Breakfast links: Slow beyond the Beltway
Silver Line delayed
Due to delays in testing, Phase I of the Silver Line could be delayed for at least 8 weeks, pushing back opening from December to possibly as late as February. (Post)
PG dodges water crisis
WSSC anticipated thousands in Prince George’s County would be without water for 5 days, but officials say they successfully repaired a valve without shutting off water. Mandatory restrictions are still in place as repairs continue. (WAMU)
Clarksburg concerns
After 20 years of plans and broken promises, will Clarksburg Town Center’s retail core ever get done? One developer says the original plan is not feasible and the project is now undergoing environmental review. (Post)
2 die on bikes in Maryland
An SUV driver hit a 9-year-old boy on a bike in Bowie, and the boy died Tuesday. Yesterday afternoon, a dump truck driver killed a cyclist in Anne Arundel County. (NBC4, WUSA via WashCycle)
Steal bike, get stung
A Virginia resident who had several bikes stolen from his building’s garage found one of his bikes on Craigslist. He set up a sting where Arlington police waited nearby, then swooped in to make an arrest. (Gripped Racing)
Forget statehood, DC goes to Maryland
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) has proposed another retrocession bill that would return DC to Maryland, except for the Mall and other central federal areas. But “we don’t want to go [and] they don’t want us back,” says Paul Strauss. (Huffington Post, City Paper)
House not keen on autonomy
DC’s budget autonomy referendum was just residents’ opinion without any force of law, says a House Appropriations Committee report, but nobody has challenged it in court. The committee also cut funding for courts, school construction, vouchers, and residents going to out-of-state colleges. (Post)
The unlicensed show monuments
One company that operates Segway tours in DC refuses to get licenses for its tour guides, claiming the First Amendment lets them show the sights without regulation. So far, courts don’t agree. (City Paper)
More retailers oppose wage bill
Mayor Gray received a letter from six retailers urging him to veto the living wage bill. Each claimed they would revisit future expansion plans if the amendment passes. (DCist)
And…
Google gets big new office space in NoMa. (Post) … Libby Garvey asks for yet another streetcar cost-benefit study. (ArlNow) … Aaron Wiener takes a look at an abandominium near Anacostia. (City Paper)