Breakfast links: For the city

From the top

The US Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx, arranged a meeting today with Mayor Bowser and Governors Hogan and McAuliffe to discuss Metro’s current state of crisis. On the docket: safety, finances, and finding a general manager. (Post)

Failure to launch

Metro’s electronic fare payment pilot didn’t go so well. Not enough people participated and the full plans for the system are already over budget. WMATA is weighing a decision to scrap the plan entirely. (WAMU)

Water works

Most people think of rent as the determining factor in whether housing is affordable or not, but utilities play a role too. Starting in October, DC Water will raise rates on water bills  to fund replacement of aging pipes. (WAMU)

Not bigger, just pricier

Cities are rising in popularity, but they aren’t getting denser. The reason: housing sizes are larger and more people are living alone. The result: lost environmental benefits and residential displacement. (Vox)

Bike share is not a boondoggle

Cities promote bike share systems to reduce congestion and emissions, improve health and the economy, and get more people on bikes. A study shows which bike share claims hold up and which don’t. (NextCity)

Somebody help

The horrific murder on the Metro earlier this month has lots of people asking themselves what they’d do if they saw another passenger under attack. Would they help? Even for a former victim, the answer isn’t so clear. (Slate)

Paved with plastic

Rotterdam, a Dutch city, might start building streets out of recycled plastic. Manufacturers say plastic roads would require less maintenance, be more durable, and use far less carbon than asphalt in production. (The Guardian)

And…

Comedic icon John Oliver says taxpayers get a raw deal when they pay for stadiums. (WSJ) … The majority of America’s poorest cities are in blue states, while the cities with biggest equality gaps tend to be in red states. (Post) … Dan Silverman, the “Prince of Petworth,” moved to North Cleveland Park for better schools.  (PoPville)