson as permanent DCPS chancellor. He apparently never seriously considered any others. The union head is displeased, but those who feared Rhee leaving should be relieved. (Post)

Gray calls for investigation of Gray

Mayor Gray acknowledged “missteps” in a press conference yesterday afternoon. He denied allegations from Sulaimon Brown that he had a deal to attack Adrian Fenty and receive a job in return, but called for an independent investigation to clear up the matter. (Post)

Questionable tactics against Oregon bag bill

Like Maryland, Oregon is considering a bag fee bill. According to one state senator, a plastics company offered to build a new recycling plant, provided they kill the bill and replace it with one prohibiting local governments from imposing bag fees. (Anacostia Watershed Society, Oregon Live)

Ga. driver assaults 13-year-old for asking him to put away a phone

A driver on a cell phone, with his daughter in the car, almost hit a 13-year-old cyclist. The cyclist asked him nicely to be careful and “put the phone away.” The driver responded by physically attacking the cyclist. (WSB Atlanta, Geoff Hatchard)

Maybe transit advocates are being honest

George Will says transit advocates are secretly trying to “diminish American’s individualism.” Ezra Klein asks why he can’t just believe that advocates really think trains are useful as one of several transportation modes. As it turns out, one of those advocates used to be George Will. (Grist, Post)

And…

WashCycle makes its own pie charts about bike space versus car space … Patrick Mara appreciates walkable retail and wants DC to encourage more small businesses (Borderstan) … DC Water is hosting town halls on planned rate increases to pay for infrastructure upgrades, starting tomorrow at UDC (AP, Cleveland Park 2.0) … Several GGW contributors attended “Transportation Camp” this past weekend. (Huffington Post)