Photo by woodleywonderworks on Flickr.

SafeTrack not so smooth

The first day of SafeTrack surge 3 didn’t go so smoothly, with long lines, packed platforms, and at least one lost bus driver despite a 70% decrease in ridership on the affected portion of the system. (Post, WAMU)  

Surge 2 report

Metro was able to complete all scheduled work during its second SafeTrack surge. But ongoing signal problems, which Metro says are temporary and minor, are making some skeptical. (City Paper)  

Changes brew for ANCs

Rules surrounding ANCs would change under a bill introduced by DC Councilmember Anita Bonds. The bill would push government agencies to work more closely with ANCs, put regulations on how ANCs manage their bank accounts, and exempt ANCs from FOIA requests. (DCist)  

Rents rise, and too damn high

DC has the sixth highest rents in the nation, with median rent at $2,190 for a one-bedroom apartment. (Washingtonian) … Rents in DC are up 3.6% from last year. (UrbanTurf)  

Shops shift to homes in Reston

Reston’s Tall Oaks shopping center is only 15% leased. One developer has plans to save the struggling shopping center by converting it into 156 townhomes and condos. (WBJ)  

Bigger apartments, <s>less</s> fewer units for Georgetown

Plans for a Georgetown apartment complex went from 26 to 7 units after the ANC asked for seemingly unrelated revisions to the design of the structure’s facade. (UrbanTurf)  

MetroAccess fraud

A MetroAccess contractor charged Metro for picking up customers who were known to be dead and using pricier wheelchair-accessible vans when they weren’t needed. The company must now pay Metro $184 thousand for “billing errors.” (Post)  

DC’s 1909 subway plans

DC had very different plans for a subway system in 1909. The plan called for a loop with 29 stops between the Capitol and the White House, mostly for government use but open to the public. (AoC)  

And…

A Montgomery County state senator is asking Maryland to foot the bill for shuttle bus service during SafeTrack. (Bethesda Magazine) … These two senators take Metro to work every day. (Roll Call) … A defect in some of Philadelphia’s regional rail cars will leave a third of the fleet out of service indefinitely, and likely through the Democratic National Convention. (RailwayAge)