By Stephen Repetski (Editorial Board Alum) • September 8, 2020
Harassment, confusion, fatigue, short-staffed, ill-trained. A new audit of the Metrorail Rail Operations Control Center (ROCC) lays bare ongoing issues at the nerve center of Metro’s rail network, and with it, some of what Metro needs to do to begin to fix it. Recent Metro actions have shown “promise,” but what will it take to turn the department around?
By George Kevin Jordan (Managing Editor) • September 8, 2020
Learn about DC’s history of organizing for tenant rights, and what can be done about housing during the pandemic. How will automated delivery service change commerce? What needs to be done to make rider’s feel safe about taking public transportation during and after the pandemic, and more in this week’s virtual urbanist events.
By George Kevin Jordan (Managing Editor) • September 8, 2020
What would you do if you were tasked with doubling the number of jobs and raising the number of residents from about 14,000 people to 100,000 in a city? Plus you need to add 113 million square feet of new construction (for reference, Tysons mall is two million square feet). And that city needs to be a bustling urban center at all hours.
After renovation projects to replace tiling, lighting and wiring at several stations, Vienna and Dunn Loring reopened this week, marking the first time since March that all Metro stations have been open and operational. (Christian Zapata / DCist)
The safety audit of Metro revealed problems within the Rail Operations Control Center, including senior leadership telling staff not to cooperate with the compilation of the safety report. Now that it is in the open, people are wondering what can be done to fix the culture of Metro operations and if those leaders will stay. (Post)
The ongoing court dispute between Maryland and the contractors trying to quit the Purple Line project may result in another extension before they can leave. State representatives, however, say that the cost of getting new contractors would force them to cut money from other transportation projects and could delay opening the line by one to two years. (Katherine Shaver / Post)
DC was approved by FEMA to give people on unemployment an extra $300 per week, but will not receive those federal funds for another three to four weeks. The payments will be retroactive when they arrive, so recipents will eventually get paid for the months of August and September. (NBC Washington)
On the first day of virtual learning for students, Arlington Public Schools had a series of technical issues with the tablets provided by the schools that prevented some families from logging in to classes. (ARL Now)
A bill from Councilmember Liz Walsh would end the county’s relationship with ICE, which has long used Howard county detention facilities to hold immigrants facing deportation. A statewide measure to ban ICE partnerships across Maryland did not make it to a vote in this year’s shortened legislative session. (Horus Alas / Maryland Matters)
The District will spend $3.3 million dollars to provide internet for up to 25,000 low income families in an effort to close the digital divide and allow all of the city’s children to access online learning options. (Colleen Grablick / DCist)
