Breakfast links: I think I can
Rush-hour relief
Rush-hour delays on the Orange, Silver, and Blue lines may end more quickly than Metro expected after a fire damaged a power substation. Officials first thought repair work would take six months, but now believe the fire damage was less severe. (Post)
Almost, streetcar
The DC streetcar is getting closer to taking passengers. Director Leif Dormsjo said DDOT has addressed most of the safety issues identified in a report. All that’s left is some testing and certification. (WTOP)
Delayed for a reason
Alexandria’s new Potomac Yard Metro station will take longer than planned, but the city wants to get the process right. Planners are drawing on lessons learned from Metro’s only other infill station, NoMa Gallaudet. (Post)
Change for the board
The WMATA board could see reform if Congress changes which federal agency appoints its members. It’s currently the General Services Administration, but a bill would give the Department of Transportation that role. (WAMU)
Struck DC
A DC police officer driving an SUV hit a pedestrian yesterday at Connecticut Avenue and L Street NW. The officer was responding to a call when he hit the person who was crossing the street. (City Paper)
Near Union Station
Gearing up to redevelop Union Station, Amtrak is trying to take the historic Railway Express building next to the rail yard. But the building’s owner wants more money for the property, and Amtrak can’t condemn the building. (WBJ)
CaBi unionized
Capital Bikeshare employees ratified their first union contract, which gives them a wage boost. They’re represented by the Transport Workers Union, which also represents bikeshare workers in New York, Boston, and Chicago. (WBJ)
Cemetery springs to life
Capitol Hill’s historic Congressional Cemetery is hosting movie nights, fun runs, and other activities to raise money for upkeep and preservation. Community concerns over angry spirits of the dead have been minimal. (Post)
Violence hits home
As mass shootings once again make national headlines, DC certainly hasn’t been immune. This year’s increase in homicides includes five mass shootings in the DC area, in which there were four or more victims. (Washingtonian)
And…
Read about the history of steamboats on the Chesapeake, which once linked Baltimore, DC, and Norfolk. (The Post) … Barnes and Noble is closing its last DC location not on a college campus. (WBJ) … Surprising nobody, Chris Christie says he hasn’t thought much about DC statehood. (Washingtonian)