Breakfast links: Prince George’s, Anne Arundel rail stations have untapped development potential, study says
Odenton MARC station by Elvert Barnes licensed under Creative Commons.
There is room to build around Prince George’s Metro stations
Increasing development around rail stations in Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties could add thousands of transit-friendly jobs and homes while generating tens of millions of dollars in new tax revenue, according to a study released Wednesday by the Greater Washington Partnership. (Katherine Shaver / Post)
Fairfax students will be partially back to school by next month
The Fairfax County School Board voted to begin hybrid in-person learning, with students coming to school for two days a week, starting February 16 . All students are set to return to the classroom part of the time by March 16. (Daniella Cheslow / DCist)
DCRA will be split into two agencies
The DC Council overrode Mayor Bowser’s veto to pass a proposal to break the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs into two separate agencies, a Department of Buildings for construction and housing code issues and a Department of Licensing and Consumer Protections for permits and business licenses. (Alex Koma / Business Journal)
A bill to fund Metro for the next ten years
Congressman Gerry Connolly of Virginia will introduce a bill in the House that would fund Metro with $1.73 billion from 2022 to 2031, ending the need for annual Congressional approval. (Justin George / Post)
What could DC’s Vision Zero bill do for biking?
The Vision Zero Omnibus Bill that went into effect at the end of 2020 requires much road construction to include bike and bus infrastructure going forward. Will that be enough to create a robust protected bike network in DC? (Josh Kramer / CityLab)
Alexandria struggles to fund schools in a COVID-19 budget crunch
Alexandria City Manager Mark Jinks says that the city is working to close a $41 million shortfall before presenting a budget later in February, while Alexandria schools say that they will need an additional $5 million this year to cover health benefits for staff. (Vernon Miles / ALX Now)
How do Virginians feel about criminal justice?
A poll from Christopher Newport University found that 68% of Virginia voters support legalizing marijuana and a bill to do that is in the VA legislature now. 56% of voters also oppose the death penalty and 55% want to end mandatory minimum sentencing. 60% want to spend more money on public safety. (Daniella Cheslow / DCist)
Some DC students are going back to classrooms
About 9,000 students are returning to DC schools this week after several months of struggle between the city and the Washington Teachers’ Union about safe reopening. The union is calling for more safety reviews of school buildings, and DC filed a temporary restraining order Monday to prevent teachers from striking. (Amanda Michelle Gomez / City Paper)
Virginia senators ask about USPS delays
Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine wrote to Postmaster General Lewis DeJoy asking for the USPS to explain and fix the delays in delivering mail in the state. Less than half of first class mail arrived on time in Northern Virginia in December. (Matt Blitz / ARL Now)
Equitable vaccine distribution is a long way off
Fairfax County found that elderly Black and Latino residents are underrepresented in vaccine distribution, and Montgomery County says its wealthiest neighborhoods are getting vaccinated at much higher rates than mixed income ones as the Washington region struggles to equitably distribute vaccines. (Post)
Have a tip for the links? Submit it here.