Morning Notes

Metro Would Slash Service in Proposed Budget — “Metro proposed a budget Tuesday with service cuts officials say would make the transit system ‘unrecognizable’ and have a devastating economic impact on the region. On the table are across-the-board service cuts, including the closure of 10 Metro stations, earlier station closing times, the elimination of nearly half of all current Metrobus routes, fare hikes, layoffs, and salary and hiring freezes.” [DCist]

Federal Officials Grilled on FBI HQ Choice — “Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), chairman of a House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee with oversight of public buildings, called the hearing to examine why a GSA official selected Greenbelt despite a three-member panel’s unanimous recommendation to put the FBI headquarters in Springfield.” [Washington Post]

Electric Vehicle Service Center Proposed — “Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ: RIVN), the producer of Amazon.com Inc.’s electric delivery fleet, is eyeing Fairfax County for its first Northern Virginia service center…A location is not identified in the letter, though an earlier, temporary version of the letter, since superseded, filed last month suggested somewhere in Tysons.” [Washington Business Journal]

New Fire Station Approved for West Annandale — “The Fairfax County Planning Commission approved a project to replace the West Annandale Fire Station and to use a vacant commercial building nearby as a temporary fire station during construction.” Built at 8914 Little River Turnpike, the new station “will better accommodate modern equipment and provide improved living space, including space for female staff.” [Annandale Today]

County Gets Funding for Richmond Highway BRT — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recently authorized the acceptance of “just over $22.5 million in grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the purchase of right of way (ROW) related to the Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. That amount will be matched with around $5.6 million in local dollars from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.” [On the MoVe]

Fairfax County Home Sales Declining — “Northern Virginia’s five largest jurisdictions in November mostly posted relatively small drop-offs in sales from a year before, according to new data, although Fairfax County’s decline was more steep than most.” The county saw a 13.7% drop to 734 closings last month compared to November 2022. [Gazette Leader]

Dominion Energy Plan Gets Thumbs Down From Regulator — “A utility regulator with the State Corporation Commission is recommending the body reject Dominion Energy’s most recent long-term plan because of its inclusion of new natural gas plants…Because of a projected increase in data center development in Northern Virginia, as well as expected upticks in electric vehicle use, Dominion’s plans call for the addition of four natural gas combustion turbines to provide energy that can be quickly turned on during times of peak demand.” [Virginia Mercury]

Retiring Reston Farmers Market Manager to Be Honored — “Fairfax County Chair Jeff McKay introduced a measure at [the Dec. 5] board of supervisors meeting to invite John Lovaas to an upcoming meeting and honor him for his 26 years as the founder and manager of the Reston Farmers Market. The board voted unanimously to adopt the measure.” [Patch]

It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 45 degrees today, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 7 to 10 mph. As for tonight, the skies will remain clear, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 27 degrees. [Weather.gov]