Interior of the progress of the Lucy Diggs Slowe tunnel boring machine under Bloomingdale at 1st St. NE by DC Water.

Rhode Island Avenue among several interior flood mitigation projects

While many of the heavy rains in the region this week affected areas adjacent to waterways already noted in FEMA flood mitigation documents, DC Water is working on projects to aid in fixing stormwater drain overflows like Rhode Island Avenue that are considerd inland flooding and aren’t always marked in FEMA documents.  (Jacob Fenston / DCist)  

MetroAccess workers end strike

The workers, who are contracted through the private company TransDev, will receive higher wages, better sick leave, more holidays, and a better retirement plan. Their union continues to criticize WMATA for subcontracting the service rather than hiring MetroAccess employees directly.  (Margaret Barthel / DCist. Tip: Chester B.)  

DC funds 11 additional affordable housing projects

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Thursday that 11 more properties would benefit from the use of the District’s Housing Production Trust Fund for the creation of new affordable rental units and homeownership opportunities and the preservation of existing ones. The projects are spread across the city and several are near metro stations.  (Aja Drain / DCist)  

Maryland legislators request Nice Bridge bike/ped bridge study

The existing span of the Harry W. Nice/Thomas “Mac” Middleton Bridge is set to be demolished in early 2023 and other advocates have released proposals for the conversion of that span to a bicycle and pedestrian path. US Senators Ben Cardin (D) and Chris Van Hollen (D), as well as Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D) wrote a letter to MDOT officials asking for an independent study on the feasibility of the project, before demolishing the bridge. The letter did not indicate how the study would be funded, but they did highlight a cost savings of $15-$25 million to not demolish the existing span.   (Bruce DePuyt / Maryland Matters. Tip: MarkusJT)  

Fairfax County NAACP demands more action for residents in heat emergencies

The Fairfax County NAACP adopted a resolution at their most recent meeting to call on Fairfax County to go beyond current plans to provide relief from the heat by providing motel vouchers to families in need of cooler shelter, distributing supplies at government centers, and will be observing all efforts to gauge their effectiveness.   (Matt Blitz / FFXNow)  

Over 105 townhomes proposed to replace vacant Rockville office complex

Fifteen percent of the homes will be designated affordable under Montgomery County’s definitions of affordable housing and the developers directly cite reducing housing shortages by replacing a long-vacant office building. The lot is about one mile from the White Flint Metro station and adjacent to the mixed-use Pike and Rose development.  (Caitlynn Peetz / Bethesda Beat)  

Leesburg conference complex houses Afghan refugees in transition

The site hosts evacuees for about a month as they apply for work authorization and find more permanent resettlement locations through nonprofit agencies. The complex has been operating as a first stop for Afghans since early this year and will return to its normal operations as a business meeting center in September.  (Steve Thompson / Post)  

DC Attorney General’s office grants $150,000 to DC migrant aid orgs

The DC Attorney General’s office has set aside $150,000, up to $50,000 per group, for the three main organizations aiding with resettling migrants that were bused from Texas and Arizona over the past few months to the District.  (Margaret Barthel / DCist)  

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