DR. G'S TIPS

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, which helps coordinate the region's transit and traffic relief programs, has elected D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson as its chairman for 2008. The vice chairmen will be Frederick County Commissioner Charles Jenkins and Falls Church City Council member David Snyder.

Wilson Bridge

If you're planning to sneak back late from an out-of-town Christmas, watch out for some potential delays at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge on Wednesday and Thursday nights between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. The drawbridges will be opened and closed several times for testing each night.

Holiday Lane Closures

The Maryland and Virginia transportation departments will suspend short-term lane closures for the holidays. In Virginia, the closures will end at noon tomorrow and resume at noon Wednesday. They will be suspended again from noon on New Year's Eve until noon Jan. 2. After Christmas, Maryland's lane closures will return Thursday and Friday. Then they will be suspended again until Jan. 2.

Metro's Holiday Schedule

Metrorail and Metrobus will operate on a regular weekday schedule Christmas Eve, a Sunday schedule on Christmas Day, a regular weekday schedule with a 2 a.m. closing on New Year's Eve and a Sunday schedule on New Year's Day.

Loading SmarTrip

The Internal Revenue Service is increasing the allowable size of the transportation fringe benefit to $115 on Jan. 1. Many people will be pushing their pre-tax payroll deductions up to that new limit and loading the amount directly onto their SmarTrip electronic fare cards. So remember that the limit on how much the cards will hold is $300.

Of course, many commuters will find the cards draining faster than they used to when the new Metrorail and parking fees take effect during the second week of January.

¿ For more commuter talk, go to The Carpool athttp://www.washingtonpost.com/carpool. For traffic information, go tohttp://www.washingtonpost.com/traffic.