Links By Amy Fong (Contributor) May 24, 2022  36

Oronoco Bay in Alexandria. by Mike Grinnell.

The Potomac Riverkeeper Network is suing the city of Alexandria for allegedly allowing toxic chemicals to exist in the river for more than four decades, caused by a 19th-century gas plant that was powered by coal-derived natural gas. The discharges began during the redevelopment of the site in the 1970s. According to the lawsuit, the city’s attempts to fix the problem have yet to work.   (Jacob Fenston / DCist)  

At the debate on Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser touted the more than $1 billion she put into the Housing Production Trust Fund during her two terms while Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White questioned where those affordable housing units actually are. At-large Councilmember Robert White pivoted to his plan to convert downtown office buildings into affordable housing and former neighborhood official James Butler discussed the correlation between new market-rate housing and the displacement of Black residents.  (Julie Zauzmer / Post)  

Vienna has begun construction on a pedestrian safety project along Courthouse Road NE. It will replace a cracked asphalt path with an ADA-compliant concrete sidewalk. This project has been in the works since 2013 when the town was awarded a Safe Routes to School grant for the upgrades.  (Angela Woolsey / FFXNow)  

The Maryland Department of Transportation and Purple Line contractor Maryland Transit Solutions will hold five public meetings between May 25 and June 28 in Silver Spring and Chevy Chase. Community members are invited to hear updates and ask questions about the progress of the light rail project.    (Michelle Queen / Montgomery Community Media)  

A recent Urban Turf poll of prospective homebuyers in the Washington region found that over 40% were putting their home buying search on hold until interest rates drop. Another 37% said they lowered their budget due to rising interest rates.  (UrbanTurf)  

The Washington Commanders are looking for a new stadium site within the region. They have just procured the right to purchase 200 acres of land in Woodbridge, Va., though they may still be considering other options in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.   (Scott Abraham / WJLA)  

Local and federal lawmakers gathered in La Plata, Md. yesterday to celebrate the award of $5 million in federal funding towards the Southern Maryland Rapid Transit Project. The light rail is planned to run from the Branch Avenue Metro to White Plains in Charles County, Md.   (John Domen / WTOP)  

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Amy Fong is a Columbia Heights, DC resident who doesn't pay enough for on-street residential parking. She is a statistician at the U.S. Department of Labor, researching policies that affect the well-being and social participation of people with disabilities. Though she spends her work day thinking quantitatively, her favorite way to collect transportation data is through her own bike adventures and the stories and opinions of others.

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