Breakfast links: Stay safe

“Intersection of Doom” improves

The dangerous intersection of Lee Highway and Lynn got some safety upgrades, and more improvements are coming soon. Traffic lights and walk signals have been retimed, and county police are stepping up enforcement. (ArlNow)

Streetcar safety for students

Middle school students received a streetcar safety lesson from DDOT. The students asked some questions about the streetcar that officials were not willing to fully answer. (WAMU)

FBI for statehood

An advocate for DC statehood has filed a lawsuit to keep the FBI from leaving the city. He argues that the federal government promised that all agencies would be located in the District, in exchange for residents’ voting rights. (WAMU)

DHS HQ a go

Construction is moving ahead on DHS’s new headquarters at St. Elizabeth’s. The GSA announced its award of a $139 million design-build contract to renovate the building that will serve as the secretary’s office. (WBJ)

Public finance for MoCo campaigns

Local campaigns in Montgomery County will soon be eligible for public financing. Candidates who accept public funding will not be allowed to take contributions from PACs or corporations. (Post)

Penn Ave, AdMo are great

Adams Morgan made the American Planning Association’s list of ten “Great Neighborhoods in America” for 2014 thanks in part to the 2012 streetscape project, while Pennsylvania Ave. won a spot on the ten “Great Streets.”

MARTA on the upswing

How did MARTA’s general manager turn the agency around after years of budget shortfalls and declining ridership? He managed to improve its public image, cut costs, and work productively with the state legislature. (Governing)

Preposterous Purple Line posturing

While Maryland’s Purple Line faces opposition over the fate of some small, shrimp-like creatures, in LA, opponents of the subway say it’s a bad idea because ISIS might blow up a train right under a school. (Post)

And…

Joshua Bell had a much larger audience when he returned to play to a Metro station crowd (Post) … Economists agree that consumers will benefit if Uber and Lyft can compete with taxis equally. (Post) … Is home rule the key to affordable housing? (CityLab)