Breakfast links: Not open and shut
Metro gets doored
The biggest source of Metro delays is problems with train doors. Though mechanical wear- tear thanks to stuck backpacks and caught arms are a problem, problems with internal door circuitry are just as bad. (TBD)
Spurned pot applicants sue
Three rejected applicants to grow medical marijuana in DC have sued, saying their applications were improperly scored and should be reconsidered. (Washington Times)
Memorial to Red Line victims
A memorial to victims of the 2009 Red Line crash is coming. WMATA is soliciting proposals for the memorial’s design, which will be built near the site of the crash. (DCist)
Germantown steps a little forward
A new central park for Germantown Town Center has a good internal design, but the surrounding cityscape is so bland that it likely won’t live up to its full potential. (BeyondDC)
Renting success
The shift from owning big-ticket items to simply renting them, from apartments to carsharing, opens Americans to the kind of mobility needed to best match skills with jobs. (WSJ)
Downtown needs to perform
Parking demand in downtown DC exceeds supply, meaning spaces are scarce. Performance parking will alleviate the crunch. (TBD)
Economics reaches Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg will probably start charging for parking near its MARC station. It’s also considering building a new lot; perhaps they should charge first and then determine how much demand remains. (Gazette)
School gap grows
There is a larger gap than ever between DC’s best and worst schools. At top schools, students gain more ground on standardized tests than those at bottom schools. (Examiner)
And…
DCPS will reopen its only planetarium, which has been used as storage for years. (Examiner) … Legislative scenarios that would lead to budget autonomy do not look good for abortion rights in the District. (Roll Call) … Please don’t nail signs to trees. (District Curmudgeon)