Breakfast links: Streetcar pays
Streetcar pays for itself
A report to DC’s Office of Planning states that taxes on real estate development from the streetcar could cover 40 to 60% of the system’s $1.5 billion price tag. If the city can get 50% funding from the federal government, construction would essentially be free. (City Paper)
Not much on state of transportation
President Obama only made a few references to transportation and infrastructure in his State of the Union, including a promise to eliminate red tape on construction projects. (Transportation Nation)
No south exit at Dupont
Starting February 1, Metro will close the south exit at Dupont Circle for eight months while new escalators are installed. Metro advises riders to take the Q St. exit or exit at Farragut North. (Post)
Cab company shut down
The DC Taxicab Commission shut down the Anacostia Cab Association, which couldn’t show it had paid taxes or had a proper address. (Post)
Georgetown fights to keep corner grocer
As the current owners retire, neighbors are forming a non-profit to save the Georgetown neighborhood grocer Scheele’s. The group will have to come up with $70,000 to save the store. (Patch)
HPRB nominee too “rigid”?
Nancy Metzger has doggedly pursued some of the preservation cases that make preservationists seem extreme and “rigid.” At her confirmation hearing to be a member of the Historic Preservation Review Board, some challenged her to think about preservation more holistically. (City Paper)
No more landed gentry requirement
A proposed Virginia law would eliminate a requirement that 50% of planning commission members be homeowners. The aim is to allow older members to remain on the board if they start renting. The Alexandria NAACP called the requirement “remaining vestiges of Jim Crow.” (Sun Gazette)
And…
DC ranks second in a report for best cities for bikers and pedestrians. (DCist) … Loudoun and Fairfax want to know the cost to run the Silver Line. (Examiner) … Grand mansions in Columbia Heights are being converted to luxury condos. (Post)