Breakfast links: Wiedefeld outlines an ambitious new budget model for Metro

Metro’s GM seeks more than $500 million per year in his new budget

Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld's new model for Metro would combine major cuts to labor costs with an additional $500 million in funding each year to keep Metro afloat. He also proposed an extra $26 million fund each year to handle emergencies, such as bad weather.     (Robert McCartney / Post)

I-395 gets a new on ramp on Massachusetts Ave

After two years of work, a new on ramp for I-395 southbound at Massachusetts Avenue will open this Saturday, freeing up some downtown traffic. Next year, new retailers and office developers will move in near the ramp.  (Martin Di Caro / WAMU)

How regional rules affect bad driving habits

Do driving laws and culture in some states encourage bad driving habits such as speeding and distracted driving? This insurance study used an app to track these habits across the US.  (Tim Henderson / HuffingtonPost)

Technology can distract drivers, but it can also keep them safe

Phone manufacturers have technology that can sense when a phone is in a vehicle and disable features like texting or social media. So why are these safety features not more widespread? Phone companies are afraid of losing customers and federal agencies haven't made them mandatory.  (Angie Schmitt / StreetsBlog)

The University of Maryland moves closer to Metro passes for students

The University of Maryland is a step closer to having a subsidized Metro pass for students, after the Graduate Student Government adopted a resolution to open negotiations with WMATA.  (Carrie Snurr / Diamondback)

Metro shifts weekend shutdown to next week

The major shutdown planned this weekend for the tracks between Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle has been shifted to the following weekend - instead, trains will be single-tracking between the McPherson Square and Smithsonian stations after 8pm.  (Max Smith / WTOP)

Times Square gets with the times

After six years of work, Times Square has tripled its space for pedestrians and added a variety of benches to encourage people to gather.  While more improvements to the square are on the way, the redesigned focus on the pedestrian experience is already evident.  (Margaret Rhodes / Wired)

Don’t get bamboozled by the boondoggles

Nine “highway boondoggles” are set to waste $10 billion in taxpayer money across the US, says the Strong Towns group.  One of these boondoggles is the I-66 “Inside the Beltway” expansion in Arlington.  (Strong Towns)

Celebrate Earth Day and DC statehood together

Several DC government offices will be at a handful of Metro stations on Friday morning to hand out pollinator seed packets that will bloom in red and white to support statehood.  (DCMORCS / Twitter)