Breakfast links: Turnstile jumpers can be fined, but no longer arrested or jailed
Metro turnstiles by Matt’ Johnson licensed under Creative Commons.
The DC Council decriminalized fare evasion and Metro infractions
The Council voted to decriminalize turnstile jumping, as well as playing music through speakers and eating and drinking in Metro stations. Metro Transit Police can issue a citation and $50 ticket for these prohibited actions, but cannot hand out larger fines or jail time. (Natalie Delgadillo and Rachel Sadon / DCist)
The DC Council unanimously approved homesharing restrictions
The bill limits short-term home rentals to the owner's primary dwelling, with a 90-day cap when the owner is away. DC's Zoning Commission has said it will remove the zoning prohibitions on short term rentals in most of DC so that existing rentals can be legally operated. (Martin Austermuhle / WAMU)
What will HQ2 bring in terms of commute, housing, and jobs?
A numerical breakdown of HQ2 stats shows that while there are 170,000 planned housing units in the region by 2025, we will need 267,000 of them after the Amazon announcement. (Urban Turf)
Why is this Virginia neighborhood called “Crystal City?”
In the 1960s developer Robert Smith built the Crystal House apartments, named after the chandelier in the lobby. He built more apartments, mostly for federal workers who wanted to easy access to government offices, and gave them all crystal names until the whole neighborhood was known as Crystal City. (Kristine Phillips / Post)
A new homeless shelter for families opened in DC as winter approaches
The 50-unit family shelter opened yesterday in the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Southeast. The shelter is the third of the replacements for the now-shuttered DC General to open this fall. Four more are scheduled to open over the next two years (Andrew Giambrone / Curbed)
Metro is exending its cashless bus route pilot for six more months
The Metro Board is voting to extend the cashless pilot program, where riders can only use a SmarTrip card on the 79 bus route on Georgia Avenue. Metro wants to gather a full year of data on the program before expanding it to any other lines. (Max Smith / WTOP)
Pepco is running ads against DC’s ambitious climate change bill
Pepco is running ads on Facebook asking people to “act boldly” on climate change by signing a petition seeking to water down a climate bill before the DC Council. The bill would drastically cut DC's carbon emissions by 2032. (Jacob Fenston / WAMU)
Would Montgomery County benefit from ranked choice voting?
A bill in the Maryland legislature would allow Montgomery County to use ranked choice voting allowing voters to pick a first, second, and third choice candidate in local elections. The president of the County Council thinks it would be a better way to represent the will of the voters. (Dan Schere / Bethesda Beat)
16 and 17-year-olds in DC may have to wait to vote after all
The DC Council tabled a bill that would have expanded teenage voting rights. Councilmember Jack Evans led the council in indefinitely postponing the vote and all but guaranteeing that it would not pass this year. (Mitch Ryals / WCP)
Women in New York pay more than men do to travel around the city
A study found that women in New York City spend more money on transportation than men, primarily due to safety concerns and costs associated with caregiving. (Aarian Marshall / Wired)
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