Morning Read: O'Malley Designates $280 Million to Purple Line

Gov. Martin O’Malley signed Maryland’s increased gas tax into law Thursday, and announced $1.2 billion of new road and transit projects that would be built with the new revenue.

Among the projects: $280 million for the final design of the Purple Line that would link Bethesda and New Carrollton, and $100 million for design of a rapid bus line along I-270 called the Corridor Cities Transitway.

He also designated $100 million for a Red Line in Baltimore.

Read the full list of initial transit projects here.

IN OTHER NEWS:

* A new language immersion high school is nearing approval in D.C. (Washington Examiner)

* William and Sophia top the list of most popular baby names in D.C. in 2012. (Washington City Paper)

* Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is launching an initiative to match more than 1,000 children in foster care with adoptive parents. (Associated Press)

* Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli traveled to Southwest Virginia Thursday and emphasized the importance of coal. (Virginian-Pilot)

* Polling the polls: A round up of the latest polling results of the Virginia gubernatorial race. (Roanoke Times)

* In the crowded Virginia Republican lieutenant governor field, style may trump substance as the candidate is chosen at this weekend’s convention. (Washington Times)

* Maryland’s state universities announced a three-percent tuition hike for in-state undergraduate tuition, the same increase for the past three years. (Washington Examiner)

* A federal appeals court on Wednesday unsealed a recent opinion involving the ongoing investigation into D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s 2010 campaign. (Washington Post)

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