lowell melser is at the scene in cockeysville. >> it looks a lot different than it did yesterday. there is still a lot of work to be done. crews were busy assessing the damage and temporarily repairing the line. investigators were out here as well. police are leaning towards blaming the driver of the tractor-trailer truck that was involved, who we are learning more about tonight. a tough job fort technicians and investigators as they go over the damage left behind after tuesday's crash involving allied rail train and an 18 wheeler. technicians will have to repair the overhead lines and two concrete pillars that will hold a lines in place. one will take at least a week to repair, meeting further in delays for riders. here is what it looked like

tuesday. police say the crash when something like this. the 18 wheeler driven by mark zurich was making a right turn over the light rail tracks into the mccormick facility on gilroy erode when a train operated by deborah morton slammed into it, splitting the truck in half. morton suffered serious injuries to her legs and was airlifted to shock trauma. war zurich was not injured, but we have learned he was employed by a trucking company from lowell, maryland. according to court documents it from may 2009, he was found guilty of a citation for parts and accessories not in save operating condition on the same type of truck involved in tuesday's crash. >> this is the truck that is holding up the line here.

crews out here on the scene are telling me it could be at least 0 week before service is restored. the public information office would not tell us when that service would be recruited. -- when that service would be restored. nothing has been made official. morton is in serious but stable condition tonight at shock trauma. we are live in cockeysville tonight. >> tuesday's crash continues to affect writers. service is suspended north of the timonium road, making for a hectic commute. >> the shuttle bus service was

put in place to help commuters wednesday morning following tuesday morning's train crash on gilroy road. the light rail operator was the only one injured. >> the way the trailer was on top of the car and light rail off the track, i am surprised one got hurt. >> shuttle buses will carry passengers out to the light rail and taken to points north. >> i just got off work and i had to take the bus. >> some commuters complained about time-consuming trips. >> we are usually at north avenue by now. we are behind. text not everyone found the shuttles to be a pain. >> i believe it is doing what needs to do.

>> folks are hoping that thursday morning's commute will be a lot easier. >> there is continuing coverage of that collision on our website. for a slide show and to see how it affects the light rail schedule, 02 -- go to wbaltv.com. >> we have live team coverage on the cuts that would include nearly 300 jobs on the police and fire departments. jayne miller joins us live from city hall. >> mayor stephanie rawlings- blake says it is the worst budget crisis in the city and 19 years. the plan detail today is one she hopes the city will not have to deal with. the budget crisis is so severe, even police and fire department feel the pain.

>> in this fiscal crisis, they cannot go untouched. >> these cuts are particularly tough. >> andrew klein delivered the preliminary budget plan this morning. it is intended to close the budget deficit, the result of a drop in state highway funds, income tax revenues, an exploding engine of. english is the layoffs of more than 600 city employees. 120 in the police department, 91 in the var department. seven city fire houses were closed. 29 rec centers would close. >> no one has been spare, no agency, and the budget reflects that. >> this is not the plan and the mayor wants. she will present a different one in three weeks, including new proposals to raise the million dollars in new revenues. translation, new taxes and fees.

but not touching the property tax. >> i would not prefer to increase the property tax. >> the new plant will include layoffs and cuts, but will restored some of the public safety cuts. >> if there are services that may not be effective and efficient, they are not getting funded. >> that is the point of the process. >> the new budget plan has set off a game show like climate of ideas to raise revenue. kate amara has more on that. >> the budget has people curious about it. it should go online and read it. we put a link to it on our website, wbaltv.com. the city's problems are a lot like everyone else's. you cannot even find a part-time

job if you wanted one to make extra money. that means you cannot fix the roof, paint your house, or take all the take a vacation. >> the preakness parade is getting the ax. baltimore city cannot afford to plan any new trees next year. the mayor does not like it either. >> none of us are scared. in order to be balanced, the cuts that are reflected are devastating. >> in her spending plan, many core services are reduced or cut completely. >> bulk trash is on the block. the collection of bulk trash is going to be cut out of the budget, which we cannot tolerate. >> 11% means are we going to be

able to pick up the carcasses of the dead animals in the street? >> the mayor has a plan b. city council members tell us they are taking about eighth simulated slot machine bill, a bottle tax, and the council president wants a told ruttollbn 83. >> we are told that idea is legally impossible. >> if we go through and do this without increasing any of these other revenue enhancements, the fact is it will be devastating and will cripple city government. >> the mayor will present her alternative budget plan with the new revenue sources on april 12. >> in annapolis, legislating -- legislation banning the use of

