Breakfast links: On the rise
Fares. hiked
The long-awaited Metro fare increase kicked in yesterday. Train fares are up 5-10¢ a ride, with larger increases for Metrobus. MetroAccessrules will stay the same, but with a slightly lower maximum. (DCist)
Study the lane now!
At the MoveDC hearing, Mary Cheh urged DDOT to start a study of a bus lane on 16th Street already, “for heaven’s sake!” A study is funded but still has no start date. (Post)
MoveDC draws AAA ire
AAA blasted the MoveDC plan, charging that congestion tolls will make driving into DC more difficult. When Mary Cheh asked if spokesman Lon Anderson has another idea to reduce congestion, he had none. (WAMU)
How to broaden CaBi?
Capital Bikeshare’s users are still disproportionately white and wealthy. Transportation officials are trying to reach out across financial and language barriers, but even giving away free memberships can be a challenge. (Post)
Spies like us
An unassuming cluster of stone buildings near the Kennedy Center that once housed the OSS (the CIA’s precursor) had been planned for redevelopment, but some agency alums have partnered with local preservationists to save it. (Post)
Give tours freely
DC’s rules requiring all tour guides to pass a test and pay for a license are unconstitutional, a court found. There isn’t much evidence the test actually improves tour quality. (DCist)
Mile high transit
The transportation plan approved by Denver voters in a 2004 referendum is finally bearing fruit. With 121 miles of new light rail and BRT going as far as Boulder, the city may soon have the best transit system in the west. (CityLab)
Dream of the 1890s
Bicycles took off in popularity in the late nineteenth century, and the freedom they granted women may have been instrumental in expanding women’s rights (and upending fashion trends), despite warnings of Bicycle Face. (CityLab)
Don’t stop for ducks?
A Montreal woman stopped at the side of the road to help a group of ducklings. A motorcyclist slammed into the car. A jury then found the woman guilty of causing the deaths. (WTOP)
And…
What Metro riders say about their experiences and frustrations today is very similar to what they said 14 years ago. (Post) … Virginia’s new law requiring 3 feet of clearance to pass a bike starts tomorrow. (FABB) … Who needs a getaway driver? Bank robbers take the bus (or subway) more often than you’d think. (CityLab)