Berlin bans fixies.

Hipster cred might increase exponentially.

DC might limit the number of cabs?

I’m all for allowing the market to determine the number of cabs, but there’s something to be said for a medallion system that would do a better job of meeting a minimum level of quality and service.  I’ve been turned down by far too many cabs just trying to get back to Capitol Hill.

Also, these kinds of quotes don’t give me a lot of faith in the quality of our taxis:

Graham, whose committee oversees the taxicab industry, said the city has 8,000 licensed operators and 1,000 applicants who have passed the tests but have not completed the licensing process. That seems to be more licensed operators per capita than any other city in the world, he said: “This boat is going to sink by its own weight.”

The switch from zones to meters and the economy have hit the pockets of some cabdrivers. And competition isn’t helping.

Applicants have inundated the system since tests resumed last year; the city had stopped giving exams when questions were leaked. There was evidence of cheating in 2005.

Graham said he did not know how the city would achieve a cap on drivers but said one possibility is requiring medallions or certificates. He said the city also should reconsider whether to continue giving applicants three chances to pass the exam.

An old friend of mine was visiting from Boston a few weeks ago – the poor quality of our cabs was one of the first things he mentioned to me.

Obama offers a transportation counter-proposal, featuring some hints of what might be to come with an infrastructure bank.