Breakfast links: WMATA ordered to pull its 7000-series trains
WMATA Metrorail Kawasaki 7000 Series Railcars Image by MW Transit Photos licensed under Creative Commons.
Safety commission orders Metro to pull 60% of railcars
The Metrorail Safety Committee ordered WMATA to pull all 7000-series railcars from its fleet due to potential problems with wheel gauges. As a result, the system will only be able to run six-car trains every 30 minutes for an unknown period of time. (Jordan Pascale / DCist)
Capital Bikeshare boosts prices to fund expansion
Capital Bikeshare raised the price of a 30-minute ride from $2 to $2.50 to cover operation costs and to allow the system to expand and improve. But some bike advocates say the increase comes at a bad time as transit leaders attempt to promote biking as an environmentally-friendly alternative to driving. (Luz Lazo / Post. Tip: Chester B.)
Unhoused residents evicted from an encampment in Capitol Hill
The National Park Service cleared a homeless encampment in Capitol Hill on Friday, marking the latest in a series of clearings that occurred across the District in recent weeks. Critics say the clearings don’t get at the root causes of homelessness. (Martin Austermuhle / DCist. Tip: Chester B.)
DC’s housing market is cooling but still bonkers
Sure, the housing market market has cooled down a bit from the red hot 2020 housing cycle, with sales prices down slightly and listings up. But the market is still more active than it was in fall 2019, and experts say hybrid work arrangements and low interest rates will continue to fuel an active market. (Tristan Navera / WBJ)
Rezoned parcel could accomodate 120 affordable units in Congress Heights
A map amendment to rezone a parcel of land in Congress Heights to “medium-density mixed-use” could bring 120 affordable units, an early childhood education center, and free office space for the local ANC to the neighborhood. (Nena Perry-Brown / UrbanTurf)
Proposal for a senior living facility in Tysons moves forward
The Fairfax County Planning Commission voted last week (Oct. 13) to move forward with plans for a 16-story senior living facility at The Boro in Tysons. The approval comes in the midst of concerns raised by some citizens during an Oct. 6 public meeting about accessibility, stormwater management, and streetlight design. (Scott Fields / Tysons Reporter)
MoCo may allow alcohol in its parks again
With the end of Maryland’s COVID-19 emergency in July came the end of Montgomery County’s Picnic in the Parks program that allowed alcohol consumption in the county’s parks. Now, the county planning board is working to resume the program soon. (Dan Schere / Bethesda Beat. Tip: Chester B.)
UMD students protest proposed townhomes in wooded area
About 300 University of Maryland students protested a proposed townhouse development in a wooded area near campus on Friday. While the university contends the project is desperately needed to provide more housing for graduate students, opponents say the development goes against the university’s mission of stopping climate change. (Josh Kurtz / Maryland Matters)
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