Breakfast links: Red smoke
Fire and water
Monday saw Metro’s latest arcing insulator incident on the Red Line. The section of tunnel near the Bethesda station is due for an overhaul to fix leaks, but repairs can’t start until late 2016. (Bethesda Beat)
Power off
The DC Council wants to explore whether a city-owned electric utility could make sense for the District. DC’s Attorney General and several Advisory Neighborhood Commissions have opposed a proposed Pepco-Exelon merger. (WAMU, Post)
Not on my street
Ward 7 and 8 residents say the new 11th Street bridge is causing more traffic congestion in their neighborhoods, while helping commuters from outside of the city. DDOT is monitoring the situation. (WAMU)
Losing its edge
The luxury shops in Friendship Heights are getting some competition with more high-end retailers choosing to open at CityCenter DC. Experts say there is more supply of luxury outlets than the DC market demands. (Post)
Streamlining
Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation is restructuring the team that examines roads around new projects . The County Executive promised to get development projects approved more quickly. (Bethesda Beat)
Operatic
First there was a musical about an urban planner, now a new opera is in the works about the epic conflict between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses. The opera will document Jacobs and Moses’ divergent views about urban development. (Observer)
And…
Reasons why bus systems shouldn’t be “Uberized.” (Human Transit) … A short-term extension to federal transportation funding, the 33rd since 2008, is now law. (TheHill) … Check out Arlington’s most endangered historic places. (ArlNow)