Breakfast links: Improvements
Fares will increase less
Thanks to an improving economy and cost-cutting measures, Metro riders will likely have to shoulder a smaller fare increase than initially thought. (Examiner)
Now you see Silver, now you don’t
Governor Bob McDonnell had offered $300 million to help pay for the Silver Line but now he refuses to pay a dime. Phase II might not get built, and if it does, tolls will have to rise substantially. (Post)
From parking to high rises
Once dominated by parking lots, the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood has seen nine high rises built, with a dozen more on the way. New restaurants have attracted more people to an area that now feels safer. (Post)
See ideas for the Mall
The Mall redesign competition has chosen its finalists. You can see the designs this week at the Smithsonian Castle and Museum of American History but they aren’t online
or on the competition website. (Post)
Modify the Ike memorial?
The Eisenhower Memorial commission should ask Gehry to modify the design, and scale down the memorial to become part of a park instead of dominating, says Roger Lewis. But a Post editorial says full speed ahead. (Post)
Hard to grab lunch in Anacostia
By highlighting race, Marion Barry distracted from an otherwise valid point that it’s tough to find a decent lunch in Anacostia. The low density of the surrounding neighborhood hampers retail development. (R. U. Seriousing Me?) (Tip: @ruSERIOUSINGme)
A city that still sleeps
2 restaurants recently opened in the U Street corridor with late night hours, but have now scaled back. They hoped the influx of new residents is turning DC into a 24-hour city, but it appears that time hasn’t quite yet come. (Post)
Brutal preservation
Washington’s Third Church historic preservation debate has echoes in a New York suburb whose Brutalist county office building suffers from leaks, mold, and bad ventilation. (NYT, Ben Ross) (Tip: Ben Ross)
And…
Metro wants members for its Accessibility Advisory Committee. (Post) … DDOT is now caught up on bike lane installation, or is it really? (d.ish) … A PA bus driver blocked a road to stop a driver who was fleeing after hitting a cyclist. (Post via WashCycle)