Photo by Washington State Dept of… on Flickr.

Snow day

Several inches of snow caused the federal government, schools, and localities to close today. Metro suspended bus service and rail is running on a Saturday schedule. Later, a group is planning a snow ball fight in Dupont Circle. (WAMU)  

Slow to upgrade

Metro was planning to upgrade its smoke detection and fan system for months before February’s incident. The current system software is over 10 years old and couldn’t locate the origin of the smoke. (Post)  

Highway builder, transit killer?

Who is Maryland’s new transportation secretary, Pete Rahn? He has a reputation for getting road projects built quickly with creative financing, and he’s reviewing the Purple and Red Line light rail projects for the governor. (Post)  

Give it a chance

Should Mayor Bowser reconsider her decision to cancel a planned museum in the Franklin School building? The Institute for Contemporary Expression museum would have been unique, and the space is well-suited for it. (City Paper)  

Competitive race

Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille could face primary challengers as he starts a campaign for his fifth term. City politicians have criticized him for the slow pace of development and delays in planning the new Potomac Yard Metro station. (Post)  

Tunnel roadblock?

As CSX starts work on rebuilding the Virginia Avenue tunnel, opponents of the project have launched a court challenge. They argue that aspects of the 3-year planning process were illegal and lacked transparency. (Post)  

History collapses

Facades of some of the oldest buildings in Anacostia collapsed over the weekend during a storm. The city owned the facades and had planned to redevelop them, but it never stabilized the structures. (City Paper)  

Washington Monument gets smaller

The Washington Monument has grown shorter over its 130 years. That’s mostly due to the aluminum tip wearing down. But the measurements were also taken from a different point. (Post)  

Nothing nice to tweet

Public transit receives more Twitter abuse than most other public services. How can transit agencies do a better job of dealing with angry tweeters? SEPTA takes an “active listening” approach to disarm upset customers. (CityLab)  

And…

David Plouffe is taking Uber on the campaign trail. (POLITICO Magazine) … Annie Lowrey declares DC’s boom “bust”. (New York Magazine) … Presidents Day used to be Bicycle Day. (TheWashCycle, The Atlantic)