Breakfast links: Why public meetings aren’t really representative of the community
Image by jon_mc75 licensed under Creative Commons.
Here’s who speaks at public meetings
White people overwhelmingly dominate public meetings, a Boston-area study shows. They made up 95% of people speaking but only 80% of the area population. For Latinos, it was 1% of speakers vs. 8% of residents; African-Americans, 2% of speakers vs. 4% of residents. (Jared Brey / Next City)
DC’s DIY art scene is struggling with a lack of affordable space
Four studio and community arts spots have closed this summer in DC, and now the local artists are trying to find new space. Some are looking for more affordable places Maryland. (Stephanie Rudig / City Paper)
Metro may test a cashless bus program on more routes
Metro may expand its cashless bus pilot program, meaning that on select routes riders would only be able to use their SmarTrip cards. Advocates argue that the move could disproportionately affect lower-income residents. (Rachel Kurzius / DCist)
This group wants to preserve Georgetown’s black history
The Georgetown African American Historic Landmark Project hopes to create designations for over 80 sites throughout Georgetown that commemorate the neighborhood's long and often overlooked black history. (Nena Perry-Brown / Urban Turf)
A deal to buy the Discovery Communications building goes through
The Discovery Communications building in Silver Spring has officially sold. The building was an integral part of the downtown Silver Spring revitilization plan. (Jeff Clabaugh / WTOP)
Why wider highways don’t help traffic congestion
Highway expansions often feel like a fruitless task because cars seem to quickly fill the new lanes, a phenomenon is known as 'Induced Demand.' When a road expands, the number of commuters increases to meet the new capacity. (Benjamin Schneider / Citylab)
Purple Line trains are in Maryland, temporarily
With Purple Line construction well under way, the light rail trains themselves are now being unloaded from ships in the Port of Baltimore. They'll then be shipped to Elmira, NY for final assembly. (Twitter)
Automation promises (and threatens) to alter the local economy
There are more than 76,000 cashiers across the DC region, more than any other single profession. An increasingly automated workforce, particularly in the retail sector, threatens these jobs and large chunks of the local economy. (Ally Schweitzer / WAMU)
American Airlines plans to grow at Washington National
American Airlines plans to use larger regional jets for many flights out of DCA when the new concourse opens and replaces the buses to planes at gate 35X. Meanwhile, United is talking about adding up to 50% more flights at Dulles. (Edward Russell / Flight Global)
Local immigrant students face increased stress in the Trump era
The region's immigrant students are confronting new and increased stress this school year over recent escalations in immigration policies and rhetoric. School officials are trying to help address the added stressors these students face. (Jenny Abamu / WAMU)
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