Breakfast links: Metro ridership

Metro ridership is down

Metro ridership is down to 2005 levels at just over 200 million riders a year. Bicycle and bus commuting, the higher fares to ride Metro, and a shrinking economy are all contributing to the ridership decline. (Post, DCist)

Where do Silver Line riders go?

According to ridership statistics, a majority of Silver Line users are riding to DC. However, a sizable portion of users are staying within the five new Silver Line stops. (PlanItMetro)

Yellow Line or more lanes?

Fairfax officials debated what to do about Route 1. Delegate Scott Surovell wants to extend the Yellow Line, will Jeff McKay wants the road widened in the short term while transit improvements are studied. (WAMU)

Too much traffic at National

National Airport is seeing higher passenger traffic, at the expense of Dulles. Regional leaders want to encourage more people to use Dulles, and could use higher fees at National to do it. (DCist)

Fewer taxi rules in MoCo

Roger Berliner wants to lower regulations on traditional cab companies so they can compete, while also allowing Uber and Lyft to operate in the county on a level playing field. (Post)

Pedestrian safety in College Park

Three UMD students have been killed crossing Route 1 at Hartwick Boulevard this year. In response, state officials added better crosswalks, lower speed limits, and speed cameras this week. (WTOP)

If bikes were cars

Cyclists in Latvia staged a creative demonstration to show how little space a bicycle takes up relative to an automobile. (CityLab)

And…

Virginia’s new HOT lanes on I-95 could open ahead of schedule in December. (Post) … DC is the third safest city for pedestrians in the nation. (Post) … Which Metro stop has the highest average apartment rent? (WBJ)