Photo by gellnerd on Flickr.

Metro behind in suicide prevention

While suicide by train continues at an alarming rate Metro’s prevention program is months behind schedule.  Metro hopes to catch up this year. (Examiner)  

Troubles for the trolley?

Arlington’s new cost estimate for the Columbia Pike streetcar may put it over the limit for the Small Starts program, but the county appears to be going ahead with the application anyway. (Pike Spotter)  

11th St. Bridge span opens

The new outbound span of the 11th Street Bridge opened over the weekend.  The local span, featuring a bike and pedestrian path (but no streetcar tracks), will open this summer. (Examiner)  

Who should maintain the roads?

Virginia is considering devolving road maintenance to the city and county level to save money, but local leaders think it will just transfer the burden to localities who can’t afford it. (WAMU)  

Gentrifiers get gentrified out

Love Cafe on U Street and the H Street Playhouse are both

is closing due to high rents, and the H Street Playhouse has to move.  The businesses opened in 2003 and 2002 respectively as part of a first wave of new businesses for those areas. (WAMU, City Paper)  

More playgrounds than you think

Does DC have a playground problem? DC’s 101 playgrounds are more per capita than New York, LA, or Philadelphia, but there are no playgrounds downtown. (DCist)  

Photo tickets down, bike lane tickets up

DC photo enforcement tickets dropped about 29 percent in 2011.  Meanwhile, police have quadrupled the number of tickets issued for blocking bike lanes. (Post, Falls Church)  (Tip: Falls Church)  

And…

SW Waterfront’s Wharf development looks to be sailing along. (DCmud) … Elections don’t matter that much when it comes to real estate. (Post) … A shanty town has sprung up in a half-finished shopping mall in the heart of Caracas. (Foreign Policy) … Metro riders go pantless. (Post)