Breakfast links: Crash

Plane crashes; road crashes

An Asiana 777 crashed on landing at SFO Saturday. 2 Chinese teens died, and others remain hospitalized. (USA Today) … Air travel is still way, way safer than driving; just in our region, 3 people died on the roadways over the weekend, versus nobody on a commercial plane in the US since 2009. (Slate, Post)

Build over I-66?

Governor McDonnell wants developers to build atop I-66 in Rosslyn and East Falls Church. Some wonder, though, if the market is strong enough, or if projects could detract from growth at Tysons. (Post)

Virginia fights over transportation

Northern Virginia is figuring out how to spend money from the recent transportation bill. (Post) … Environmental groups rally against the Bi-County parkway. (WAMU) … Many residents want the Yellow Line extended down Route 1 in Fairfax, but some oppose the idea. (WAMU)

Reasons for congestion drops

A Post article last week credited new roads for cutting congestion, but people moving closer to work, bicycling, and otherwise reducing driving had a lot to do with it, writes Barbara McCann in a letter. (Post)

Metro pulls up flowers

WMATA has saved money in recent years in a number of ways. (PlanItMetro) … But it wasted money ripping out all the flowers that a guerrilla gardener had planted at Dupont Circle. (Post)

Some feds to Branch Avenue

WMATA and the GSA have an agreement to help bring some (as-yet-unspecified) federal agency to Branch Avenue Metro. (Post)

Purple Line pieces

A Maryland official hopes the Purple Line could draw some private investment to help pay for it. The state will start buying land along the line, which will displace a few stores and residents. (Post)

Hailo a cab soon

Taxi app Hailo will launch in DC this week. You can hail a cab via smartphone for $1.50. The company will use Taxi Commission-specified payment providers, as proposed rules require, while Uber keeps fighting the rules. (Post)

Will rents’ rise slow?

Some signs suggest rents might stop rising so fast or even decline. It could be a temporary hiccup, or a sign of a changing trend. (WBJ)

And…

Are there too many “civic hackathons” and not enough results? (Atlantic Cities) … Living near a highway increases the chance of having a miscarriage. (Next City) … Dutch scientists are trying a pavement coating that cleans the air. (LA Times)