Breakfast links: Lights out

Off the grid

A transmission line failure in southern Maryland caused a long lasting power outage across the region yesterday. The blackout affected several Metro stations, the White House, Smithsonian museums, the University of Maryland in College Park, and numerous homes and offices. (Post)

Growing like a weed

Metro predicts that development slated for completion by 2020 and within half a mile of Metro stations will generate 84,000 new Metro trips per weekday. (PlanItMetro)

Ready, set

DDOT is readying the H Street line and its streetcars for passenger service. Improvements include new signage, road paint, and traffic signal adjustments. DDOT is also replacing rails and vehicle braking systems. (WAMU)

Tunnel is a go

A District Court judge denied a request from the Committee of 100 to stop construction on the Virginia Avenue Tunnel while its lawsuit is pending. The judge said it’s in the broader public’s best interest to rebuild the tunnel. (Post)

Not enough rooms

DC has run out of space for the homeless in DC shelters and motels this year and has again turned to housing families in motel rooms in Maryland. Of 500 families housed in motels in March, 69 were in Maryland. (City Paper)

Gotta eat

Don’t starve Metro of funds, says the Washington Post editorial board; instead, fix what’s wrong and invest in the future. (Post)

Balancing act

Neither Fairfax, Arlington nor Alexandria have tax rate increases in their proposed budgets, but that’s likely just because it’s an election year. (WAMU)

Carbon commute

Unsurprisingly, urban areas account for most vehicular carbon emissions in the US. But new studies show that in many cities, it’s suburban commuters driving the increase in emissions, not city dwellers. (CityLab, charlie)

On the mark

Can you identify all the different types of infrastructure in DC only from map markings? Test your knowledge in this quiz. (Post)