Breakfast links: Spring forward
The SSTC, finally!
After years of delay, the Silver Spring Transit Center is finally opening. Metro plans to start operations on September 20th. (Post)
Crime keeps climbing
Homicide and armed robbery rates are up 20% in DC this year, and officials aren’t really sure why, though they’ve blamed everything from synthetic drugs to increased gang violence. In response, the city has increased police presence on the street. (City Paper)
Stagnating rents
A large supply of new apartments has helped keep rent increases low in the Washington region. Over the past year, apartment rents rose only 1.4%, well below the national average of 3.9%. (WBJ)
What’s next for White Flint
Our very own Dan Reed talked about the future for the defunct White Flint Mall, and suburban malls across the nation, on the Kojo Nnamdi show yesterday. (WAMU)
Cities bring safer cycling
According to a CDC report, DC is a safer place to bike than any of the 50 states. The report also suggests that the addition of extensive bicycle infrastructure to many cities has helped lower urban fatality rates. (TheWashCycle)
Remembering Marion Barry
The Barry Commemorative Commission wants to honor Marion Barry by renaming the UDC student center, Ballou Senior High School, and Oxon Run Park, and by erecting a statue near the Wilson Building. (City Paper)
Make the peds pay
The pedestrian plazas in New York City’s Times Square have seen an increase in the number of topless women panhandling. Instead of solving the actual problem, Mayor de Blasio has suggested removing the plazas entirely. (NYT)
Houston, we have a solution
Houston has reworked its bus system to focus on frequent service and connections between jobs and housing. If successful, Houston’s blueprint could be applied to other sprawling American cities. (The Daily Beast)
And…
A group funded by the Koch brothers is trying to undermine Boston’s MBTA. Sound familiar? (Streetsblog) … According to the Mythbusters, driving while talking on a hands-free headset is just as dangerous as talking on a cell phone. (Post) … National had more passengers than Dulles this year, but BWI beat them both. (WBJ)