Breakfast links: More than 550 people have died on Maryland roads in 2023
Maryland 210 Indian Head Highway in Prince Georges County by Kristen Jeffers licensed under Creative Commons.
554 people have died this year on Maryland roads
554 people have died on Maryland roads so far in 2023, exceeding the five-year average annual fatalities with one month remaining in the year. The figure includes 135 pedestrians and 15 bicyclists. (Kate Ryan / WTOP)
DC’s Howard Manor renovation into 80 affordable units is completed
The building, whose remodel was supported in part by Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund, will provide 80 studio, 1- and 2-bedroom homes for residents who make less than 60% of the DC median family income. (Disclosure: Senthil Sankaran, principal of the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, serves on the GGWash board of directors. Note: This article may be behind a paywall.) (Marissa J. Lang / Post)
7000-series railcars are getting new wheels
WMATA has announced that all of its 7000-series railcars will be getting new wheels, with the first group being put into service this week. WMATA estimates that it will be able to replace wheels on about 20 cars a month, and that it will take several years for all 748 railcars to get their replacement wheels and be put back into passenger service. (Matt Pusatory / WUSA9)
Fairfax County considering updates to redevelopment relocation guidelines
The proposed guidelines include requirements for developers to have relocation plans for residents, to provide staffing to help residents find new homes, and to help residents with moving costs. The updated guidelines would apply to Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority properties as well as properties subject to the county’s Preservation policy or Board of Supervisors approval via the land use process. (Acacia James / FFXNow)
Future of 58-acre federal site in Springfield uncertain after GSA chose Greenbelt for FBI headquarters
For years, local officials in Springfield have advocated to the federal General Services Administration to do something with a 58-acre “eyesore” filled with warehouses, located in an area that has otherwise enjoyed reinvestment. Stakeholders saw the site as a frontrunner for the future FBI headquarters, but now its future is once again uncertain. (This article may be behind a paywall). (Antonio Olivo / Post)
Montgomery Parks recycles trees into - well, whatever you want
Trees that die in Montgomery County parks are turned into usable lumber. Montgomery Parks, which does the milling and planing, has first dibs, and uses much of the lumber for benches and other park construction, but the rest of the wood is available for sale to the public. The annual public wood sale is December 9 and 10 in Gaithersburg. (Jacob Fenston / DCist)
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