The Silver Spring Penguin

Congratulations to The District, which was voted the nation’s most walkable city by who the hell knows whom, according to Fox-5 News.

Frankly, some District crosswalks earn zero cred on The Penguin walkability index. (Example: The “Frogger” death matches in Dupont Circle.) But any town that gives pedestrians 60 seconds to saunter across M Street near Connecticut Avenue is cool in my book.

Hey, it beats the 18-second sprint across Georgia Avenue at Colesville Road. Too many cups of Chick-Fil-A lemonade have met their demise while dodging cars making that left turn off southbound Colesville. The horror!

It’s something to think about before nodding off at one of this week’s meetings:

Monday

9:30 a.m. The county council’s transportation committee considers a proposed parking-rate increase for downtown Silver Spring’s garages, and a $12.7 million appropriation for the Ride On bus fleet. This free event takes place in Rockville and is open to the public.

6:30 p.m. Whole Foods Market (833 Wayne Ave) hosts a demonstration on how to prepare Thai dishes like betel-leaf wraps; fried trout with sweet pork and green mango salad; and coconut ice cream with sweet chili sauce. This event costs $5 per participant.

7:00 p.m. The state transit administration updates the community on the Purple Line mass-transit project. This free event takes place at the Round House Theatre (8641 Colesville Rd) and is open to the public.

Tuesday

9:55 a.m. County council president Mike Knapp introduces a zoning text amendment that would raise building heights in Fenton Village to permit workforce housing. This free event takes place in Rockville and is open to the public.

10:45 a.m. The county council is briefed on MoCo exec Ike Leggett’s proposal to establish a revolving-loan program with the county’s housing initiative fund. This free event takes place in Rockville and is open to the public.

1:30 p.m. The county council hears public testimony on a $5 million appropriation to acquire land for Silver Spring’s new library. This free event takes place in Rockville and is open to the public.

1:30 p.m. The county council hears public testimony on a $3.2 million appropriation for the third police district’s new station house in White Oak. This free event takes place in Rockville and is open to the public.

Wednesday

7:30 p.m. Silver Spring’s transportation and pedestrian-safety committee holds its monthly meeting at the Silver Spring Regional Center (8435 Georgia Ave). This event is free and open to the public.

Thursday

9:30 a.m. The county council’s economic development committee considers how the housing initiative fund and affordable housing acquisition fit into the 2009 operating budget. This free event takes place in Rockville and is open to the public.

10:00 a.m. The planning board reviews the site plan for a residential project at 814 Thayer Ave. This free event takes place at MNCPPC headquarters (8787 Georgia Ave) and is open to the public.

Photo (lead): A crossing signal somewhere in The District. Courtesy of Flickr user Cerotio.