Breakfast links: VRE’s expansion to Gainesville is on the chopping block
Image by John H Gray licensed under Creative Commons.
The VRE board may stop railway expansion in its tracks
The VRE Operations Board is expected to vote on Friday to expand the Broad Run Station in Prince William County, but not extend the Manassas Line further west to Gainesville and Haymarket because of high costs. (Max Smith / WTOP)
To grow the economy, invest in public transportation
Investing $200 billion in public transportation could translate to $800 billion in GDP growth in 20 years, and generate 10 million jobs in 10 years, says a new study from the American Public Transportation Association. (Melanie Zanona / The Hill)
Food deserts are far worse in Wards 7 and 8
More than 11% of DC could be considered a food desert, areas where the distance to a grocery store, low median household income, and lack of access to a vehicle make it hard to buy groceries. The vast majority of food deserts are in Wards 7 and 8. (Christina Sturdivant / DCist)
Lawmakers urge for changes to a dangerous intersection in Bethesda
A group of lawmakers and Maryland officials, including Senator Chris Van Hollen, urged the Maryland Highway Administration to address public concern over a dangerous intersection near Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda. (Katherine Shaver / Post)
The region’s job growth in 2016 is slower than expected
About 16,800 fewer jobs were added to the region during 2016, according to 2016's final jobs data. Economists believe this is especially worrisome considering the proposed cuts to the federal government workforce. (Andy Medici / WBJ)
Can Alexandria replace its sewer system faster?
An environmental group said that Alexandria should be able to replace a major part of its sewer system, which dumps overflow waste into the Potomac, by 2024. Alexandria strongly contested the timeline, and said the environmental group had not considered all of the factors. (Patricia Sullivan / Post)
DC is the 10th happiest city in the US
DC slipped in at #10 on a ranking of US cities based on 30 indicators of happiness, such as hours spent working vs. leisure and mental health statistics. Baltimore lagged behind at #130 on the list. (Christina Sturdivant / DCist)