Oh, to get around.

With gas prices as they are these days, people are discussing how to sell their SUVs - or alternatively, what to do with the SUVs they can't get rid of. The second link's just for fun, but gas prices are undeniably steep, and rising. The national average at the moment is $4.108/gallon, an all-time high. Who can afford to fill up anymore?

All the more reason to ride a bike if you can.
The SmartBike program in DC couldn't come at a better time. Yeah, I know, it's Clear Channel... but this leads to a veritable slew of improvements to cycling in the city. Hopefully it will speed up the addition of more bike lanes, and create greater visibility for those riding bikes, forcing drivers to keep an eye out for cyclists. When there are dedicated lanes for bikes to use, our actions while riding become more predictable, resulting in fewer collisions and better harmony between motorized commuters and pedal-powered ones. We're all trying to get to work!
And maybe, just maybe, fewer people will park in the bike lanes (ugh, frustration!).

From discussion with friends living in the city but taking public transport to work rather than their bike, I've found that it's often intimidating for them with all the accidents they'll read on the news. And yeah, it's impossible to be completely protected. Yesterday morning, Alice Swanson, a 22-year old cyclist, was struck and killed while riding to work near Dupont Circle. It's really tragic.