Breakfast links: Riders bail because of SafeTrack
SafeTrack driving massive ridership loss at affected stations
Overall Metro ridership dropped 12% last year, but at stations experiencing 24/7 trackwork the losses were much more significant. During SafeTrack surges 9, 10, and 11, which affected the Orange line, Vienna lost 40% of its riders. (Max Smith / WTOP)
Georgetown isn’t giving up on the gondola
Georgetown's ANC voted to keep studying the Rosslyn-Georgetown gondola even after Arlington backed away from financially supporting the project last month. (Urban Turf)
New DC PAC will fight meddling congressman
District residents have formed a PAC to fight for home rule. The Americans for Self-Rule PAC will focus its efforts on ousting Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, who has meddled with DC's laws. (Paul Schwartzman / Post)
HOT lanes are coming to I-395 in 2019
High occupancy toll lanes will come to I-395 between Alexandria and the DC line by 2019. The toll lanes, which are already in place on I-95 and I-495, are designed to siphon off drivers willing to pay a toll to move faster, which can improve overall traffic flow. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)
Local business leaders call for a federal takeover of Metro
The Federal City Council, an influential business group led by former DC mayor Anthony Williams, is calling for a federal control board to run Metro until a new governance structure can be created. The group is pressuring Virginia congresswoman Barbara Comstock to include the measure in a bill she is developing to revise the Metro Compact. (Post)
White Flint Mall court case may tangle up redevelopment plans
Plans to redevelop the White Flint Mall site with a mixed-use development are in trouble after the mall lost an appeal in court to Lord & Taylor. Lord & Taylor argued the mall's owners violated a long-term agreement when they demolished the rest of the mall to prepare for redevelopment. (Andrew Metcalf / Bethesda Beat)
DC rents are near the top in the US and globally
DC has the 4th most expensive rents in the country, behind only San Francisco, New York, and Boston, according to a new study. Looking further, DC also has the 7th highest rents globally. (Michele Lerner / Post)
A year in, the streetcar has definitely changed H Street
The streetcar has been a boon for H Street development, but to what extent has yet to be determined. Here's hoping Benning Road sees similar benefits. (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)
A self-made bike lane springs up in Wichita
An unknown person used toilet plungers wrapped in reflective tape to create a protective barrier for a bike lane at a busy Kansas intersection. (John Metcalfe / CityLab)