Breakfast links: Countdown to opening

Blue Line frequency cuts cause frustration

On the eve of the Silver Line’s opening, Blue Line riders are protesting service cuts. Metro officials cannot do much, but advise that taking a Yellow Line train and transferring at L’Enfant may be faster. (Post)

The story so far

For those who are just tuning in, here are some common questions and answers about the soon-to-open Silver Line. (Post)

Travel delays prevalent around the region

Drivers returning from the beach following the holiday weekend led to traffic jams along area highways. What did you do to avoid the congestion? (WTOP)

Dealing with the racial wealth gap

Differences in wealth rather than income cause greater inequality, and so it is with racial inequality. Housing is the leading cause of this, and eliminating the mortgage interest deduction would help. (New Republic, charlie)  (Tip: charlie)

Don’t ban apps, price parking correctly

Apps that let people sell an on-street parking space have caused outrage. But they solve an inefficiency that cities could eliminate by pricing parking at market rates. (Market Urbanism)

Bike sharing for work and pleasure

About half of Capital Bikeshare trips are commutes, one study finds. Meanwhile, it is still far from seamless to use bike sharing as a tourist in another city. (CityLab)

Bikeshare deal in the works

An investment group is looking to buy a majority of Alta, which operates New York’s CitiBike and Capital Bikeshare.  The group wants to raise prices and expand in New York, so will we see the same here? (Mashable)

Congestion grows less quickly with rail

Residents of the St. Petersburg, FL, area are debating the merits of a proposed light rail line. One result: although light rail may not reduce congestion, it does keep it from increasing as quickly. (PolitiFact)

And…

Washington is the world’s leading walking city. (Human, charlie) … The National Park Service is the prime suspect for cutting down a popular tree. (M.V. Jantzen) … Metropolitan growth and density help poor neighborhoods. (Strong Towns)  (Tip: charlie)