Breakfast links: Spring break
Early bloom
Due to unseasonably warm weather, the cherry blossoms will reach peak bloom between March 18 and March 23, earlier than first expected. The average peak bloom date is April 4. (Post)
Track work holiday
Metro will take a five-week break from weekend track work to accommodate the influx of tourists visiting for cherry blossom season. Track work may still happen after 10 pm on Sundays. (DCist)
Yellow wins
The Yellow Line is both the most punctual and least crowded line in the Metro system, according to a new report. Meanwhile, the Orange and Silver lines nearly tie for most delays. (WTOP)
Purple Line bike bonuses
In addition to adding rail service, the Purple Line project will also expand the trail network in Maryland, including a Capital Crescent Trail extension and a bike path near UMD. (TheWashCycle)
No new SAFE house
DC’s only 24/7 emergency shelter for survivors of domestic violence lost its bid for a plot of city-owned land in Bloomingdale. The shelter’s lease ends this year and there are no other plans for relocation. (City Paper)
New housing in Silicon Valley
Mountain View, California will allow new housing near Google’s headquarters. The company had been pushing for it to help lower some people’s commutes, but the city rejected the idea until more pro-development councilmembers won the last election. (Vox)
(Bike) war is over
Despite organized groups of vocal anti-bike-lane residents and a press corps eager to criticize bike lanes, New York’s new bikeways have been popular and successful. In one chapter of a new book, Janette Sadik-Khan recounts the story of NYC’s famous 2011 “bikelash.” (NY Mag)
Now hiring
Our friends at the Coalition for Smarter Growth are hiring a full-time fundraising manager to join their 6-person staff. How to get hired: love walkable urban places, talk up your fundraising chops, and tell them GGWash sent you!
And…
Montgomery County paid $1 million per inch for snow removal this winter. (WTOP)… Residents just got a first look at the signs that will show prices for the tolls set to go up on I-66. (Post)… Here are seven things to know about the Purple Line, from costs to anticipated timeline. (Bethesda Magazine)