Mid-Week Links: A Bit Short

Marin County Civic Center Welcome new readers! Unfortunately, you're only going to get a bit of the typical Mid-Week (or is it End-Week?) Links. I've fallen ill, and a computer screen is the last thing I need to stare at. But, over the course of the week and a bit this evening I've scraped some links together showing a bit of what's happening in Marin and around the world.

Got a tip for a link or a story? Want to become a contributor yourself? Email me at theGreaterMarin {at} gmail.com.

Marin County

  • Opponents of Blithedale Terrace have hired a lawyer and consultants to fight the project to the bitter end, saying the 20 planned units would mean a traffic nightmare in Mill Valley and are just "far too many" units. Unless developer Phil Richardson has something up his sleeve, the controversy and litigation will likely go on for years. (Herald)
  • After an arduous remodel of Red Hill Shopping Center and mounting concerns over chain stores, San Anselmo's council is weighing whether to ban or more closely regulate such businesses. (IJ)
  • Fairfax police are cracking down on cyclists running stop signs and stop lights, saying they pose a danger to pedestrians. Sausalito is following suit, saying they also pose a danger to "other vehicles", though I can't see a car getting much more than dents from a bicycle. (IJ)

The Greater Marin

  • Delhi's Bus Rapid Transit system is under threat after a court ruled that the bus-only lanes must be opened for mixed vehicle traffic, which would essentially kill the program.  While car use has exploded among India's elite, travel in the city is still dominated by transit and foot. (NYT)
  • A $42.5 million freeway project is in jeopardy now that Petaluma lost its redevelopment funds. The Old Redwood Highway Interchange project would build HOV lanes and a new interchange in the city. (Press Democrat)
  • Driverless trains are a fantastic boon to mass rail transit systems, but Americans have been surprisingly lax in adopting the technology. (Atlantic Cities)
  • Bike-share in the Bay Area has been delayed yet again, this time until January. Though it's not clear why BAAQMD and Alta are delaying again, but the sheer geography of the system seems to be playing a role. (Streetsblog)
  • The fires that burned uncontrollably in Colorado this year and often burn in the West aren't destructive just because of forestry practices. Suburban sprawl means people are spread thinly across the landscape, putting more lives at risk. (Billings Gazette)
  • New development doesn't mean ridding a neighborhood of the old but rather retrofitting it so new buildings share in some of that history. My neighborhood in Washington, DC, is undergoing a dramatic change, but bits are being saved for just that reason. (NPR)