Breakfast links: More shutdowns ahead for Metro in the summer of 2019
Image by Beau Finley used with permission.
Six Blue and Yellow line stations will be upgraded in 2019
In an effort to renovate 20 Metro stations, six Blue and Yellow line stops south of the airport will be closed for repairs to their outdoor platforms starting in May 2019. The work will eventually affect the Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, and Orange lines. (Faiz Siddiqui / Post)
Can bus fare discounts incentivize I-66 drivers not to drive?
To help reduce congestion during the construction of new toll lanes, drivers can soon opt to take some of the PRTC OmniRide routes or the Fairfax connector at a 50% discount. Loudoun County will also offer free bus rides that connect to the Metro starting June 2. (Max Smith / WTOP)
The DC Council is limiting out-of school suspensions
Black DC students are eight times more likely to be suspended than their white peers. A new law will only let elementary schools kids get suspended if serious injury occurs, and high school student won't be suspended for minor offenses. (Micha Green / Afro)
The new Smithsonian guides are…robots
There's a new docent in town: half a dozen Smithsonians will now have multilingual robot guides, all named Pepper, to help guide visitors through the museums. (Mikaela Lefrak / WAMU)
Speaking of robots in DC: new legislation could expand delivery robots
More geographic limitations were just taken off of DC's delivery robots, along with other restrictions like how many robots can be on the street at a time. The robot fleet could begin expanding as early as this fall. (Sara Gilgore / WBJ)
How does having a 150-foot height cap affect DC?
DC's century-old height limits that protect the views of the nation's democratic buildings tend to make the architecture more boxy. Unlike other American cities, DC's skyline isn't in flux, so while the architecture might change, our skyline won't. (John King / CityLab)
Wegmans are getting smaller, and expanding across the region
The grocery store Wegmans has six new stores in the pipeline to the Washington region — and it's not done expanding. The traditionally-suburban grocery store chain is shifting to more urban stores, often located in mixed-use developments. (Joe Banister / Bisnow)
A potato pesticide might help control stinky gingko fruits
DC's 801 Gingko trees produce a horrible-smelling fruit, so each Spring DDOT sprays the female trees with a potato sprout growth inhibitor. The pesticide helps the fruit from maturing, but it isn't always effective. (Jacob Fenston / WAMU)
Have a tip for the links? Submit it here.