Photo by Christian Stefanescu on Flickr.

Red light problems

Distractions, multitasking, and other cases of human error are the culprits behind Metro’s red light violations.  WMATA employees say organizational culture, poor supervision and miscommunication also contribute. (Post)  

Bad news for buses

Bus systems across the region say Metro’s overall service and reliability issues are the main factors causing people to leave not just rail transit but also abandon bus service since many use buses to connect to rail. (Post)  

Bring on the user fees

A Congressional Budget Office report says the Washington region won’t be able to keep up on highway funding with gasoline taxes alone. CBO suggests user fees like tolls or taxing drivers by the mile are better. (WTOP)  

WMATA Real talk

New WMATA GM Paul Wiedefeld and Board Chairman Jack Evans have so far been very frank in their public comments about Metro’s problems, especially when it involves aging railcars and concerns over passenger safety. (Post)  

Shelter selection woes

DC residents want to help the homeless but are divided on the District’s plan to build shelters in all eight wards.  They want to know why the mayor selected the sites and why there was no public input earlier. (City Paper)  

United on MetroAccess

Riders and drivers for MetroAccess came together at a meeting last Friday to express their concerns. They discussed ways to improve the system, such as increasing driver pay and collecting fares inside vehicles. (WTOP)  

Alexandria housing drama

The Alexandria City Council failed to approve the zoning changes that would let the city redevelop the 74-year-old Ramsey Homes public housing complex. The council needed a supermajority to make those changes. (Post)  

Ivy City is gonna be huge

Douglas Development is going all-in on Ivy City.  The developer wants to remake the Northeast DC neighborhood with 550,000 square feet of retail, 200 apartments and a 108-room hotel on a 15-acre site. (WBJ)  

Power to the principals

DCPS will abandon the Michelle Rhee-era program of using independent evaluators to review teachers and will now leave evaluations up to principals. The old program was a distraction and cost $5 million annually. (Post)  

Teacher pay tension

Virginia teachers aren’t too happy about Gov. McAuliffe’s proposed 2% pay raise in his budget’s second year.  Many want annual 2% increases, but their wishes will be hard to fulfill in the current political climate. (WAMU)