Breakfast links: Bad night for Democrats and transit

Hogan KOs Brown

Republican Larry Hogan stunned Democrats and forecasters by defeating Anthony Brown for Maryland governor. Hogan wants to kill the state’s planned light rail and BRT projects and devote all money to roads. (Post, Baltimore Sun)

Vihstadt withstands Howze

Arlington voters re-elected John Vihstadt to the Arlington County Board. The streetcar was a key difference between the two, though the Post endorsed Vihstadt and the streetcar at the same time, muddling the picture somewhat. (Post)

Bowser stomps Catania

Muriel Bowser will be DC’s next mayor after defeating David Catania with 54% of the vote. Elissa Silverman won Catania’s at-large council seat, while DC voted to legalize marijuana possession. (WAMU, City Paper)

Wins & losses for transit

Fairfax County passed its transportation bond; Clayton County, Georgia voted to start bus transit; and San Francisco voters rejected a ballot measure to force a cars-first policy. However, Pinnellas County in Tampa Bay turned down a sales tax to pay for more transit, and Massachusetts’ gas tax will no longer keep up with inflation. (AJC, SF Gate, TBO, Globe)

Slow down on Maryland Avenue

Maryland Avenue on Capitol Hill gets a new speed camera where residents have long complained about safety problems. DDOT added some temporary curbs, but says years of study have to come before the city could reduce the number of lanes. (WAMU)

CSX tunnel gets green light

The Virginia Avenue Tunnel project received approval from the Federal Highway Administration to proceed. Construction could start this fall, though CSX will first need city permits. (Post)

Silver Line express to Dulles?

Some Japanese railroads manage to run express service even with only two tracks, using tight scheduling and some passing tracks. Could that work for the Silver Line or elsewhere in the US? (CityLab)

And…

How much usage does “Farragut Crossing” get? (PlanItMetro) … The Texas voter ID law makes it hard to vote if you don’t drive. (Streetsblog) … Tom Magliozzi of “Car Talk” recently died; did you know he was car-free? (Cyclelicious)