Breakfast links: Riding and Walking

Fewer trains

Metro may alter its expansion plans, which called for running all 8-car trains during peak hours. Mayor Bowser and Governor Hogan are pressuring Metro to replace unreliable cars before expanding Metro’s fleet. (WAMU)

Because they’re happy

Metro’s best chance at success is to retain their ridership by keeping current commuters happy. With a budget shortfall, Metro must accommodate programs like the TransitLink card to keep people out of cars and on the rails. (Post)

Get around

DDOT launched a RideDC app to complement it’s large screen version. The app shows real time arrival for transit, car sharing, and bikeshare. DDOT wants to push customers to new Circulator routes. (Post)

Walk this way

DC is the 7th most walkable city in the nation, according to Walk Score’s 2015 rankings. Walk Score’s algorithm takes into account routes, choice, friendliness, and neighborhood characteristics when creating a score. (PoPville)

Wider walkways

Georgetown will temporarily expand sidewalks  during this weekend’s Cherry Blossom festivities. Sidewalks on M Street will extend up to 8 feet into the street, eliminating much of the area’s on street parking. (WBJ)

Rising rates

Mayor Bowser has proposed a tax increase, bringing DC sales tax up to 6%, on par with Maryland and Virginia. Some of the revenue from the tax would go towards more homeless services. (DC Fiscal Policy Institute)

Waiting game

The number of DC families on the wait list for District schools is up from last year. Foreign language, Montessori and pre-k programs have the longest waiting lists, showing increased demand for specialized education in DCPS. (Post)

You’re the best

This year’s Best of DC from the City Paper includes the best bike lane (L Street), the best argument for the war on cars (Dave Thomas Circle), and the best bus line (U Street-Garfield). The list will likely stoke some debate over whether ANCs 5D and 8E are the best for theatrics and if Ward 1 is the best ward.

Historic NIMBY

In 1917 Leonore Caldwell Benson Hill was the scourge of Friendship Heights. She hired a lawyer to fight a neighbor who wanted to build a garage and disrupted utility workers who were erecting a new telephone pole. (Post)

Seek and you shall find

Just in time for peak bloom, National Journal created a new app to identify the closest cherry tree to your location. Cherrypicker uses DDOT open data to guide you to lesser known, tourist free tree locations. (DCist)