Breakfast links: Purchase power
It’s quite fare
A WMATA Board committee tentatively approved a fare increase which will eliminate “peak-of-the-peak” and add a $14 all-day pass. Changes would take effect July 1. (Examiner)
Never mind the fines
Secondhand shops with the wrong business license have gotten a reprieve by DCRA, which will give shops 45 days (up from 7) to comply, and help businesses get the correct license. (City Paper)
More on the height limit
Raising the height limit downtown could make office rents cheaper and protect adjacent neighborhoods from pressure to become part of downtown. Allowing taller buildings elsewhere might not have much effect. (RPUS)
Think regional?
The sprawling Greater Washington area would certainly benefit from economic cooperation, but its balkanized governance structure breeds competition among jurisdictions, and maybe that’s not such a bad thing either. (City Paper)
Streetcars and bikes don’t mix
As DC builds its streetcar system, it must be mindful of bike safety, since streetcar tracks can pose a threat. Even in Portland, 67% of cyclists have had a crash on the tracks. (TBD)
Existential transformations
The major changes along the H Street Corridor are causing residents and business owners to ponder race, culture, and what it means to be a neighbor when you’re new to a place, and what it means to be one when you’ve never lived anywhere else. (Frozen Tropics)
Rail demand just keeps rising
Amtrak ridership is way up over last year, and Virginia ridership is far above even that. Ridership between DC and Lynchburg is up 27%, and is up 16% between DC and Newport News. (Railway Age)
Bikes rule Mexico City Sundays
Every Sunday morning, Mexico City closes down its major thoroughfares to cars and opens them to cyclists and pedestrians, improving the city’s quality of life while building support for more bike lanes. (Post)
And…
Walkability and better food choice can dramatically reduce childhood obesity. (Walkonomics) … Prince George’s developers would freeze property taxes and abolish rent control. (Gazette) … DC is probably lucky it has no official mayoral residence. (DCist)