Breakfast links: Stepping up

Tysons working to be more bikable

Fairfax County is implementing a long-term plan to improve cycling conditions across the county, starting in Tysons. They will place bike racks and lockers at the four Tysons Metro stations, lanes & other markings on streets and possibly even bike-safety questions on driver’s license exams. (Post, Paul C)  (Tip: Paul C)

Escalator work accelerating

Metro will repair 8 escalators, 4 each at Gallery Place-Chinatown and Union Station, on an accelerated schedule, using two shifts of workers to shorten repairs from 12 to 8 weeks. (Dr. Gridlock)

Cold keeps shelters full

2010 has been significantly colder than last year, and that has kept homeless shelters busy and nearly overwhelmed. The upside is that agencies can offer other counseling and various assistance while people are in the shelter. (WAMU)

DC Schools’ COO departs

After 18 months as chief operating officer at DCPS, retired Brigadier General Tony Tata is leaving to become Superintendent of the Wake County, NC school system. A number of other Michelle Rhee hires have left in the past few weeks, but key Rhee advisors Kaya Henderson, Jason Kamras, Erin McGoldrick, and Abigail Smith have stuck around. (Post)

Others find same DC population shift

NeighborhoodInfo DC has crunched ACS data to come up with demographic estimates for each of DC’s Wards. Their estimates for population change match the analysis we published two weeks ago. If the estimates that Ward 1 shrank while Ward 6 has grown the most are inaccurate, it must come from margins of error in the original data. (Rob Pitingolo)  (Tip: Rob Pitingolo)

Travel options on New Years Eve

Metro will be open until 3 am on Friday (and Saturday) night, but will operate on Sunday headways. SoberRide will offer free cab rides home, though these or any other taxi can be nigh on impossible to snag. (TBD)

Norton will fight through 2012

DC’s Congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton is proud of her accomplishments during the last 2 years of Democratic control. Though she expects to lose her vote in the Committee of the Whole in the new House, she will continue to push for voting rights for DC. (WAMU)

And…

Residential property values in Maryland dropped a whopping 22% over the last three years. Outer exurbs in Prince George’s saw drops of 35%. (WTOP) … The New York Ave. bridge in Northeast will get an arboreal accent come 2012. (City Paper) … Victor Ramirez, state Senator-elect from Prince George’s, will sponsor a bill to grant undocumented immigrants in-state tuition at state colleges and universities. (WTOP)