Image by Stephen Rees licensed under Creative Commons.

Half of Metro’s track inspectors in hot water

Metro fired six inspectors and will discipline a total of 28 employees (almost half of Metro's track inspection team) following the investigation of July's East Falls Church derailment that showed employees skipped inspections and falsified reports.  (WAMU)  

Goodnight, late night service

The WMATA Board voted to cut late-night service until at least July 2019. Starting July 1, Monday to Thursday service will end at 11:30 pm, Friday and Saturday service will end at 1 am, and Sunday service will start later, at 8 am, end at 11 pm.  (WAMU)  

Rent-controlled Airbnb

Rent-controlled apartments in Columbia Heights are showing up as illegal rentals through short-term rental services Airbnb and VRBO. Advocates say this cuts into the amount of affordable housing available for residents.  (CityPaper. Tip: MLD)  

Parking woes be gone

DDOT has a new app, parkDC, aimed at helping drivers find parking. Drivers will be able to see real-time space availability and pricing. The app is currently pilot testing in Chinatown and Penn Quarter.    (DCist)  

Foxx says Metro getting better

Metro is improving but still has a long way to go, says US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. He cites placing Metro under Federal Transportation Administration oversight and the hiring of General Manager Wiedefeld as reasons for improvement.  (Post)  

Stadium plans progress

DC United's new stadium at Buzzard Point is inching closer to approval. But the DC Zoning Commission wants more details on mitigating construction dust and transportation issues before it gives final approval, hopefully in February.  (WBJ)  

Tuition ticks up

58 percent of Maryland students graduated with debt in 2014, with an average debt of $27,457. Part of the reason is rising tuition costs, like at the Unviersity of Maryland, where in-state tuition has risen by more than $3,000 since 2007.  (WTOP)  

Business for a better Baltimore

Parts of West Baltimore damaged in the 2015 riots are now part of the city's Enterprise Zone program. Businesses that invest inside the zone can get property tax breaks and tax credits for hiring employees.  (Baltimore Business Journal)  

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