Breakfast links: May day
Budget math
Mayor Bowser’s first budget made substantial cuts and raised the sales tax to pay for housing investments. If the cost of public services continues to rise, Bowser will likely need to find new ways to pay for programs next year. (DCFPI)
Fare skipping
Most people who skip paying fares in a Metro stations feel they can get away with it. Most managers are afraid of calling out customers. Riders often don’t pay because they can’t afford it and they feel bad about not paying. (WAMU)
Baltimore’s deep-rooted problems
Early in the 20th century, Baltimore’s leaders established policies to confine black residents to certain sections of the city. A century later, these policies still exist, and there is little political will to fix them. (Slate)
Successful service
The K9 bus route, the limited-stop bus service running between the Fort Totten Metro stop and the FDA Federal Research Center in Maryland, is vastly exceeding ridership expectations since its launch in late 2012. (PlanItMetro)
CaBi workhorse
It may not be as sexy as the Bike in Bloom, but this Capital Bikeshare bike is the hardest working bike in the system. W20167 logged 1,567 rides last year and 483 hours. To see if you found it, check the code under the seat. (Post)
No parking history
DC’s Historic Preservation Review Board dismissed claims that a Spring Valley parking lot was protected as a historic landmark. The Board also voted to shrink the building plans to better fit the character of the shopping center. (Post)
How we commute
While transit, walking, and biking rates are slowly growing nationally, the vast majority of commuters travel alone by car. Since 1980, carpool rates have nearly been halved in favor of more people commuting alone. (Vox)
Good transit, strong economy
A study of Rust Belt communities found that having a fixed-route bus transit system led to lower rates of employee turnover, good news for both workers and businesses. (CityLab)
And…
A House committee passed a bill that would allow sledders at the Capitol. (Post) … The Rock Creek Park Trail along Beach Drive will be rebuilt starting this fall. (WABA) … Hong Kong is using public shame to deter littering. (CityLab)