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January 4, 11:30 AMDC Transportation ExaminerKatherine M. Hill

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Get There reported Friday that SmartTrip card sales have increased. Today's print edition details the transition from paper transfers to SmartTrip cards; the increase is likely attributed to the paper transfers which end today.

The Baltimore Sun detailed the ongoing parking situation, how DC plans to deal with it, and how Baltimore will also...deal:

Traffic in Baltimore will be affected by Obama's scheduled appearance in the city Jan. 17, as well as an influx of charter buses carrying people who couldn't find affordable rooms - or rooms at all - in Washington.

"We know that there are a lot of people staying in hotel rooms in Baltimore going to the inaugural," said Porcari, whose department has assembled a working group of about 20 high-level officials to plan for the event. He added that it is possible that additional inaugural events could be scheduled in the city.

But it is Washington that faces the most enormous challenge: how to accommodate a potential crowd in the millions lining Pennsylvania Avenue and crowding the Mall.

MARC is continuing on its doomful path to cutting service. MTA promised to hold hearings (I missed mine because I was in the hospital). Did anyone go? How did the meetings pan out?

Adrian Fenty named Gabe Klein as Transportation Head. Klein was a Zipcar executive and is credited with bringing SmartKarts to the city. DCist gives its approval of the appointment because Matthew Yglesias does, but that's not enough for me. (And what's with that anyway? Usually what Yglesias says goes, and I usually agree with Yglesias too on public transit matters, but, can't we ask for a little more people?) I'm not sure I'm totally on board for the appointment.