Breakfast links: Metro changes

Safety strides

Metro will institute four safety measures after January’s smoke incident: fix all tunnel light fixtures, clear tunnels of debris, create an audit system for testing ventilation systems, and review underground alarm protocols.  (DCist)

New addition

Governor Hogan has appointed Keturah Harley to the WMATA Board. Hurley served as general counsel for the DC Public Employee Relations Board and will bring labor expertise to the Board. (Post)

Red light, green light

DDOT will begin a month-long campaign to reprogram traffic signals at 650 intersections downtown. DDOT wants to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety but does not include plans for bus signal prioritization. (Post)

Evict-ory for tenants

Residents won’t need to pay $250 million to avoid eviction from a Chinatown building. The owner was required to give tenants a chance to buy the property but a judge ruled that the owner’s selling price was too high. (City Paper)

Balancing act

Two bills before the DC Council offer differing views on the role of the newly elected attorney general. Attorney General Karl Racine wants a voice on legislation and contracts, while Mayor Bowser wants to curb the office’s power. (WAMU)

Education budget in limbo

Education Committee Chairman David Grosso said he will not support the current capital budget at a Committee hearing to debate Mayor Bowser’s budget that delays funding for nearly 20 school renovations. (Post)

Reset

Montgomery County wants to move away from traffic efficiency standards that lead to wider roads. County Councilmember Roger Berliner wants planners to focus on lowering commute times and getting people to live closer to work. (BethesdaNow)

Funding mass transit

Only 20% of the highway trust fund goes to mass transit, even as ridership is growing nationwide. With newer members of Congress who do not support transit funding, the fight to maintain funding is getting more difficult. (CityLab)

And…

The West Heating Plant in Georgetown was not designated as a historic landmark. (UrbanTurf) … Montgomery County is planning a bicycle network around the Corridor Cities Transitway. (TheWashCycle) … The International Spy Museum unveiled designs for a new building in L’Enfant Plaza. (WBJ)