Breakfast links: A new ride

Metro opens doors slower

Metro operators will now wait 5 seconds before opening the doors at each station. This could add more than 2 minutes to travel times on the Red and Blue lines. (Examiner)

Let the bike out of the bag

Metro is relaxing its policy on folding bikes. Previously, folding bikes were allowed on rush hour only if in a bag. In its decision, Metro cited increasingly compact folding bike designs. (DCist)

Bikers must walk

A sign along the Mount Vernon Trail by National Airport warns bicyclists about an upcoming sign asking them to dismount to cross a road. Bicyclists consistently ignore requests to dismount; are these signs ever justified? (WashCycle)

Car buying vs. bike buying

What if car dealerships emphasized racing equipment and pushed complex accessories the way many (but not all) bike shops do? It would sure make driving seem more intimidating. (Kent’s Bike Blog)

A memorial loses sun

New construction will disrupt a 9/11 memorial in Rockville. The architects precisely arranged it so the sun would illuminate the memorial at the anniversary of the 2001 attacks. (Post)

Solve traffic with smart growth

A study at San Francisco State found that adding 10% to a city’s residential and job density and transit service reduces driving by 20%. It also has a greater effect than raising the gas tax. (Streetsblog)

China following our mistakes

China is avidly building infrastructure and making the same mistakes the US did — too many freeways, bland apartment blocks. With its population, the concomitant problems will be far worse than here. (Foreign Policy)

And…

Why not grow a vegetable garden in your front yard? (BeyondDC) … O and P Streets in Georgetown will open today after a long rehabilitation. (DCmud) … Does accommodating bicycles serve as a form of traffic calming?  (RPUS)