Photo by Rachel on Flickr

Shutdown’s big costs

DC area governments will be hit hard by government shutdown due to high number of federally employed residents. Montgomery County officials expect $500k in lost tax revenue per day while Prince George’s County expects losses of $270k per day. (Wash. Times)  

Amtrak keeps rolling

Amtrak officials promised riders that it will continue to operate trains around the country despite the federal government shutdown. Amtrak is federally subsidized and received $1.4 billion from the federal government in 2012. (WBJ)  

Train and bus services altered

MARC’s Camden and Brunswick line schedules will be altered today due to the shutdown. The MTA Commuter bus will change schedules for an anticipated early afternoon rush but VRE plans to run as normal. (WTOP)  

SmarTrip changes begin today

New Metro SmarTrip cards will now cost $2 instead of $5 and riders with a negative balance of more than $1.50 will not be allowed to exit without paying exitfare. (Post)  

Maryland tackles distracted driving

New Maryland law allows police to pull over drivers for using hand-held cells phones and issue tickets of $75 or more for subsequent offenses. Lawmakers hope the new rule will reduce distracted driving. (Patch)  

New parking minimums for MoCo?

Montgomery County officials will hold hearings on lowering parking requirements for new restaurants from 25 to 4 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet. (Gazette)  

What if DC went from tall to short?

What if instead of debating raising the height limit, DC already had tall buildings and we were considering making them all shorter? Ryan Avent turns the height limit debate around.  (Post)  

Purple Line concessions raise questions

Several Montgomery County council members were unaware of concessions made to the long-time Purple Line foe Columbia Country Club until media reports last week. The concessions have raised questions of favoritism to powerful, well-connected businesses. (Patch)  

Bike parking guidelines needed

After requests from customers and biking advocates for bike parking, the REI store in Tysons Corner installed a “wave” rack, which is not preferred by most jurisdictions. The issue highlights the need for bike parking guidelines in Fairfax County. (FABB)