Breakfast links: DC launches pilot to proactively tow “scofflaw vehicles”
![](/images/made/images/posts/_resized/51215769307_e1f926e026_c_800_600_90.jpeg)
An abandoned car in Mount Pleasant by Adam Fagen licensed under Creative Commons.
DC launches pilot to proactively tow cars in Ward 1 that have racked up at least $3,000 in fines
The DC Department of Public Works is using license plate readers to find tow-eligible vehicles that have $3,000 in unpaid fines for speeding, red-light violations, and other types of moving infractions. District officials say they are doing this for public safety; research shows someone who runs a red light, for example, is up to three times more likely to get in a crash. The program will likely expand beyond Ward 1 if the pilot is successful. (John Domen / WTOP)
Montgomery County approves $7.1 billion budget for FY25
On Thursday, May 23, the Montgomery County Council approved the county’s budget for fiscal year 2025, which begins July 1. While much of the debate around the budget focused on education, programs for clean energy and certain transit projects, including upcounty bus service, the Great Seneca Transit Network, and the Montgomery County Green Bank were preserved. (Ginny Bixby / MoCo360)
Developer applies to rezone Fairfax County office park to enable 706 units of housing
Developer Peterson Cos. wants to rezone Fair Oaks Business Park, a suburban office park, in Fairfax County to accommodate 420 apartments, 286 townhouses, 20,000 square feet of retail, and the expansion of an existing special education facility. Up to 140 apartment units would have their rents capped for households earning about 60% of the area median income. (This article is behind a paywall). (Dan Brendel / Business Journal)
Median Northern Virginia home price has increased 65% in the last decade
The median home price in Northern Virginia increased from around $425,000 in 2014 to over $700,000 in April 2024. When broken down by housing type, between 2014 and 2024, median prices of condos and coops increased by 42%, rowhouses and townhouses increased by 66%, and detached homes increased by 64%. (UrbanTurf)
Marking Purple Line construction milestone, Talbot Avenue Bridge reopens after six years of closure
The Talbot Avenue Bridge in Montgomery County reopened to vehicular and pedestrian traffic on Friday, May 24, and includes a 10-foot wide, ADA-compliant pedestrian path and safety fencing. The bridge was closed for six years as construction was done on the Purple Line tracks which run below the bridge. (Ivy Lyons / WTOP)
Wards 5, 7, 8 to benefit from new national health equity initiative
Three major health organizations and one university are working together to advance health equity in 11 cities in the US, including DC, with $25 million in support from Bank of America. The DC chapter of this “Collaboration for Equitable Health” is rolling out community-based health interventions in Wards 5, 7, and 8, kicking off with door-to-door outreach at the Washington View apartment complex in Southeast DC. (Deborah Bailey / AFRO)
Dominion Energy changes solar connection requirements in Virginia, making many midsize projects too costly to justify
Dominion implemented new requirements in late 2022 that raise the cost of new solar projects by up to 40%, requiring costly wire upgrades. The highest end of interconnection fees for the grid went from $20,000 to more than $500,000, thwarting midsize solar projects statewide. The State Corporation Commission is reviewing the changes following concerns about whether they are legal or needed, with solar advocates noting that the proliferation of midsized solar projects in Virginia competed with Dominion’s own small business program. (This article may be behind a paywall). (Jim Morrison / Post)
Have a tip for the links? Submit it here.