Breakfast links: Not about the money

Purple waits on state

The Federal Transit Administration is ready to give the Purple line more than expected - $125 million in next year’s budget plan - but Maryland can’t get the money until it finalizes the rest of the project’s funding first. (Post)

DC taxi app

DC finally has an app for taxis that works similarly to other ride-hailing companies’ apps. The DC Taxicab Commission invested almost $500 million

thousand in the app to be more competitive with companies like Uber and Lyft. (Post)

Reasons behind ridership drop

Metro ridership dropped to 2004 levels last year. What’s the culprit? Metro believes the drop in rail reliability after the Silver Line opened, weather, the transformer fire, and free student rides are to blame. (City Paper)

More bad news for WMATA

WMATA took a $14 million hit over the course of Snowzilla, with $8 million lost in fares and $6 million spent in storm-related expenses. (Washingtonian)

Arena football in DC?

The owner of the Capitals and the Wizards wants to bring an arena football team to DC. Negotiations are underway to create a team that would play at the Verizon Center starting in 2017. (Post)

An idealistic budget

USDOT’s 2017 budget plan is more transit-focused and less car-centric, but it stands little chance of actually passing in the current political climate. (CityLab)

A bridge for bikes

The Hatem Bridge, a toll road that spans the Susquehanna River in northeast Maryland, will open to cyclists  this summer. The bridge will now provide a connection for major trails across the Northeast.  (Post)

Less drastic on drones

The FAA has adjusted its ban on drones in the area around DC from a 30-mile to a 15-mile radius. Hobbyist parks that were forced to shutter when the 30-mile rule was enacted in December can now operate again. (Post)

Snowstorm slows housing market

For the first time in over a year, the DC regional housing market experienced drops in new contracts and new listings, mostly thanks to Snowzilla shutting the region down.  (UrbanTurf)

Underneath the Capitol

Here’s what it’s like to take a ride on the US Capitol Subway System that connects the Senate and the Senate office buildings. (Untapped Cities)

The past is the future

Are historic preservation districts really so bad? Historic neighborhoods connect us to our past, and redevelopment of old industrial buildings can help address housing shortages. (CityLab)