I don't see traffic fines as a substitute for a commuter tax.

If the Metro general manager, Paul Wiedefeld, says those extra hours for maintenance are necessary to help fix the system and make it safer, then that gets top priority.

Tolling plan is a wonderful opportunity for political pandering, and some candidates are taking full advantage of it.

Over the decades, you got various companies involved in making escalators and you've got Metro varying between internal repair crews and contractors. They're dealing with old equipment, which of course is prone to break down, and the repair crews don't even know what's busted or who made the busted parts till they tear the things open. Then sometimes they have to go back to the shop and manufacture parts, because the original maker has gone out of business.

Many Saturday mornings, I take 495 from Fairfax to Maryland in the morning, and I'm astonished by the speed of many of the drivers. Even when I drive 70 mph, I'm being passed by people driving 80-90+ at times.

I wish the dashboard indicators for lights were standardized throughout the auto industry.

I can't see a problem with imposing fines on drivers who violate traffic safety laws. The speed limit is the speed limit. A red light means stop. These things haven't changed since people got their driver's licenses.