Photo by MrHarlemLine on Flickr.

New railcars on hold

WMATA GM Paul Wiedefeld said the agency won’t be accepting new railcars until Kawasaki resolves design issues. Some cars had faulty doors and seats. (WAMU)  

Strengthen your core

WMATA planners say extending Metro outward is not wise right now. Extensions like to Price William County don’t make economic sense and Metro needs to focus on its core capacity first. (PlanItMetro)  

Housing and politics

When the Alexandria City Council voted to allow JBG to build a new mixed-use plan in the West End, the only dissenter was Alison Silberberg, now the Mayor-elect. Residents and tenant advocates hope that she will negotiate with the developer for more affordable units. (WAMU)  

Meadowlands for DC?

There’s not a lot of meadow in DC, but a pilot project aims to turn some more space, like highway medians, into meadows - unmowed space that can be habitat for plants and animals. (City Paper)  

Poor job on job training

A US Dept. of Labor report says bureaucratic dysfunction at the District Department of Employment Services is to blame for tens of millions in unspent funds for job training programs. (Post)  

Rockville tunnel

Rockville city officials have proposed a five-block tunnel under Rockville Pike to make way for BRT, connect the Metro station to the town center, and address congestion. It’s still unclear how the town will pay for it. (Bethesda Beat)  (Tip: Chester B.)  

No development for Lake Anne

A plan to add over 800 new housing plus mixed-use square footage at Reston’s Lake Anne community is squashed for now.  It would have taken 12 years to complete the build out. (Reston Now)  (Tip: KC)  

Biz for Prince George’s

The Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation is working hard to recruit businesses in Northern Virginia and the District to the county with tax credits, land availability and access to 15 Metro stations. (Post)  

FreshPAC money back

Campaign finance filings show the Mayor Bowser-backed FreshPAC has returned over $276,000 in contributions and has just $7,600 left in the bank.  Boswer shuttered the PAC after it was deemed too distracting. (WTOP)  

MoCo tackles student debt

Montgomery County officials are considering creating a loan authority to allow residents to refinance student loans.  The program could help attract and retain young, educated workers in the county. (Post)