Breakfast links: Virginia votes
Silberberg, Dorsey, Cristol win
Bill Euille didn’t get enough write-in votes to beat Allison Silberberg for Mayor of Alexandria. (Post)… Christian Dorsey and Katie Cristol won election to the Arlington County Board. Arlington officials estimate only about 25% of registered voters cast ballots. (ARLnow)
Status quo in Richmond
Republicans held onto two important seats in the Senate, maintaining their small edge in the chamber. … Fairfax reelected all incumbent supervisors and Democrats picked up one open seat. (Post) … Democrats also gained two seats in Loudoun, including ousting controversial supervisor (and transit critic) Eugene Delgaudio. (Leesburg Today)
“Momentum” beats “moratorium”
The three candidates in Falls Church who support mixed-use development won election, beating out two who wanted to cut back on allowing such buildings. (FCNP) … “Team Rockville,” a slate more supportive of growth, held onto a majority of 3 of 5 seats in that city’s election. (Sentinel)
Metro opens doors to…
WMATA is likely to offer the position of General Manager to Paul Wiedefeld. He has private sector experience but was recently director of Maryand’s MTA and chief executive at BWI Airport. (Post)
Didn’t want the spotlight
Neal Cohen, WMATA’s top pick for General Manager, reportedly declined the job because it was “bigger than he thought it would be.” Hiring committee members say he wasn’t comfortable with the media attention. (WAMU)
Bad news rises
Metro ridership is at a 10-year low, with customers dissatisfied over railcar shortages, speed restrictions, and summer service cuts. One result: passenger revenue is down $11 million from last year. (City Paper)
Go small and go home
Councilman Vincent Orange has proposed a “Tiny Housing Initiative” bill that would build 1,000 “tiny houses” targeted at millennials and low-income residents. The 600 square foot units would cost $50,000 or less. (City Paper)
Closer to closing DC General
The DC Council passed Mayor Bowser’s plan to close the homeless shelter at DC General. The six replacement shelters won’t have private bathrooms, angering some councilmembers and advocates. (WAMU)
No cars allowed, but transit is free
Madrid wants to restrict driving when air pollution is bad. On days when the air particularly bad, the city could ban non-residential parking, limit who can drive, and make transit free. (CityLab)
And…
Check out DC circa 1893 via new historic maps from the DC Library. (DigDC) … This interactive map shows you what DC streets are best to see vivid fall colors. (Casey Trees)… Some DC parking meter fees may rise from $4 to $5 an hour. (Post)