Morning Notes

Metro Waives Nighttime Fares for Independence Day — “Metrorail, Metrobus, and MetroAccess will be fare-free on Tuesday, July 4 from 5 p.m. until the system closes, with frequent service to the National Mall and other celebrations across the region…Signage will be posted throughout the stations and on buses to communicate that customers do not need SmarTrip cards if using Metro after 5 p.m.” [WMATA]

New Route 50 Intersection Opens Ahead of Schedule — Construction on the Route 50 and Waples Mill Road intersection in Fairfax has finished nearly two months ahead of schedule. Part of the I-66 Outside the Beltway toll lanes project, the changes include a new left-turn lane from westbound Route 50 to southbound Waples Mill and a new pedestrian crossing and refuge island. [VDOT]

GMU Says It’s Unaffected by Supreme Court Ruling — The U.S. Supreme Court decision “barring the consideration of race for college admissions will not disrupt admissions operations at George Mason University…George Mason’s admissions processes are race-neutral and have been test-optional for undergraduate admissions since 2007, more than a decade ahead of the national trend.” [GMU]

Traffic Shift Needed for Hunter Mill Road Bridge — “On Friday, June 30 around noon, weather permitting, Hunter Mill Road (Route 674) traffic will shift to the other side of the new bridge over Colvin Run between Crowell Road (Route 675) and Cobble Mill Road…One lane of alternating traffic will travel across the newly constructed portion of the bridge while the other side of the bridge is closed in order to construct the median/splitter island.” [VDOT]

Abortion Access at Risk in Virginia After End of Roe v. Wade — “Abortion is currently legal in Virginia within the first and second trimesters, a fact that isolates it from almost all of its neighbors. This fall’s election, however, could open an avenue for a GOP-backed ban if Republicans take control of the General Assembly.” [DCist]

Lake Accotink Gets Funds to Remove Invasive Plants — The Fairfax County Park Foundation has received a $40,000 three-year grant to “treat three sites totaling approximately 7.2 acres of invasive plants at Lake Accotink. This IMA project will target vines that are threatening trees and other invasive plants that need to be kept from spreading” [FCPA]

New Bikeshare Station Added in Tysons — Capital Bikeshare installed its newest Fairfax County station yesterday at Westbranch Drive and Jones Branch Drive, part of an ongoing expansion of its network in Tysons, Idylwood and elsewhere in the Providence District. The company also rolled out updated e-bicycles this spring. [Capital Bikeshare/Twitter]

Mount Vernon School Welcomes Solar Panel — “School may be out for the summer, but Riverside Elementary School’s new solar array will keep harnessing sunlight and converting it into energy delivered to the school for classroom study this fall.” Riverside is the third recipient of Dominion Energy’s Solar for Students grant program in Fairfax County Public Schools. [On the MoVe]

It’s Friday — A slight chance of showers between 2pm and 5pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87, dropping to a low of 64 at night. A Code Orange Air Quality alert has been issued for the day. [Weather.gov]

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