Breakfast links: Let’s all be thankful for public transit this season
A busy Metro station by Jess J licensed under Creative Commons.
Let’s all give thanks for public transit
As many people travel to see family for Thanksgiving this week, public transit will take a lot of us where we need to go, and it will briefly let us share our lives with each other. (Lev Kushner / CityLab)
Arlington will get $20 million for housing from Amazon
Arlington County and Amazon negotiated a density bonus where the tech company will get to add 585,000 square feet of office space to its campus, and the county will get $20 million for affordable housing. The payment is expected to be able to fund 235 affordable units. (Daniella Cheslow / WAMU)
Baltimore offers discounted Lyft rides in food deserts
The city will subsidize eight Lyft rides a month for a flat $2.50 fare for residents in food deserts to buy groceries. One quarter of Baltimore residents don’t have easy access to a grocery store, and the city is hoping this pilot, which runs through April, will help residents right away. (Talia Richman / Post)
Maryland will give Baltimore’s Penn Station redevelopment money
The state offered a $3 million historic tax credit for the Penn Station redevelopment project. The funds would help provide crucial funding to the first phase of the project, renovating the main building and adding retail and offices on the upper floors of the building. (Meredith Cohn / Baltimore Sun. Tip: Alex Holt)
How Virginia’s new funding rules impact multimodal projects
Alexandria is worried that the city will lose money for multimodal projects as Virginia introduces new funding criteria that prefer projects for areas growing in density to already dense ones. The new state metrics also completely leave out biking and bike safety. (Vernon Miles / ALX Now)
Some DC residents are becoming building inspectors
Trained volunteers are now out in DC inspecting buildings for code violations and illegal construction as part of a DCRA pilot program. Over 600 people signed up to volunteer, but only about a tenth have been fully trained as of two weeks ago. (Nena Perry-Brown / Urban Turf)
Jack Evans is done answering DC Council questions
Evans said he will not appear before the Council committee investigating his ethics violations, saying that he had testified at a Council inquiry already. Evans and his lawyers also say that he should not be kicked off the Council, because it is the voters who should decide if he stays in office. (Martin Austermuhle / WAMU)
Metro could use TSA-level security measures soon
Amtrak Police at Union Station are using TSA equipment that can remotely scan passengers for concealed weapons as they walk to their gate. The Metro Board voted to borrow the scanners to test out at Metro stations. (Max Smith / WTOP)
Who creates the art in Metro stations?
Four artists who have created paintings and sculptures for the Columbia Heights, Glenmont, and Anacostia Metro stations explain the meaning behind their artwork and their connection to the Washington region. (Jennifer Anne Mitchell / City Paper)
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