Bethesda Purple Line Plan area. Image from Montgomery County Planning Department

Bethesda Purple Line station designs revealed

MoCo and MTA revealed two designs for Bethesda’s Purple Line station. The preferred option is to vacate and raze the Apex building at 7272 Wisconsin Ave, but they could also work around and under the property. (Gazette)  

WMATA seeks long-term fix for Red Line

Strategies for fixing water problems along the Red Line continue to boggle WMATA and outrage riders, local officials, and business owners. Will any long-term fix avoid disruption and high costs? (Post)  

Virginia residents must pay online sales tax

Virginians may notice an increase in the total cost of their Amazon purchases. The company began collecting state sales tax from its customers this week. (WAMU)  

Will the private sector sustain DC’s economy?

Federal austerity has created challenges in the local economy, but DC growth over the past two years occurred in the private sector. Leisure and hospitality added the most jobs since 2011. (Urban Turf)  

Virginia is for tourism

Virginia’s tourism industry brought in $21.2 billion in revenue in 2012, a record for the Commonwealth. The slogan “Virginia is for Lovers” is the longest-running in the country. (WBJ)  

Gallaudet experiments with DeafSpace building design

A new dormitory at Gallaudet University frames human interaction for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The building design used DeafSpace guidelines to improve sight lines and dispel ambient noise. (Metropolis, Neil)  (Tip: Neil)  

Road rage on the rise

The number of people in the DC Metro area that admit feeling “uncontrollable anger toward another driver” has doubled since 2005. Author Leon James likens driving under impaired emotions to driving while intoxicated. (Post)  

Bi-County fight continues

Proposed construction of the Bi-County Parkway has sparked protests urging Gov. McDonnell and Transportation Secretary Sean Connughton to consider other options and slow down the decision process. (Potomac Local)  

And…

Target is considering opening a second DC location near Metro Center. (Post) … Enterprise CarShare will place 45 vehicles in DC to compete with ZipCar and Car2Go. (DCist) … Barnes and Noble signs deal as anchor store for Monroe Street Market near Catholic University. (WBJ)