7000 series Orange Line train meets an older series Blue Line train at McPherson Square Metro station by Jeff Vincent licensed under Creative Commons.

WMATA announces plans to bring Metro service levels back up

WMATA has announced its plans to increase Metro service during peak hours as early as February 7. This comes as the agency also reintroduces the 7000-series cars, and officials hope both moves will help bring ridership levels back up.  (Justin George / Post)  

41% of MoCo’s serious/fatal crashes occur on 3% of the county’s road miles.

Data shows that 41% of all serious/fatal crashes in Montgomery County occur on the same 3% of the county’s road miles, located in densely-populated areas like Germantown, Rockville, and Silver Spring.  (Steve Bohnel / Bethesda Beat)  

Arlington applies for increased funding for bus services ahead of Amazon HQ2 opening

Arlington County has applied for increased bus funding for its Columbia Pike corridor. The corridor will recieve a new Metrobus route, the 16M, which comes in anticipation of an uptick in demand for bus service once Amazon’s HQ2 officially opens and serves as a replacement for the canceled Columbia Pike streetcar. If approved, buses will run every six minutes between Bailey’s Crossroads Skyline community and Pentagon City.  (Jo DeVoe / ARLNow)  

Maryland Aviation Administration CEO looks ahead as controversy continues

Maryland Aviation Administration CEO Ricky Smith told Maryland Matters that he plans to stay in his current position. The interview comes as the state stalls the process of deciding which contractor will handle airport concessions, which Smith has not addressed, and as other positions are reappointed and refilled under the new gubernatorial administration.  (Josh Kurtz / Maryland Matters)  

DC Green Bank to add solar panels in Edgewood, Congress Heights

DC Green Bank has announced it will invest $12.4 million into solar panels at four different residential complexes managed by Enterprise Community Partners in Edgewood, Congress Heights, and near Oxon Run Park and United Medical Center,  which they say will be beneficial both environmentally and financially. All four properties are affordable housing, and the bank hopes that this can pave the way for similar properties to follow suit.  (Colleen Grablick / DCist)  

Proposed map amendment would bring additional mixed-use developments to U Street

The DC Office of Planning submitted a map amendment application to the Zoning Commission to rezone sites of the police and fire stations on 16th and V and U Streets NW for higher density mixed-use. In 2022, DC announced an RFP to build housing on the sites, preserving both the police and fire stations. The Office hopes that the development, which would include affordable housing, can help alleviate rising housing costs.  (DC UrbanTurf)  

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