Photo by johnmcochran2012

>> Everyone is anxiously awaiting the opening of the H Street NE streetcar late next year, but there’s another trolley project in the region that’s not getting a lot of attention. The Post reports that officials in Crystal City are planning for a 2.5-mile streetcar to run along Route 1, bringing with it some much-needed life to an area that is otherwise known for its soulless high-rises. The $146 million line—which would likely accompany the construction of a streetcar line on nearby Columbia Pike—could be operational by as early as 2019, and would run in a dedicated lane from Crystal City down to the border with Alexandria.

>> The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy may be raising the ire of parents across the country, but it will soon be the focus of serious academy inquiry. WJLA reports that American University will dedicate a class to the racy series in the coming spring semester, allowing students to use it to examine the “interplay of sexuality, health, public relations and marketing.”

>> Virginia is for lovers…of business. The Washington Times reports that the Old Dominion has been ranked the 12th best state in the country for business, while Maryland lags behind at 36th place. The rankings produced by the Vienna-based Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council took into consideration factors such as tax rates, health care and energy costs, union presence, and regulations. Forbes recently put the commonwealth at the top of its list of states that are friendly to business, while D.C. ranked way at the bottom.

Briefly Noted: Two men killed in Southeast D.C. over weekend … Prince George’s County delegate declared bankruptcy before running for office and then being thrown out … Teen killed in hit-and-run in D.C. over weekend … Embattled D.C. contractor Jeffrey Thompson doesn’t know what irony means, it seems.

This Day in DCist: On this day in 2010, we looked back on the best things that the city’s eavesdroppers had heard over the year.