Breakfast links: Arlington’s prepping for new buses and more service
Arlington Transit adds 13 new buses to its fleet
Arlington Transit is planning to bring 13 new buses into service in the coming months to help boost coverage in the county. The buses were purchased from the same company that supplies many of the buses used by WMATA. (Alex Koma / ARLnow)
A pack of DC bills would have stricter regulations on slumlords
Spurred by high profile cases of slumlords taken on by tenants, the council is considering three bills to penalize negligent landlords, provide housing funds for repair, and a schedule for reporting code violations and repeat offenders to the city (Natalie Delgadillo / DCist)
Dockless scooters came to Arlington without letting the county know
Bird put 50 of its dockless electric scooters in Arlington at the end of June, but didn't ask the county first. Now officials are trying to work out a response, as Arlington doesn't have an existing scooter policy to rely on. (Andy Medici / WBJ)
Part of Beach Drive reopens, but another closes for construction
Construction on Beach Drive will shift focus starting July 10, ending nearly a year of work on a 1.59 mile segment. Crews will then start more than a year of planned work on a 2.7 mile segment to finish the already 2-year old project. (Max Smith / WTOP)
‘Unauthorized labor action’ causes Independance Day delays for Metro
Metro says delays on bus and rail on Wednesday were caused by operators, mechanics, and station managers arriving late for work. Metro estimates around a quarter of employees were part of what Metro is calling an “unauthorized labor action.” (Max Smith / WTOP)
Loudoun and Montgomery change their Airbnb stance
Montgomery County and Loudoun County changed its regulations for Airbnb operators, making short-term rentals available to any home or apartment owners but also requiring homeowners to get a $150 license. The new rules went into effect July 1. (Martin Austermuhle / WAMU)
Virginia may finally get a dock for their side of the Potomac
The National Park Service might finally have a cure for Virginia's Potomac fever - a dock on their side of the river, just south of the Key Bridge. An open house will be held on July 12 to discuss the plan with the public before plans are finalized at the end of the month. (Patricia Sullivan / Post)
SUVs are a major threat to pedestrian safety
The Detroit Free Press found that as SUVs got popular, pedestrian fatalities rose. SUVs are twice as likely as sedans or other passenger cars to kill a pedestrain they hit. Federal researchers have known this since 2015 but have not taken any actions to address it. (Detroit Free Press)
Transportation priorities may change as the price of steel goes up
Transportation agencies are scrambling to re-evaluate plans and budgets as the price of steel continues to rise, 40% since the beginning of the year. The spike can be partly attributed to Trump's tariffs on steel announced in March. (James Brausell / Planetizen)
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