Breakfast links: Failures of leadership

Will mayor, council face austerity?

With DC residents on the hook for so many Lincoln Navigators, when it comes time to close the budget gap, will leaders cut some of their own perks while slashing services? … Kwame Brown now says he wants to return his Navigator. (DCist, 14th & You, WAMU)

MWAA has board problems, too

The airports authority has its own governance problems, including at least one absentee member; Rep. Frank Wolf has asked for the GAO to audit MWAA. (Post, Examiner)

Straighter is not safer

It turns out the straight section of the Beltway are the most dangerous. Keep that in mind next time a highway department says it wants to straighten a road “to be safer.” (Examiner)

ICC opens officially, real opening delayed

Governor Martin O’Malley and USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood opened the first segement of the ICC, hailing it as Maryland’s greenest highway.  Due to weather, the new highway won’t be open to drivers until Wednesday. (WUSA, WAMU)

Alexandria unsure on new schools

Citing current overcrowding and anticipated growth, Alexandria Superintendent Morton Sherman wants to build 4 new elementary schools. The City Manager only budgeted half of Sherman’s request, though. (WAMU)

Fairfax considers more mixed-use in Tysons

Developer Cityline Partners has filed and Fairfax County has accepted an application to rezone 40 acres near the future Tysons East metro station to allow mixed-use residential, office and hotel space. (DCmud)

Where should WeBike?

WeBike, the bike sharing system that doesn’t use stations and launched at UMD last year is trying to decide where to go next and whether to charge fees for usage. (Business Rx)

DC will hurt if fed shuts down

Rank-and-file federal employees and the small businesses that rely on them may be in trouble if Congress doesn’t reach an agreement this week on a spending bill and forces the federal government to shut down. (WUSA)

And…

Megabus is adding more buses to Philly, and dropping the White Marsh stop on many of its NYC-bound buses. (Dr. Gridlock) … Transportation Nation’s audio documentary Back of the Bus about race, inequality and transit is now available online or for download. … Much like DC, even in a strong real estate market, San Francisco still struggles to improve blighted sections. (Post)