Breakfast links: DC e-bike purchase program could expand access to more residents
Electric bikes and scooters parked in front of the General Services Administration building in DC by Joe Flood licensed under Creative Commons.
DC Council considering rebates for purchasers of electric bikes
The proposed bill would provide 3,000 rebates to DC residents who purchase an e-bike from a brick-and-mortar shop in DC and meet income requirements. Most rebates would be reserved for people who make less than 80% of the District’s median family income. The bill would also help businesses buy electric cargo bikes if they replace vehicle trips. (Jordan Pascale / DCist)
New DC mall created by a local Black woman supports her own business and several others
Black and Forth, which soft-opened on Friday on Channing Rd. in Northeast DC, is a new commercial venture, conceived and owned by Angel Gregorio, that hosts five Black, women-owned businesses. The development was financed in part by the DC Commercial Property Acquisition Fund, which can help businesses acquire or maintain their space in a commercial property. The first round of applications resulted in $4 million given to 12 businesses, and applications for additional businesses are still being accepted. (Amanda Michelle Gomez / DCist)
Dupont Circle tunnel entrance could be decked over for pedestrian plaza
Dupont Circle’s Business Improvement District recently announced updated plans to build a pedestrian plaza over the northern entrance to the tunnel that carries a portion of Connecticut Avenue under the circle. While the project has been in the planning stages for years, construction is expected to start this fall. (Adam Tuss / NBC 4)
Maryland General Assembly members propose public health bills to address long-standing needs
The two bills are aimed at better understanding how racial, ethnic, and social determinants of health such as housing, transportation access, and education are affecting public health in Maryland. (Jenna Portnoy / Washington Post)
WMATA requests mediation in relationship with its safety commission
WMATA and the Congressionally-created Washington Metrorail Safety Commission have been disagreeing about how the agency maintains safety in the Metrorail system, including how it is bringing the 7000-series cars back into service. The commission recently made several requests of WMATA that WMATA claims go beyond safety oversight into “practically trying to run the operations.” (Editor’s note: GGWash board chair Tracy Hadden Loh is also on WMATA’s board. She has no editorial input per our editorial policy.) (Justin George / Washington Post)
Debate in Prince George’s County over use of project labor agreements for school construction
The agreements, which proscribe the wage and work conditions on construction projects for both union and non-union workers, are a subject of debate between the Prince George’s County Council and some Black-owned businesses. At issue are how the county will build new schools and how county residents, both workers and business owners, can reap the benefits. (Lateshia Beachum / Washington Post)
Virginia offers FBI $10 million if they relocate to Springfield
The state’s Major Employment and Investment Project Commission approved the incentive as part of their bid to lure the new FBI headquarters to Springfield. (Michael Neibauer / Washington Business Journal)
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