Breakfast Links: Can a new Metro map change our habits?

Using Metro maps to influence riders

A professor from New York University modified Metro transit maps to show a more angular Blue Line route and a straighter Yellow Line route and found more riders who looked at the new maps chose the Yellow Line to get into downtown DC.  (Martine Powers / Post)

Are fare requirements fair?

Maryland lawmakers may repeal a law that requires transit systems to cover 35% of their operating costs through fares. The proposed legislation also added five performance measurements to track train reliability and safety, but the Maryland Transit Administration said they would be unhealthy for transit growth.  (Katherine Shaver / Post)

The Department of Transportation redefines its expectations

The US Department of Transportation's new performance measures for states and metropolitan planning organizations measure things like road and transit safety, car and bus maintenance, congestion, bridge conditions, environmental sustainability, and reliability.  (TPB News)

Purple Line plantiffs try to recoup their legal fees

A group of plaintiffs suing to stop the Purple Line would like the federal government to pick up the tab for more than $500,000 in legal fees if Judge Richard Leon rejects the government's position to build the Purple Line.   (Andrew Metcalf / Bethesda)

DC is 6th in traffic congestion

A recent study placed DC at 6th highest for traffic congestion in the US, and 15th worldwide. DC's evening commutes are five times as congested as the morning period, and driving narrowly edges out public transportation in use for commuters.  (Christina Sturdivant / DCist)

How to educate drivers about safely passing byclists

Drivers often pass too closely to bicyclists, but police in the UK have found success by conducting roadside discussions and showing drivers footage from bike-mounted cameras to demonstrate the danger. Could this work in DC?  (Bruce Wright / FABB)

Let’s talk about the New York Ave Streetscape and Trail

The DC Department of Transportation will be hosting a meeting Thursday night to talk with the community about the New York Avenue Streetscape and Trail project, gather input from community members, and present current design concepts for the project.  (WashCycle)

Can old train cars be turned into new homes?

A DC architect envisioned turning Metro's decommissioned train cars into dwellings for the homeless, with prefabricated bathrooms and kitchens and a vegetable garden outside.   (John Kelly / Post)

Turning parking into bus lanes

Everett, Massachusetts was looking for a way to improve its bus service and came up with an experiment - replace a mile of streetside parking with a temporary bus lane.  Within a week the experiment was so effective it become permanent.  (Stephen Miller / CityLab)