L’Enfant Plaza by Emma K Alexandra licensed under Creative Commons.

Safety signal: WMATA subpoena could have consequences, Congressman warns WMATA

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) is urging WMATA to comply with a subpoena from the federal Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC). The subpoena requests documents related to WMATA’s employee drug and alcohol testing, hazardous materials, and other safety issues. Metro has resisted, arguing that they are excessive and redundant, and has asked WMSC to coordinate with OSHA and FTA. Connolly is warning that failure to comply could lead to consequences from Congress.  (Tom Roussey / ABC7)  

With no Chinese grocery store, Chinatown seniors take charter bus

Senior residents of Wah Luck House take a monthly charter bus to a Chinese grocery store in Falls Church for culturally specific groceries. Some wish they could shop more often. Although the store is accessible on public transit, it would take over an hour to get there. Residents have requested a Chinese grocery store in the Chinatown neighborhood.  (WAMU)  

Donation of ferry could make splash in restoring service

The owners of White’s Ferry have offered to donate the ferry operation to Montgomery County, hoping to reopen the Potomac River Crossing. The ferry first operated in 1786, but closed in December 2020 due to a dispute over the landing site in Virginia. County councilmembers note that an agreement with the Virginia landing owners remains the barrier to reopening the ferry.  (Elia Griffin / MoCo360, NBC 4 Washington)  

A year after new laws, DC street vendors in regulatory limbo

DC street vendors struggle to operate legally a year after the passage of the Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act. DC Health failed to implement food safety regulations by November 2023 despite a legal requirement to do so. The regulations are a necessary first step before vendors can get home kitchen business permits and vending licenses.  (Sam P.K. Collins / Washington Informer)  

Unity Homes offers 144 new affordable apartments in Ballston

An affordable apartment building built by the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing and the Central United Methodist Church held its ribbon cutting Monday. The project is designed for residents earning 30-60% of the area median income and has 144 units. It features a daycare center, community rooms, and an outdoor courtyard partially funded by $19 million from Arlington County.  (Savannah Taffe / ARLnow, Julie Carey / NBC 4 Washington)  

Amazon HQ2 misses hiring targets

Per its agreement with Virginia, Amazon is supposed to have 25,000 employees at its second headquarters in Arlington by the end of the decade through gradual annual growth, but instead the company lost a few hundred jobs in 2023. The tech giant says it’s still committed to meeting its hiring goal, but now expects it to happen by 2038. Virginia’s agreement with Amazon protects the commonwealth from paying out subsidies for hires that haven’t happened. (This article may be behind a paywall. Disclosure: Senthil Sankaran, principal of the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, serves on the GGWash board of directors).  (Teo Armus / Post)  

Maryland announces highway work zone safety campaign

Maryland kicked off National Workzone Awareness Week with a celebration of a new state law and the announcement of a new public education campaign. The new law doubles the maximum fine for work zone speed camera violations to $80, which will become a tiered system with penalties between $60 and $1,000 after the first year. The public education campaign will feature Maryland sports stars and aims to reduce roadway fatalities which are at a two-decade high.  (Bryan P. Sears / Maryland Matters)  

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