Breakfast links: Purple Line pushback
Another Purple Line delay?
A federal judge says that he thinks Metro’s safety problems could hurt Purple Line ridership, and may order a six-month delay to study it. FTA and MTA officials emphasized that short-term issues with Metro won’t impact long-term Purple Line projections. (Post)
Rockville pines for free parking
Rockville business owners want to get rid of paid parking along East Montgomery Ave. They say their businesses are struggling because of parking costs, and argue that other areas in Montgomery County have free parking garages. (Bethesda Magazine)
Alexandria’s SafeTrack plan
Alexandria is adding more bus service and four Capital Bikeshare stations for upcoming SafeTrack surges. (Post)
New zoning code, new digs
Here’s a sneak peek at the types of accessory dwelling units that could come to DC when DC’s amended zoning code takes effect in September. (UrbanTurf)
SafeTrack on schedule
As of Monday, Metro had completed most of the work for the first phase of SafeTrack ahead of schedule, though work to replace power cables was still only a little over halfway complete. (WAMU)
Maintenance briefly derailed
A track machine that installs new rail spikes derailed in the SafeTrack zone on Tuesday, but Metro quickly resolved the issue and maintenance work is still on schedule. (Post)
The bell tolls for I-66 budget
Plans to add tolls to I-66 inside the Beltway have turned out to be way more expensive than expected. One of the construction contracts that VDOT recently awarded cost nearly two times what they had estimated. (WTOP)
Free parking isn’t free
With the cost to construct a single underground parking space in an urban environment averaging $34,000, the cost of “free parking” is hidden in the elevated prices of rent and goods sold by the stores that offer it. (Post)