Traffic

Maryland residents hoping to get a jump on the Memorial Day weekend and the traditional beginning of summer had a slow start Friday night. At 8 p.m., delays that earlier had extended for 18 miles had eased to just half of a mile for eastbound traffic, while there was no delay for westbound traffic, even though one of two lanes was temporarily closed. There were no reports of delays on Highway 50, which earlier in that evening had extended for six miles, to Maryland Hwy. 213.

Traffic is slow through downtown Baltimore as University of Maryland, Baltimore County holds graduation ceremonies at the 1st Mariner Arena . At mid-day, there was congestion on inbound Interstate 95, Interstate 395 and Russell Street, said Adrienne Barnes, a spokeswoman for the city Department of Transportation. "We're asking motorists to avoid the area, to use alternate routes if you don't have to travel in that stretch of downtown," she said. Barnes did not have information about how long the delays might persist.

A disabled vehicle in Baltimore County on Interstate 95 North prior to the MD 43 White Marsh Boulevard exit has closed the right northbound traffic lane at 8:47 a.m., according to the state Department of Transportation. A disabled vehicle in Baltimore County on Interstate 95 North prior to the MD 43 White Marsh Boulevard exit has closed the right northbound traffic lane at 8:47 a.m., according to the state Department of Transportation. Earlier incidents hampering traffic in Anne Arundel County have been cleared, DOT said.

Traffic flowed toward the end of rush hour on Wednesday without unscheduled road closures as the state Department of Transportation reported no incidents at 9:12 a.m. It marked an unusually quiet morning for local roads, as many thoroughfares remained incident-free, including on such collision hot spots as Interstate 695 in Baltimore County. Morning long delays on the commuter bus service continued through 9:10 a.m., according to the Maryland Transit Administration.

Annapolis Police are reminding residents to expect traffic congestion on Friday, May 24, due to the U.S. Naval Academy graduation ceremony. Commencement scheduled to be held at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium beginning at 10 a.m. President Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver the commencement address, the first time he has spoken to a graduating class of midshipmen since 2009. Roads affected may include U.S. Route 50, Rowe Boulevard, Farragut Road, Taylor Avenue, Cedar Park Road, Annapolis Street and Route 450.  Road congestion is expected to start at 6 a.m. and will peak between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., police said.

Last November, after months of campaigning - and millions spent on advertising for and against gambling expansion - Maryland voters decided the allure of live table games at local casinos was too enticing to ignore and Question 7 was approved by a narrow margin. On a recent Friday night, Maryland Live Casino - the state's largest and most extravagant casino, located in Hanover - appeared to be reaping the benefits of democracy. At around 9:30 p.m., the crowded and energized floor offered enough sights and sounds to keep eyes darting in all directions.

Amazon's hosting service has been approved for government use, a formerly obscure math lecturer has received hard-won praise for an incredible accomplishment, and Oklahoma City is working to dig out from a devastating tornado. Welcome to your online trends report for Tuesday, May 21, 2013. The massive tornado that hit the Oklahoma City region yesterday is believed to have killed at least 51 people, as of this writing. That number is expected to rise as more victims are dug out of the rubble.

On Memorial Day weekends, Kim Yates and Albert Kullman measure success by speed. Yates steers her bright yellow tow truck toward trouble, with the goal of getting disabled vehicles out of the roadway or back in business before traffic has time to clog. From his toll booth at the Bay Bridge, Kullman can make change for a $10 or $20 in under 12 seconds. "We want you on your way," Yates said. "Safely. " The summer season kicks off this weekend when 718,200 Marylanders are expected to leave town for the beach or mountains, 1.2 percent fewer than a year ago, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

One lane and one shoulder of westbound Route 100 in Anne Arundel County are closed at WB&A Road due to a crash that happened at 8:46 a.m., according to the State Highway Administration. A four-car crash on the outer loop of the Baltimore Beltway at Providence Road closed the left shoulder and left lane at 8:13 a.m., according to the State Highway Administration. Route 7B at Maryland Avenue in Cecil County remains closed in both directions due to a utility problem. The Maryland Transit Administration reported that Train 894 (7:10 a.m. Frederick departure)

A single-vehicle crash in Baltimore County on the outer loop of Interstate 695 past the Interstate 70 exit has closed the right traffic lane and the right traffic shoulder at 8:53 a.m., on Monday, according to the state Department of Transportation. Three outer loop traffic lanes and the left outer loop shoulder are moving unimpeded adjacent to the incident, DOT said. The Maryland Transit Administration has reported minor delays on the MARC train at 9 a.m.