Breakfast links: Ups and downs

Raise the height in places

BeyondDC responds to the suggestion from Matt Yglesias and Ryan Avent that Washington raise its height limit. The limit should be increased strategically, but not raised citywide, or removed altogether.  (Tip: BeyondDC)

Metrobus ridership down, rail ridership up

July and August saw declines in Metrobus ridership and slight increases in rail ridership.  Metro’s CFO says the decline is caused by the bad economy and unemployment, not the fare increases. Never mind that fare increases are more difficult to afford when unemployed in a bad economy. (Examiner)

Exurban write-downs

Even when the economy recovers, many exuburban houses will never regain their lost value.  Lenders need to face this fact, argues TNR. (Eric Fidler)

Where are the food deserts?

A new study conducted with The Reinvestment Fund confirms what many of us already suspected: Wards 7 and 8 are food deserts. The study incorporated not only distance to groceries but also socioeconomic factors that affect mobility and access. (TNR, charlie)  (Tip: charlie)

Phase I of Moynihan Station starts

Ray LaHood joined New York lawmakers to break ground on the first phase of Penn Station’s expansion into the Farley Post Office across the street. (Post, Cavan) … Chris Christie is likely to kill the ARC tunnel Friday unless a government besides New Jersey offers to cover any cost overruns. (Second Ave. Sagas)  (Tip: Cavan)

Don’t walk to school

School administrators and city officials in Laguna Beach, California acknowledge that their infrastructure endangers pedestrians, but rather than remedy it, they simply refuse to endorse or promote children walking to school. (Switchboard)

And…

Abu Dhabi owns Chicago’s parking meters (Atlantic, charlie) … You’ve heard of elevator music, well, Rosslyn makes escalator music (Ode Street Tribune) … Michelle Rhee got a job offer to be state education head in New Jersey. (Post)  (Tip: charlie)