Breakfast links: Time for some traffic problems

Stuck in a jam

Emails show that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s chief of staff and Port Authority officials created a 4-day traffic jam as political revenge against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich for not endorsing Christie for governor. (NorthJersey, Post)

A world without farecards

Metro riders may soon be able to use credit cards, IDs, or mobile phones to pay their Metro fares. WMATA hired Accenture to give riders more flexibility with payment options. (City Paper)

Bikeshare riders brave the cold

Tuesday’s cold weather didn’t halt bikeshare users. CaBi logged 2,338 rides during the polar vortex while New York City’s Citibike racked up 6,669 trips. (Washingtonian, NYMag)

Waiting for renewal

Plans to replace old housing in Deanwood and Lincoln Heights with new affordable housing have fallen apart, and instead of demolishing older units, the city now just is refilling them. (Post)

Fairfax forgoes McMansions for paintball

Rather than McMansions, landowners in Fairfax decided to turn 75 acres of property into a paintball field. The field will be completely wooded and include a rain garden. (WBJ)

The war on rats

Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) has declared a war on rats. Legislation he introduced to the council would require new restaurants to include a rat prevention plan when applying for a business license. (DCist)

Foreign investment drives DC real estate

More than half of DC’s 2013 commercial real estate sales involved foreign investors. Investors from Israel, Kuwait, and South Korea backed some of last year’s biggest deals. (WBJ)

Metro’s track work schedule

You can plan your weekend travel around Metro’s scheduled track work: WMATA has released its schedule through June. (DCist)

And…

The owners of Landover Mall are pushing it as an option for the FBI headquarters. (WTOP) … Maryand selected 4 companies out of the 6 who expressed interest to compete for the Purple Line partnership. (Post) … A mixed legacy for Gov. McDonnell (R-VA) includes the 2013 transportation deal. (Post)