Breakfast links: Keep rollin’
Happy BTWD!
Today is Bike to Work Day. Join the 17,000 people registered in the Washington region at any of 79 pit stops for goodies, bike demonstrations, and entertainment. Up to 4.5% of DC residents commute to work by bike daily. (Post)
AAA helping hand
AAA will begin providing roadside assistance to bicyclists who are members. AAA will not fix broken bikes, but will transport the bike and cyclist back home, to a bike shop, or to another safe location. (WBJ)
By the numbers
DC’s Bike Score rating improved from 65.3 in 2013 to 69 in 2015, but its Bike Score ranking dropped from sixth to seventh nationally. Minneapolis, San Francisco, Portland, Denver, and Boston lead the way in the US. (DCist)
Metro’s new solution
After Monday’s smoke incident outside Rosslyn, Metro announced it will start washing down rail tunnels again, a practice it stopped in the early 1990s, to eliminate buildup of grime and dirt. (Post)
A sudden acceleration
The Amtrak train that crashed on Tuesday sped up from 70 to 100 mph in less than a minute, before derailing at a curve with a 50 mph speed restriction. So far there is no explanation for the increase in speed. (Post)
Failure to load
Congress made Positive Train Control, a monitoring system that could have prevented Tuesday’s Amtrak train derailment, mandatory in 2008. But funding needed to implement it keeps getting cut. (CityLab)
The final countdown
Political leaders from Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties will meet with Governor Hogan next Thursday to push him to support the Purple Line. MDOT chief Pete Rahn says Hogan is still “very skeptical” of the project. (Post)
Good business
Want proof that transit is good for business? Look no further than National and Dulles Airports, where hotel occupancy rates are booming at the former and lagging at the latter. Officials hope the Silver Line will give Dulles a boost. (Post)
And…
Trulia says buying a home in DC is 32% cheaper than renting, but there’s more to the story. (UrbanTurf) … Here’s how you can get between DC and New York City while Amtrak is down. (Post) … Gear Prudence explains why a keeping your bike chain lubricated is necessary. (City Paper)