Photo by Susan NYC.

Pay-as-you-throw in Frederick?

Frederick County legislators are pushing for a “pay-as-you-throw” pilot, to charge residents by volume of trash. (WTOP)  

Ways to avoid paying five cents

Some people are doing pretty crazy things to avoid the 5-cent bag fees, like spending more on sales taxes in Virginia, juggling groceries as they carry them to their car, or whining to their friend who’s a Post reporter. That shows even a small fee can really shift behavior. Many of these folks will surely start getting the hang of reusable bags and stop whining after a bit of time passes. (Post)  

Get a shorter vehicle or park it off the street

Fairfax will ban on-street parking of large vehicles, like trucks, following in the footsteps of other area counties like Montgomery. (Mount Vernon Gazette)  

Faregates to accept credit cards?

Peter Benjamin says something about using credit cards on Metro and WTOP and the AP don’t quite seem to understand when the report it. Is he talking about linking a credit card to your SmarTrip like E-ZPass, which they are actually working on?  

Teens not in a rush to drive

Teens are waiting longer to get driver’s licenses; about 30% of 16-year-olds got licenses in 2008, vs. 45% a decade earlier. Why? The cost of cars, gas and insurance, and the availability of texting, Facebook, etc. as other ways to connect. It’s also safer. (Post)  

And you thought the lines were long at the DMV

People who get food stamps or use other public assistance programs often have to wait for up to eight hours in lines, missing work and unable to eat or drink, just to apply for changes to their benefits. (Beyond Bread, Post)  

And…

New WMATA Board member Mort Downey says the agency “is in serious disorder” (Examiner) … Alexandria Delegate David Englin introduced legislation to fight HOT lane deals without more public oversight (Examiner) … The Maryland House of Delegates will stream meetings and list commtitee votes on the Web (Gazette)