Breakfast links: Mount Vernon Trail widening project seeks Virginia approval and funding
Virginia and National Park Service looking at widening the Mount Vernon Trail
The Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board will consider funding a project to rebuild and widen the Mount Vernon trail between Rosslyn and Alexandria later this month. Virginia would pay the majority of the project’s $33 million estimated cost, with some additional funding from the National Park Service. (Jordan Pascale / DCist)
MD Governor Wes Moore pledges in inaugural speech to put state on track to run on 100% clean energy by 2035
Moore also pledged to clean up the Chesapeake Bay in his wide-ranging speech on the grounds of the Maryland State House. He also acknowledged in a pre-inaugural ceremony the role of Annapolis’ City Dock in the slave trade with a memorial wreath-laying and marched from there to the State House to take the oath of office to acknowledge the history and journey of him becoming the state’s first African American governor. (Baltimore Banner, Pamela Wood / Baltimore Banner)
DC Council member proposes technology solution to identify and abate noise pollution
Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto proposed to pilot new technology that could identify excessively loud vehicles. The bill would include a subsidy for residents with unintentionally loud vehicles to get them fixed. (Megan Cloherty / WTOP)
Prince George’s County Council cancels zoning exceptions that would have allowed significant residential development in Bowie
Prince George’s County Council has rescinded zoning legislation that would have enabled residential development on the site of the Bowie Freeway Airport. Previously, the county’s decision to rezone that area had been rescinded by Maryland’s Court of Special Appeals, and an appeal of that ruling will be heard by the Maryland Supreme Court next month, though the council’s move may render that appeal moot. (John Domen / WTOP)
National Airport runway upgrades begin this April
Starting this April, National Airport‘s main and secondary runways will undergo major renovations. Construction work will be limited to late night and early morning so that the airport can continue operating. The work is planned to take place over months that the temperature tends to be over 40 degrees Fahrenheit overnight. (Jordan Pascale / DCist)
Gaithersburg may get a new transit center
Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg may be redeveloped to include a new transit center and outdoor entertainment district. The mall will close this March. Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman said the mall’s redevelopment was his number one priority. (Maryam Shahzad / Montgomery Community Media)
Anti-suicide barriers on Taft Bridge advance to design phase
The District Department of Transportation has allocated funding to start designing anti-suicide barriers for the William Howard Taft Bridge. The decision to move ahead was sparked by a lobbying campaign by Dr. Chelsea Van Thof, whose partner died by suicide on the bridge. Another death occurred at the bridge last week. The barriers will still need to be approved by several other DC design commissions, as it’s considered federal property. (Martin Austermuhle / DCist)
Arlington County Board considers more slow zones near schools
The Arlington County Board will consider an ordinance to lower speed limits to 20 miles per hour near all schools. The county received positive community feedback from the initial implementation of these “slow zones” near 13 schools last year. (Jo DeVoe / ARLNow)
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