Maryland's next DOT secretary: I'm 'a transportation guy, not a highway guy'

Forget that Gov. Larry Hogan has played up Pete Rahn’s road-building chops. The acting transportation secretary considers himself more than a highway paver.

In fact, Rahn decided to sign on with the Hogan administration specifically because he’d be overseeing a large number of operations as the head of a Maryland Department of Transportation that’s broader than its counterparts in other states.

“Maryland is unique in having the port, the airport, motor vehicles, motor transit, everything all within…

Wiener pitches modest upgrades to Bay Area's lagging late-night transit options (Video)

Few buses and zero trains ride through San Francisco’s streets and tunnels in the wee hours of the night when both low-wage workers and early-morning revelers try to get home.

Supervisor Scott Wiener and a group of business and community leaders announced a plan on Monday for the city and region can start to chip away at solving that problem, even if the ultimate goal of building a second transbay BART tube is decades away.

The late-night transportation plan calls on Bay Area bus operators like…

RadioShack gets approval to sell leases for 1,100 soon-to-close stores

Bankrupt electronics retailer RadioShack Corp. received court approval Friday to sell the leases to more than 1,100 stores that it will close by the end of this month.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brendan Shannon approved the bidding and auction process for the leases, which has been under way since the Fort Worth, Texas-based chain sought bankruptcy protection earlier this month. An auction will be held Wednesday for leases that draw multiple bids.

There’s plenty of interest among retailers in RadioShack’s…

Existing home sales fall to 9 month low

January is generally a slow month for housing sales, and last month was no exception.

The National Association of Realtors says existing home sales fell 4.9 percent to the lowest level since last April. January sales were still up 3.2 percent from January 2014.

“January housing data can be volatile because of seasonal influences, but low housing supply and the ongoing rise in home prices above the pace of inflation appeared to slow sales, despite interest rates remaining near historic lows,” said…

These Portland restaurateurs are poised to enter their salad days

On Friday, we brought you news of an unusual endeavor from food experts looking to tap a nascent lunchtime market.

It turns out the opening of the Garden Bar Salad Co.’s second site, in Old Town, might only be the beginning of something much bigger. Co-founders Ana Chaud and Chris Hanford have signed a lease for a third spot, at 410 S.W. Third Ave.

And, the duo says they’re looking to open 15 Garden Bar locations in five years.

“Choosing the right spot is critical to Garden Bar’s success,” said…