This past New Year’s Day brought new resolutions — and, in Virginia, new state vehicle inspection stickers.

The new stickers were first issued by inspection stations at the beginning of January, according to Virginia State Police.

The stickers are smaller, in response to complaints that the new sticker placement on the bottom left of the windshield, which started in 2018, resulted in reduced visibility for drivers. The stickers also come on a backing that reminds drivers to move over for emergency vehicles stopped along the side of the road.

More from a VSP press release:

The Virginia State Police Safety Division is rolling out a newly-designed vehicle safety approval inspection sticker that now includes a traffic safety message. Effective Jan. 1, 2019, all certified Virginia inspection stations began issuing the sticker which has been reduced from 2.75 inches in height to 2 inches and from 4 inches in length to 3 inches. The year of expiration is now permanently affixed to the right side of the sticker, with the only insert being the month of expiration. Even though the overall size has been reduced, the month has been enlarged to provide better visibility.

“The change in size is in response to the feedback State Police received from Virginians following the sticker’s relocation to the bottom left corner of the windshield in 2018,” said Captain R.C. Maxey Jr., Virginia State Police Safety Division Commander. “We heard from a number of motorists who had difficulty seeing around the sticker, so we worked to reduce its size to slightly smaller than the average credit card.”

The sticker’s security features have also been enhanced in order to discourage and prevent unauthorized removal, tampering and counterfeit practices. The changes in size and design do not apply to motorcycle or trailer safety inspection stickers. Vehicle rejection stickers also remain unchanged.

Another new feature of the inspection sticker enables State Police to reach an estimated 8.2 million motorists annually with a reminder about Virginia’s “Move Over” law. This portion of the sticker is not for display on the front windshield. Instead, it is detached by the inspector and provided to the customer. Virginia’s “Move Over” law requires motorists to move over a lane when approaching an emergency vehicle stopped alongside the road. If unable to move over, then drivers are required to cautiously pass the emergency vehicle. The law applies to all vehicles equipped with red, blue and amber lights.

The placement of the sticker was changed in 2018 from the center of the windshield to the bottom, left corner due to safety concerns related to automotive innovations in recent years. The center placement of the sticker could prevent a vehicle’s crash avoidance system from operating properly.

A vehicle caught on fire and stopped two lanes of traffic on the Beltway near Tysons this afternoon.

The burning car was stuck in the left lane of the southbound side of the Beltway near the Dulles Toll Road.

The fire occurred around 1 p.m. and was the scene was cleared by 2 p.m. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

#Tysons Outer Loop near Dulles Toll Rd, vehicle fire along the left side #vatraffic #dctraffic pic.twitter.com/X1OcrdU08m

— Jerry Booth (@TrafficBooth) December 21, 2018

#Tysons Outer Loop near the Dulles Toll Rd, vehicle fire is out. 2 right lanes get by in the main lanes. Single file left in the EZ Pass lanes #vatraffic #dctraffic https://t.co/nb3VFR1abs

— WTOP Traffic (@WTOPtraffic) December 21, 2018

Photo via Twitter

After an “unexpected delay,” the Virginia Tire and Auto state at 141 Maple Ave in Vienna is scheduled to open early next year.

The Virginia Tire and Auto was originally scheduled to open in October, but a delay pushed the grand opening back. An employee at Virginia Tire and Auto confirmed that the new opening was scheduled for early January but could not comment on what had caused the delay.

The dealership has been expanding recently, with two new locations opening in Richmond and Herndon. The new locations will bring the total number of dealership locations to 16.

The location had previously operated for 30 years as Merchant’s Tire & Auto Center, but had been renovated with new equipment like new in-ground lifts. The Vienna Virginia Tire and Auto will have nine bays available for mechanical work.

The new Virginia Tire and Auto is near the center of Maple Avenue, located between the newly opened Nothing Bundt Cakes and Maple Ave Restaurant, recently featured as one of Northern Virginia’s Top 50 restaurants.

Developers seeking an alternative to the increasingly built-up Greensboro Metro station might be looking one stop north.

Dominion Square, an 18-acre site adjacent to the Spring Hill Metro station, is for sale, as first reported by the Washington Business Journal. The site, which encompasses portions of two existing redevelopment plans, has already been approved for 3.6 million square feet of mixed-use development, according to a press release (below).

Newmark Knight Frank, a real estate advisory firm, has been selected to help market the site.

The land is currently occupied by auto showrooms and sale lots, including Sheehy Infiniti of Tysons, Honda of Tysons Corner, Priority Mazda and Priority Nissan. The dealerships currently have leases that can be terminated to make way for the development when the project is ready to start construction.

More from the press release:

Newmark Knight Frank (NKF) has announced it has been selected as the exclusive advisor for the sale of Dominion Square in Tysons, VA. The 18-acre site is located directly adjacent to the Spring Hill Metro Station, currently the first eastbound stop on the Silver Line.

The site is approved for 3.6 million square feet of mixed-use development, comprises three separate parcels and is unaffiliated with a specific developer. The property includes terminable leases for four existing car dealership sites, offering built-in income and flexibility allowing investors to react strategically to demand.

Dominion Square represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape one of the DC metro area’s premier submarkets. Located at the intersection of the I-495 Beltway and the Dulles Toll Road, Tysons is a major economic and employment hub,” explained Mark Anstine, executive managing director of land services at NKF. “With the ongoing construction of the Silver Line slated to connect Dulles Airport to downtown Washington, DC in 2020, the area boasts a perfect combination of mass transit, new urbanized residential and retail development, drawing significant interest from regional and national companies.”

With approval now in place for more than 2 million square feet of office, 1.1 million square feet of residential, 185,000 square feet of retail and a 205,000-square-foot hotel, Dominion Square is poised to become an urbanized and amenitized scene where employees can live and play where they work. Since Tysons is the 12th  largest office market in the United States headquartering numerous companies–including many of the Fortune 500, it boasts one of the country’s most highly-educated and diverse workforces.

Map via Google Maps

Tysons Car Dealership Properties for Sale —  “Perhaps the largest concentration of vehicle dealerships in Tysons is on the market. McLean-based Capital Automotive has retained Newmark Knight Frank Capital Markets to sell a large portion of Dominion Square, its long-planned redevelopment of a collection of dealerships adjacent to the Spring Hill Metro station.” [Washington Business Journal]

Unusual Bike Theft Near Vienna Metro — Fairfax County Police investigated a burglary at a townhouse development not far from the Vienna Metro station last week. Police say someone rummaged through an unlocked car and used a garage door opener to break into a house and steal a bike. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Overeager Trash Collector Cited in Vienna — From the Town of Vienna Police Department’s crime blotter: “While on routine patrol Sgt. Ruddy observed a trash truck emptying dumpsters prior to 7:00 a.m. Sgt. Ruddy made contact with the driver and issued him a summons to the 49-year-old man from Dartford Place in Bristow, Virginia charging Noise Violation. The man was released on his signature.” [Town of Vienna]

The following article excerpt is from our content sharing partner, FairfaxNews.com.

With the possible exception of I-66 tolls, the Fairfax County property tax on cars is perhaps the most loathed tax in these parts. Car owners pay anywhere from a few to thousands of dollars, depending on the age and book value of their car or truck. Businesses pay an even steeper tax.

For reasons perhaps best not explored, the tax applies only in Northern Virginia, where residents also pay some of the highest property taxes in the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as the usual array of gas taxes, license plate fees, etc.

For those who have not opened their mail recently, take note: payment is due Friday, Oct. 5.

…Read more at FairfaxNews.com