Photo by WRAMC 1909-2011 on Flickr.

Buying Walter Reed

DC will buy the former Walter Reed campus for $22.5 million. The city will then lease the land to a developer who has plans to build 2,000 residential units, two charter schools, and space for homeless veterans, among other uses. (WBJ)  

Plans for Franklin Park

Designs are out for the overhaul of Franklin Park in downtown DC. The renovated park will have a cafe, a children’s play area, a new fountain, and wider sidewalks. (WBJ)  

Park (your bike) for free

The secure bike storage at College Park station is now free to those with a registered SmarTrip card. Similar facilities are under construction at East Falls Church and Vienna Metro stations. (TheWashCycle)  

Airbnburn

DC Council candidate David Garber strongly criticized Vincent Orange’s proposed Airbnb regulations. Garber said the bill will negatively affect homeowners and restrict consumer choice in favor of industry interests. (Borderstan)  

Solar ray of hope

The Pepco-Exelon merger has resurrected plans to install solar panels atop DC Water’s Blue Plains Treatment Plant. But the deal must move quickly, with panels installed before federal solar tax credits expire next year. (WBJ)  

Calling out crime

Residents say crime is the leading problem in DC. The homicide rate is up 58% over last year, but most other crime is actually down by about 2%. (Post)  

The hours less traveled by

Off-peak Metro trips account for almost one third of daily Metro travel. The number of off-peak journeys for non-work purposes has been growing steadily since 2007. (PlanItMetro)  

Real-time subway saga

New York still doesn’t have real-time information for over half of its subway lines. Why? It’s a saga of aging infrastructure and the series of overambitious plans to fix it. (The Atlantic)  

And…

Alexandria has added 3 miles of bike lanes. (TheWashCycle) … Arlington County unanimously approved the redevelopment of the Ballston Common Mall. (ARLnow) … More Uber rides mean New York’s transit agency is losing out on $10 million per year from taxi surcharges. (WNYC)