Breakfast links: Metro delays Potomac Yard station opening to next year
A view of the Potomac Yard station under construction in March, 2022 by airbus777 licensed under Creative Commons.
Metro pushes Potomac Yard station opening to 2023
The new Potomac Yard Metro station in Alexandria was supposed to open this fall, but now Metro is delaying the opening date to sometime in 2023 due to “unstable soil conditions” around new tracks and other critical infrastructure. Additionally, six stations south of National Airport will remain closed for an additional two weeks through November 5. (Callan Tansill-Suddath / DCist)
DC finalizes sale of McMillan Sand Filtration Site
Development of 600 new homes and other key amenities can finally move forward now that DC has fully wrapped up its sale of the 25-acre McMillan Sand Filtration Site. (Colleen Grablick / DCist)
Remnants of Hurricane Ian prevents need for Potomac River drought monitoring
On Friday, the Potomac River dropped below 2,000 cubic feet per second, the threshold to begin drought monitoring by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin. But, with almost three continuous days of rain due to the remnants of Hurricane Ian hitting the region, levels have reached 3,500 cubic feet per second, providing relief from drought monitoring conditions. (Neal Augenstein / WTOP)
Metro under growing pressure to address fare evasion
The growing frequency of fare evasion across Metro has prompted some local leaders to say they won’t provide Metro more funding unless management does something to address the rise in uncollected revenue. Fare evasion has become more common since 2020, and Metro officials are already considering whether modified fare gates that discourage the practice are needed. (Justin George / Post)
New bike/ped bridge connecting Crystal City to Southwest Waterfront receives federal funding
A proposed bicycle and pedestrian bridge that would connect Long Bridge Park and East and West Potomac Parks received $20 million in federal funding. Local elected officials celebrated the project on Friday at the Long Bridge Park Aquatics and Fitness Center. The bridge could open as early as 2030. (Jo DeVoe / ARLnow)
Region’s home prices flattening but remain high
It’s becoming more common for home sellers to drop their asking prices across the Washington region, thanks to higher interest rates and fewer buyers. However, a low inventory is still keeping overall prices high, with current asking prices in the region still about 22% higher than three years ago. (UrbanTurf)
DCRA split into new Department of Buildings, Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection
Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs has been split into two different agencies: one to focus on construction and housing inspection, and another in charge of business licenses and consumer protection. The District government opted to split up DCRA over concerns that the agency was too big to carry out its long list of responsibilities. (Martin Austermuhle / DCist)
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