The two big news items this week have been Maryland’s movement on light rail and DC’s sort of movement on streetcars. Those topics also dominated the DC urbanist twitterverse.

This week’s top tweet from @BeyondDC: @beyonddc Sec LaHood “excited about possibility of (DC streetcars) running right in front of the USDOT headquarters” – Gabe Klein http://is.gd/25j8f

This week’s top tweet from the network: @drgridlock Md Gov O’Malley backs light rail along Capital Crescent Trail

Experimenting with Twitter integration. Any thoughts on just throwing out one from each category?

This week’s top tweet from @BeyondDC: @beyonddc Palin op/ed on cap/trade heavy on how Jesus wants us to drill oil, but doesnt mention word “carbon” even once. FAIL.

This week’s top tweet from the network: @T4AmericaOn a lighter note, will any of you be calling the classic, memorable, iconic Sears Tower by its new name, the Willis Tower? Didn’t think so.

Still working on refining this concept. Starting this week I’ll highlight a single tweet either from @BeyondDC or someone I follow.

This week’s top tweet:
@planetizen Giving away free parking is like giving away free gas: http://bit.ly/12nJeH

PS: I really do intend this to be a Friday thing. It just hasn’t worked out that way the last couple of weeks.

Usually the twitter summary comes out on Friday, but I had a busy weekend.

From BeyondDC: @beyonddc Driving a car into Manhattan costs $160. Why aren’t “libertarians” like Cox and O’Toole calling for a $160/car entry fee? http://is.gd/1oNm8 @beyonddc The top of mount pleasant is an underappreciated urban room. Appreciating it now from the balcony of the apartment from “state of play” @beyonddc DC area bikesharing could soon get the big boost it needs to go big time (maybe). Keep eyes peeled in coming weeks for potentially cool news @beyonddc For the record: DC’s rowhouse vernacular is seriously awesome. No other American city has prettier residential neighborhoods. @beyonddc Should have developed Gtown waterfront and turned Whurst into park.

From Others: @theoverheadwire You’re not an Enviro if you’re also a NIMBY. http://tinyurl.com/mnmzru @Infrastructurst US manufactures a streetcar for the first time in nearly 60 years. Beginning of new domestic industry? http://bit.ly/8eMUg @TheCityFix I understood Northern Virginia once I realized it was just California: http://bit.ly/yZTwP @drgridlock Let’s help Metro: Write your own announcement to explain where trains are stopping. http://tr.im/qkC5 @bogrosemary NextBus is live – hopefully permanently this time: http://wmata.nextbus.com/ (same URL for mobile site).

Popular or interesting twitter posts from the last week. Obviously I’m still experimenting with the format for this.

From BeyondDC: @beyonddc 68% of trips to/from metrorail are walking. #factfriday @beyonddc At TPB presentation by CSX. CSX wants to run double stack freight trains to increase capacity. Would result in more slots for MARC/VRE. @beyonddc What WMATA really needs is for transit operating to get the same level of support from feds/state as highway maintenance. @RayLaHood @beyonddc Best remaining big American train stations, IMO: 1) Union, DC 2) Grand Central, NY 3) 30th St, Philly 4) South, Boston 5) Union, Cincinnati @beyonddc shopping in hampden, hon

From Others: @jdland DDOT launches “Where’s My Bus”? for Circulators–go to http://circulator.dc.gov from phone/PDA to find next bus coming to your location. #fb @infrastructure2 AASHTO’s John Horsley says US has to raise the gas tax http://tinyurl.com/lv4m7h @Worldchanging Large Majority in U.S. Supports Regulation of CO2, Poll Shows http://tinyurl.com/lrwkcm @DC_Mud Eastern Market Re-Opens Tomorrow, Street Fest to Follow…http://tiny.cc/CD1z4 @T4America Obama: There is no longer a question about whether the jobs and industries of the 21st cent. will be centered around clean, renewable energy

Going to try something new on Fridays for the next few weeks. Twitter is quickly becoming one of the world’s most important forms of communication, as the Green Revolution in Iran is making obvious to any remaining doubters. BeyondDC has been tweeting since last September, with increasing frequency. So starting today I’m going to post 5 or 6 highlights of my weekly tweets, along with a handful of other good tweets from people I follow.

Let me know what you think of the idea.

Tweets of the week:

@beyonddc I dont care about high-speed rail; just want regular rail. Its not the speed of the trains that makes that Amtrak trip from SF to LA so bad

@beyonddc TPB unanimously(!) approves light rail purple line (in georgetown branch) & DC’s 395 air rights project. Big rebuff to chevy chase NIMBYs.

@beyonddc “Large-scale transit isn’t possible in a nonwalking city” – Jeff Speck http://is.gd/12z36

@beyonddc Woman @ city bikes who clearly missed the point- “Ive officially spent more on accessories than I did on the bike”… Not a cheap bike btw

@beyonddc Turns out bailey of baileys xroads is 1 & same w/ bailey of barnum & baileys circus. At xroads he kept elephants prior to starting circus!

@T4America Do you enjoy reading the wonky policy details? Read the full Oberstar 90-page outline (at your own risk!) http://bit.ly/p33vi

@enviroknow HuffPost Green: Phoenix’s Light Rail Has 60% More Riders Than Expected http://ow.ly/eRwv

@(redacted) The situation in Iran is now CRITICAL – the nation is heartbroken – suppression is iminent – #Iranelection

@RayLaHood DOT moves U.S. High-Speed Rail one-step closer to Pres. Obama’s vision with grant guidelines http://fastlane.dot.gov

@drgridlock Purple Line advances: Wash region Transportation Planning Board just approved.

@(redacted) news from tuesday::: our march was big success!! militia are now frightened of us – they know world is watching – #Iranelection

@chrisloos Nice to see Digg covering what urban planners have known for generations: #GM bought up and destroyed transit in America. http://is.gd/13Rr2

@streetsblog GOP’s New Attack on Health Care Reform Bill: It Promotes Walking! http://tinyurl.com/mna7nl

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