Breakfast links: A new era in Ward 5

Councilmember McDuffie

Kenyan McDuffie “trounced” other candidates to win the Ward 5 special election with 45% of the vote, at least twice the votes of anyone else. The ward has now replaced its prison-

bound former councilmember with a former Justice Department attorney. (Post)

Metro opens doors?

Doors opened on two 1000 series cars on a Red Line train while it was moving between Van Ness and Tenleytown. Metro officials say it is too early to tell if all of the 290 1000 series cars will have to be taken out of service. (Examiner)

Res. 13 starts slowly

DC will rebid the 2 plots on Reservation 13 closest to the Metro. Officials hope this will kick-start the rest, but residents had hoped to continue with the 2 developers who’d already submitted bids the last time. A Redskins training facility is not part of the plan, at least for now. (City Paper)

Budget harmony

The DC Council unanimously passed the budget with money added for affordable housing and human services. (Post) … Without a tax exemption for out-of-state bonds, more DC residents are buying DC’s own bonds. (Post)

Roads getting safer

DC is on pace to have a record low number of traffic fatalities (just 6 so far this year), suggesting safety initiatives, bike infrastructure, and traffic enforcement cameras may be working. (TBD)

Tweaks to Ike Memorial

Frank Gehry has modified a statue of Eisenhower to show him as a cadet in the planned memorial, but won’t remove huge huge steel tapestries which have drawn the most criticism from architects and the Eisenhower family. (Examiner)

Speed camera torched

Someone set a speed camera on fire in Catonsville. It had just been installed near a school where neighbors complained of speeding drivers. Some commenters applauded the action. (Patch, Ben Ross)  (Tip: Ben Ross)

Norton not allowed to represent

Congress won’t let Eleanor Holmes Norton speak at a hearing on a bill about abortions in DC. DC Vote wants residents to bring pothole complaints and other requests to Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), the bill’s sponsor. (DCist)

New Urbanists are the adults in the room

New Urbanists have won in the battle against sprawl and might be the only ones with a clear notion of how poor infrastructure choices damaged America as well as how to fix it. (Business Insider, charlie)  (Tip: charlie)

And…

2 Metro staircases will use durable granite. (Examiner) … The Potomac is one of America’s most endangered rivers. (Post) … Park Police continue to harass pedicabbers. (TBD) … More car sharing would significantly reduce emissions. (Streetsblog)