Breakfast links: Metro is repeating itself
Copy, fail, copy again
The investigation of July’s derailment outside of East Falls Church has revealed that Metro workers reused information from old inspection reports, misreported track status, and skipped inspections. Workers say they were under pressure to bury bad news. (WTOP)
Bus route blues
WMATA Board members are looking for alternatives to proposed cuts to bus service, such as offsetting costs by reducing midday service on other routes, and raising the fare on airport routes rather than cutting them altogether. (WTOP)
Contract pressure?
A former employee of DC’s Department of General Services says he was fired for refusing to award development contracts to one of Mayor Bowser’s biggest donors, Fort Myer, a street paving company. (WAMU)
Station designs move forward
The fate of the Purple Line is in still limbo, but work goes on. Here are new design renderings for 10 of the light rail line’s stations. (Bethesda Magazine)
Empty homes create trouble
Dupont Circle residents say a row of vacant homes is attracting squatters who leave empty liquor bottles and other trash. A developer plans to turn the houses into a condo, but the ANC rejected their initial five-story proposal as too tall. (City Paper)
Ban the box
A DC bill that would keep DC landlords from asking about criminal records as a condition for housing is one step closer to becoming a law. DC could join San Francisco and other cities that have already “banned the box” for housing. (DCist)
Have you seen this slick?
There’s a $1,000 reward for anyone with information about a strange oily sheen that appeared on the Potomac on Sunday. Water authorities say it should not affect the city water quality. (DCist)
What’s in a (street) name?
Alexandria has initiated steps to change the name of Jefferson Davis Highway and will solicit residents’ input on the road’s new name as part of a compromise that keeps a Confederate statue in its current location. (WTOP)
Walk down to Electric Avenue
The next time you’re in Dupont Circle, step onto kinetic tiles that use pressure to generate electricity and power benches in a nearby park. DC expects 10,000 people per day to step on the tiles. (Post) (Tip: Nicole C.)
And…
People who move away from the DC region are most likely to head to Baltimore. (WBJ) … Prince George’s Council member Mel Franklin was charged with a DUI after crashing a county vehicle. (Post) … Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park is getting bike repair stations. (SNPT, Kate Schwarz)