Breakfast links: Defending against BRAC

Carpools key to Mark Center sanity

If the Department of Defense wants to avoid complete gridlock around the Mark Center later this year, it needs to take a page from its old playbook and incentivize 4-person carpooling. (WAMU)

Bethesda in for a BRAC surprise

Though Bethesda got millions for traffic improvements in the budget deal, none will be finished by the September 15 start of BRAC. Pedestrians coming from the Metro are expected to more than double. (Post)

East Falls Church plan a go

The Arlington County Board unanimously approved the East Falls Church station area plan that will bring mixed-use TOD to the Metro, and add better bike and pedestrian access. (ARLnow)

Shuffling VA Metro seats

Virginia’s WMATA Board delegation will see some changes to accommodate the state’s new appointment.  Fairfax may lose it’s alternate seat, and Arlington’s member would switch from a voting to an alternate member. (Examiner)

A cheaper underground Dulles station?

The MWAA has invited to state and regional leaders to sit down and discuss the Authority’s decision to build an underground station at Dulles, hinting that they have found a cheaper way to build it. (Post)

Finding out-of-District DCPS students

Over the last 3 years, 235 DCPS students have been illegally attending as non-DC residents. The good news: DCPS schools must be better than some surrounding ones. The bad news: DCPS is out $648,000. (Examiner)

A long battle for vehicular manslaughter

It took 7 years to pass Maryland’s new vehicular manslaughter law, which will hold drivers responsible for killing people on bike or on foot, but to at least one family, the fight was worth it. (WTOP)

Getting smart growth right in MD

Prince George’s new TOD emphasis won’t have maximum effect until Maryland takes a holistic look at its 100+ transit stations and develops some statewide standards and priorities for smart growth. (RPUS)

And…

A couple of Virginia drivers are miffed that MWAA is using toll revenue to pay for the Silver Line. (NBC Washington) … County police are targeting speeders on the Fairfax County Parkway, but acknowledge that the road’s design encourages speeding. (WTOP) … Talk of federal budget cuts has raised the age-old question: “Would you pay for the Smithsonian?” (Washingtonian)