March 21, 2007
Morning Roundup: Fully Sprung Edition
It's here! As of 8:07 last night, spring has officially sprung. Today's going to be a little chilly, but by the end of the week we'll have almost cracked 70 degrees. Woohoo!
Pedestrian Safety Initiative Kicks Off: The Post reports on the pedestrian safety program that regional governments launched yesterday morning from a press event at Thomas Circle. What will this mean for you? Perhaps some new traffic lights, and definitely some additional enforcement of jaywalking and pedestrian right-of-way laws. Given the tragic number of pedestrian deaths that 2007 has already seen, we're all for it. But couldn't they have chosen a better tagline for the program than "Steel vs. Flesh — It's no contest"? It seems needlessly antagonistic to us.
Maryland Smoking Ban Advances: The Examiner brings word from the AP that a statewide smoking ban is making progress in Maryland. Last week a ban bill made it out of committee in the state Senate; now a similar but slightly more restrictive bill has cleared a committee in the House. The bills are expected to pass — the primary remaining question is whether the Senate bill's exemption for private clubs like the American Legion will survive.
Metro Set To Lose Carpet, Again: WJLA says that John Catoe, Metro's new general manager, wants to get rid of our subway system's carpeting. Makes sense to us — the stuff is filthy and expensive to maintain. But will it happen? The article reports that "Catoe said he was surprised nobody had thought to remove the carpet before." We're surprised to hear him say that he's surprised. The idea's been floated before, and was even supposed to be tested last summer.
Briefly Noted: Fenty's proposed budget includes 8% growth, few surprises... There's another crazy cat lady surprisingly-competent cat enthusiast in Frederick... Superintendent Clifford Janey narrowly evades contempt ruling... Concealed handgun owners upset over publication of their names... Va. hybrid owners' access to HOV lanes extended...
This Day In DCist: One year ago we were laying the groundwork for this week's deja vu with protestors and elephants. Two years ago we remembered Comet Liquors' Sid Drazin and learned about D.C.'s Joan of Arc monument.
Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user SweetJen34
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It is so over for Janey. What a totally incompetent administrator.
On Plotkin's Post chat yesterday, he floated an interesting rumor: that Robert Bobb is planning on challenging Kwame Brown for the at-large council seat. That would be a fun race to watch.
Considering a lot of the pedestrian-bus deaths, especially the recent ones, were the driver's fault, the title of the program is almost like spitting on the graves of those killed. While I see pedestrians do unsafe things all the time, I've been nearly run over in crosswalks, while I had the right of way, by drivers not paying attention more times than I can count, and often involves metrobuses. The law says the onus is on the driver to avoid pedestrians. I don't understand why this isn't clear.
This is a case where the local governments just don't get it, probably because they don't actually ride public transportation or walk around town enough.
So, demonfafa, we shouldn't care about careless pedestrians (assuming you are correct about the Metro bus fatalities, though only one driver so far has been charged with anything)?
But I think DCist missed the entire story, which clearly states "Effort Will Include Targeting Drivers Who Don't Yield." and "Across the District yesterday, police were posted at several intersections looking for pedestrians and motorists who violate the law."
So this doesn't appear to be a case of them singling out pedestrians.
I will say I was happy to see a driver get pulled over this morning going West on Calvert at Connecticut Ave, from the right turn only lane. First time in nine years I've ever seen someone get pulled over for that violation.
... and you gotta love the name of the safety effort, "Steel vs. Flesh -- It's no contest." Sounds like a Jean Claude Van Damme film, or maybe a pro wrestling event.
I'm confused. Did the MD house pass a smoking ban, or did it just pass committee? Your post contradicts itself. Looking at the links, it only just passed committee.
Wait wait wait... Robert Bobb? His name is Bob Bobb? What were his parents thinking?
Sorry if my writeup was confusing, Politburo. Reading over it, I'm not sure what contradiction you're pointing to, but maybe I'm just missing it. In either case, your interpretation is right: similar bills will now face floor votes in the Md. House and Senate, and both are expected to pass.
Mike B: I mentioned that the program will include traffic enforcement ("pedestrian right of way laws") as well as handing out jaywalking tickets.
Mike B.,
That's not what I was saying at all. My main concern, however, is ensuring that civillian drivers and metrobus operators don't presume themselves and where they're heading to be more important than the safety of the pedestrian who has the right of way. I see cabs and drivers all over town bully people into moving back to the curb instead of crossing when clearly they don't have the right of way.
It's simply a matter of personal responsibility. If a driver hits a pedestrian who doesn't have the right of way, fine - I don't care. That pedestrian decided to disregard rules and was not careful when they stepped onto the road, and forfeited their safety. When someone gets hit in a crosswalk, that's a totally different story. The pedestrian is relying on the right of way for their own safety where as if they jaywalk, they give that safety up and are taking their lives into their own hands.
Does this make sense?
"Maryland Smoking Ban Advances: ...now a similar but slightly more restrictive bill has cleared a committee in the House."
"Briefly Noted: Md. House passes smoking ban"
Is the contradiction I was referring to. Nitpicking, I know.
demonfafa, I got it. Seems I may have misread your post. I see now you were focusing more on the title of the program, rather than the content of the program (which covers both pedestrians and drivers).
Crap! No, I wouldn't say that's nitpicking at all, Politburo. I meant to take out the briefly noted item when I "graduated" it to a written-out item. I'll remove the briefly-noted entry now. Sorry about that.