Photo by Joseph Gruber on Flickr.

SafeTrack surge #3

Metro’s third SafeTrack surge started last night, shutting down rail service between Braddock Road and National Airport for the next seven days. Extra (and in some cases, free) buses, VRE, a new Capital Bikeshare station, and a new slugline are available to help people get around. (Post)  

Riders say sayonara after SafeTrack

As Metro’s SafeTrack rolls onward, some commuters have found other ways to get around and are sticking to them, even after the SafeTrack surge affecting their travel ends. (WAMU)  

Arlington Memorial bridge isn’t falling down

A $90 million grant will partially cover the cost to repair the Arlington Memorial Bridge. Without the grant, the National Park Service said the bridge would have had to close within five years. (DCist)  

AU students get a Metro pass

American University students will now get a pass for unlimited Metro rail and bus rides as part of their mandatory student fees. The pilot program, dubbed U-Pass, aims to increase ridership and public transit loyalty. (DCist)  

Plans for the Bethesda plaza

A construction company is pushing back on a developers’s plans to build a high-rise in the Bethesda Metro station plaza, ostensibly because it would take away park space. (Bethesda Magazine)  

DC schools lack accessibility

40% of DC public schools are not accessible for those with disabilities. While schools wait on modernization funds, they do the best they can by building ramps and rearranging spaces. (City Paper)  

Books in barbershops

A Prince George’s library program is putting books in barbershops to try to bridge the achievement gap between black and white boys. The library system says the program is a hit and will expand next year. (WTOP)  

Mourning for murals in Annapolis

Annapolis residents held a “funeral” for a popular mural in the historic district in protest of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission’s claim that it can regulate art on private buildings in the district. (WTOP)  

Lamont Street Collective gone

A 41-year-old artist and activist group, the Lamont Street Collective, were evicted from their Mount Pleasant home yesterday after a year of legal disputes with their new landlord. (DCist)  

Subsidized artist abodes

Subsidized housing specifically set aside for artists is gaining traction across the country. But one Minnesota study shows that such housing tends to go disproportionately to young whites with relatively higher incomes. (NYT)