Breakfast links: 24 long days

Bring on the single-tracking

Metro’s latest SafeTrack surge begins today 24 days of single-tracking between West Falls Church and East Falls Church. Once this surge is complete, SafeTrack will take a break until February due to winter weather. (Post)

Sparks fly over digital billboards

A proposal to allow digital billboard around Nationals Park like the ones at the Verizon Center could be a great source of tax revenue, but many local residents are worried about light pollution and obstructed views. (Post)

Student loans to homeownership

A new program in Maryland could help prospective home buyers saddled with student debt make their goals possible by providing 15% of a state-owned home’s purchasing price towards paying off loans. (Post)

Ben Carson for HUD Secretary?

Donald Trump has suggested Ben Carson for HUD secretary. Carson previously had said he’s not qualified to run a cabinet agency, and he doesn’t support efforts to further fair housing. (CityLab)

Uncertainty for Women’s March on Washington

Women from around the country are planning to come to Washington on January 21 for a march. One problem: the organizers don’t yet have a permit or a location. (Slate)

Kenilworth’s big moment

Kenilworth in Northeast DC is on the verge of being gentrified.  Long-time residents are glad to see some changes like the redevelopment of nearby housing projects but want to remain a part of Kenilworth’s future. (Post)

MoCo’s legal battle

Montgomery County has so far spent $4 million in legal fees in its lawsuit against the inspection company and general contractor behind the Silver Spring Transit Center, and those fees are only likely to increase. (Post)

Muni, hacked

Hackers broke into San Francisco’s MUNI computer systems, disabling the fare payment and collection systems and encrypting data. Email systems and possibly payroll were also affected, and for a time all fares were free. (Mashable)

And…

Vice President-elect Mike Pence is renting a home in Chevy Chase, DC, until the Inauguration. (DCist) … Churches in Petworth and other neighborhoods are signifiers of the changes happening throughout the District. (Petworth News) … NVTA’s TransAction plan has the ambitious goal of addressing the growing problem of congestion in Northern Virginia. (Post)