https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/11/16/dc-mask-mandate-ends/

Washington’s local mask mandate, one of the strictest in the nation since late July, will relax greatly beginning Monday, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) announced Tuesday.

The District had required residents to wear masks in most indoor settings since the delta variant caused coronavirus case counts to rise over the summer. On Tuesday, Bowser said that coronavirus vaccines are working: While case rates remain stubbornly above an average of 10 new cases per day for every 100,000 residents, vaccines are preventing most people who catch the virus from needing hospitalization.

That means it’s time to let residents choose whether to wear masks in their office buildings, retail stores and many other settings, Bowser said. Local businesses can still choose to require masks, but it will not be legally required.

Local regulations will still require masks in some settings, including Metro trains and buses, ride-share cars, some government buildings and public schools.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/interactive/2021/bridges-roads-rail-infrastructure/

The highways built mid-century as an extensive interstate system are hampered these days by outdated road designs that contribute to crashes and congestion. The bridges that are essential connections within urban and rural areas often face costly repairs or replacement. Public transit systems haven’t kept up with growth or changing travel patterns, leaving Americans ever more dependent on cars to get around.

“Somewhere along the way, we stopped investing in ourselves, we stopped investing in our people, and we’ve risked losing our edge as a nation,” Biden said Saturday.

The new money represents the largest investment in building and fixing bridges since construction of the interstate highway system, which began in the 1950s. It also includes what administration officials call the biggest investments in transit and clean electricity transmission in U.S. history. There are tens of billions each for extending passenger rail, replacing lead drinking water pipes and expanding high-speed Internet access.

The funding could support projects from coast to coast to coast: A plan costing only a few million dollars would boost bus service in one smaller community, while another with a multibillion-dollar price tag would spur a massive undertaking to guard cities against rising sea levels. It could also boost plans to overhaul the cramped, century-old rail connections linking New York and New Jersey.

The Washington Post took a look at 10 sites that illustrate urgent needs or ambitious aspirations. In several locations, we did so through the experiences of individuals who greatly understand the impact this infrastructure work could have.