Breakfast links: Know your rights
Public or private?
Are some sidewalks in Silver Spring actually private property? That’s the question in a free speech case where a man was cited and then banned from part of downtown Silver Spring. It’s not the first time a civil liberty issue has arisen at this spot. (Gazette, Ben Ross) (Tip: Ben Ross)
Legal video
Montgomery County sheriffs arrested one man for taking a video of a traffic stop even though what he was doing was almost certainly legal. (DCist)
How downtown is like Downton
How are parking minimums like the Downton Abbey argument between Lord Grantham and Matthew Crawley over modernizing the estate’s farming? Richard Layman draws the connection. (RPUS)
Sequestration looms
Many jobs in the Washington area will be at risk if sequestration goes into effect Friday, and Metro could lose significant ridership. (Examiner, Post)
Fairfax trail closed a year
VDOT has now closed part of the Fairfax County Parkway Trail for nearly a year. It was supposed to reopen by the end of 2012, but remains closed and officials are mum about a new opening date or temporary detour. (FABB)
A studio in Fairfax
Fairfax County is looking to encourage affordable studio apartments for low-income residents. Until now, no developer has built an all-studio apartment building in Fairfax. (Fairfax Times)
What’s in a license plate?
DC license plates will now say “District of Columbia” instead of “Washington, DC” thanks to an order from Mayor Gray. (Post, Pam J) (Tip: Pam J)
And…
One 5A bus was involved in a crash on I-66 that sent 4 to the hospital. (Post) … The Silver Spring Transit Center portion of the Metropolitan Branch Trail opens. (Patch) … Think your place is small? Check out these Hong Kong apartments. (Atlantic Cities)