Breakfast links: WMATA Board demands answers

Answers, Metro. Now.

Today is an “emergency meeting of the WMATA Board” to get to the bottom of July’s derailment. Chairman Jack Evans says he wants hard answers, not just vague promises to do better. (Post)

Too many rods for safety

After the Smithsonian derailment last year, the FTA said Metro needed to stop relying on gauge rods as a long-term fix for rails that are too far apart. Metro is behind on its promise to stop the practice. (WAMU)

Workers and managers all do horribly

Metro fired a track worker for falsifying reports, but his supervisors had made that a general practice, and the rail operations center often would hang up on workers without shutting off equipment properly. Nobody looks good in this story. (Post)

Shelter opponents sue

Some upper Northwest residents have filed a lawsuit against a proposed homeless shelter on a police station parking lot. They say there wasn’t enough time to weigh in on the chosen location, but Councilmember Mary Cheh says the location of public buildings isn’t usually up to neighbors to decide. (WAMU)

How kids get to school

There’s no bus service for middle-schoolers in Montgomery who live within 1.5 miles of their school. Is that too far for students to walk? (WJLA) … Fairfax is getting its first HAWK, a special pedestrian traffic signal that will connect an elementary school to a nearby apartment complex. (Fairfax County)

Where we work, where we live

Only 30% of the 800,000 people who work in DC also live in DC. Low-wage workers, like janitors and cashiers, are more likely to live in the District, but that’s starting to change. (District, Measured)

Anacostia going over asking

The Anacostia housing market is heating up. Prices are up 17%, total sales are up 131%, and there are signs of increased competition, like lower supply and average sales going over asking price. (UrbanTurf)

The playground thief

After investigating the disappearance of a playground firetruck near Adams Morgan, DC Police discovered the thief was actually the Department of General Services, who had removed the firetruck because it was broken. (Post)

And…

A Swedish apartment building only includes parking for bikes. (Treehugger) … DC had another record-breaking year for tourism with 21.3 million tourists spending $7.1 billion. (DCist) … One in ten homes on the market in DC are over $1 million. (WTOP)