Rubber sidewalk slabs have been installed on top of tree roots on Rhode Island Ave. NW. Photo by Sommer Mathis. There’s a stretch of sidewalk on Rhode Island Ave., between 9th and 7th streets NW, that has long been difficult to navigate. The root system belonging to a series of large trees planted there has, over the years, led to major cracks in the concrete that continued to be pushed upward, causing something like…

This morning Metro invited the media to come take a look at four different models of non-carpeted flooring options the agency will begin testing on its rail cars. Metro General Manager John Catoe has made it a priority to get rid of carpeting on the system’s rail cars. “Non-carpet floors are easier, less expensive and more environmentally friendly to maintain,” Catoe said. “They also don’t have a moldy smell that some carpeted rail cars have…