By Mike English (Guest Contributor) • January 26, 2021
Montgomery County passed a lot of legislation in 2020 to address housing and zoning challenges, with more to come. But, the new year gives us a chance to look at some potential impacts of these changes and some of the stark differences between neighborhoods that share almost the same location – but have different zoning.
By Libby Solomon (Writer and Editor) • January 26, 2021
Councilmember Brooke Pinto introduced legislation in January to symbolically rename streets in DC after the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Congressman John Lewis, and journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Despite WMATA budget problems, construction is 99% done on the Silver Line extension out to Dulles, and track testing is currently underway. The new Metrorail segment is expected to open sometime in the fall. (Scott Fields / Reston Now)
In two years DC has built 14,400 new housing units, almost half of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s goal of 36,000 units by 2025. But less than 20% were affordable, not meeting Bower’s goal of a third, and some neighborhoods have produced no affordable units at all. (Nena Perry-Brown / Urban Turf)
Montgomery County residents are running into issues getting the COVID-19 vaccine as a difference between state and county level vaccination schedules causes confusion. Vaccine appointments in the county are disproportionately going to white people, with only 6% of sign ups going to Black county residents (DCist. Tip: Chester B.)
The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission released the result of recent investigations showing that Metro’s safety protocols still need improvement, including one incident where track workers were sent to do repairs on a still-electrified rail segment. (Justin George / Post)
After the DC Superior Court suspended jury trials in March 2020 under the public health emergency, 751 people are being held in the DC Jail before their trial indefinitely. (Gavrielle Jacobovitz / East of the River News)
Three Congressional representatives from Northern Virginia asked the acting head of FEMA to set up a mass vaccination site in the region, saying that Virginia has the capacity to deliver more doses than it has gotten from the federal government so far. (Rick Massimo / WTOP)
The Arlington County Board approved widening the sidewalk on Columbia Pike’s Four Mile Run bridge to ten feet, narrowing the traffic lane, and adding new lights and guardrails. (Jo DeVoe / ARLNow)
The University of Maryland’s National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) is seeking a highly motivated Project Coordinator to support a new initiative focused on preventing small business displacement in gentrifying neighborhoods across the US. The purpose of the project is to build a national community of practice that promotes innovation, develops social capital, skills, and capacities, and facilitates knowledge sharing among small business leaders, including small business owners, community-based organizations, technical assistance providers, advocacy organizations, and policymakers. More information. Find more jobs, and learn how to submit your own, at ggwash.org/jobs.(University of Maryland's National Center for Smart Growth)
Top image: Signs indicate the Silver Line's future terminus at Ashburn ahead of the line's Phase II opening. Image by Rob Pegoraro licensed under Creative Commons.
