Traffic/Transit Briefs from Today's Washington Post

Today's Washington Post reports that a free taxi service aimed at reducing alcohol-related traffic accidents during the holiday season began Friday night in eastern Loudoun County and will continue through Jan. 1. The annual service, called SoberRide, is offered by the Washington Regional Alcohol Program and covers most of the D.C. area. Eastern Loudoun residents who have been drinking alcohol can call 800-200-TAXI (8294) to get a free ride home, provided the fare for the ride would not exceed $50. Program officials said it has provided 41,384 free cab rides in the Washington region since 1993.

Meanwhile, the Post reports that another section of Battlefield Parkway is open to traffic. The segment between Tavistock Drive and Kincaid Boulevard opened Wednesday. The parkway will extend to Route 7 after the section that starts at the end of Lawson Road is completed. Message boards at the new segment inform motorists about the changed traffic pattern. Construction of the parkway between Fort Evans and Edwards Ferry roads is scheduled for completion in the spring, and the section between Kincaid Boulevard and Route 7 is to be finished next fall. The final section of the parkway, between South King Street and the Dulles Greenway, is in the design phase.

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