hand-held telephones caught driving barely passed today. >> the debate bordered on the absurd, as senators used props and gestures to make their case. >> now i have my hands back on the wheel. >> i have a cell phone, and he is a phone. you use it to call people, and you also use it for the text. i cannot take a picture or anything. >> putting your hands here is not what is causing the problems. if it were, then we would have to ban resting your arm on the window. how many of you have put your arm around your girlfriend at some point? i guarantee you, if he were distracted -- >> the underlying argument for and against legislation outlawing using a hand-held cell

phone while driving were sincerely rooted in safety. >> protection is a probable cause perricos law enforcement will have expanded powers to pull them over for additional questioning. >> the ban would not apply in emergency circumstances. drivers would be allowed to use and handsfree device. first-time offenders place at $100 fine. the court would waive the fine if the person prove they have acquired and is free device or the built-in feature in the vehicle. repeat offenders will be fined $250. opponents charge the law takes away ordinary and routine things perform daily by millions of people. >> they are using them for items like gps. they applaud the men, they use

their ipod, and under the bill, can you tell me what i can do with my hands? you do not need a study to teach common sense. >> it is prevent it. it is about safety. >> the senate also passed a bill outlawing watching tv while driving. meanwhile, the house has a similar cellphone ban on driving bill, but a house committee has that on hold. >> stay with us. there is more news ahead. >> what the health insurance reform bill means for maryland. new at 6. >> we a seen a lot of sunshine in the area today, but there is rain on the hd.org. we will have a seven-day

forecast coming up.

>> health insurance reform will be handled largely at the state level. what does that mean for maryland? governor o'malley kicked off the state's efforts to reform. >> unlike some other states, governor o'malley says maryland will embrace health insurance reform. he says it will bring lower-cost fall and hundreds of thousands of marylanders who were uninsured will have coverage. >> it will touch some families for generations to come. >> the president's signature and the finalization of health insurance reform in washington means big changes are coming. >> it will not be denied coverage because of a pre- existing condition. it is going to be a liberating piece of legislation, also for our economy. next governor o'malley announced

a coordinating council headed by lt. governor anthony brown. >> there still is a lot of work yet to do. states will be the drivers in what reform really looks like. staysail in demand the federal standards and regulations -- states will implement the federal standards and regulations. it will require regulatory and in been as credit card. >> the announcement was states in front of the and arrival medical center for good reason. they expect major changes here and at every maryland emergency room. >> hopefully the emergency room will not be used as a primary care facility. >> governor o'malley says he knows this will be a campaign issue, but he expected to be positive here. >> having analyzed it, i know it is going to help our bottom line

as a state. we are already spending in wasting a lot of money that we will no longer have to spend an ways because we will have a system that actually covers a lot of the uncompensated care that we are currently paying for. >> the effort to get ready for this massive change is huge in scope. will maryland go before the 24 -- 2014 start? >> mild temperatures and dry weather across the mid-atlantic, but there'll be some changes coming in beginning tomorrow night. 67 at the inner harbor, 10 degrees above the normal high for the baltimore area. bwi marshall peake at 65 this morning. the record low goes back to 1896.

appalling account this morning showed tree pollen at 188, considered high for this time of year. >> my zero temperatures down to colombia and howard county. southern pennsylvania and northern sections of baltimore county dropping into the upper 50's. you can see a blanket of cloudiness over that area by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. we will see a gradual increase through the night. winds gusting to 25-30 miles an hour. that will be down closer to 5 miles an hour as we head toward dawn tomorrow. cooler air coming out of central canada. a chilly rain will develop tomorrow afternoon into friday.

anywhere up to 15 inches fell down in areas for colorado springs. it looks like it will fall apart as it drifts out into the texas panhandle. mostly a wet weather pattern beginning tomorrow night. rain will likely slow down at the friday morning rush hour. it is possible that a little wet snow or sleet could may send before the rain tapers off. dry, a chilly weather present to start the weekend. 64-69 for thursday, south wince 6 to 12. after sunset, a chance for rain. it made it into garrard county by lunchtime tomorrow. the rain will get there earlier in the mountains.

showers in the evening around st. michaels and cambridge. dry weather at ocean city tomorrow. small craft advisory on the bay tomorrow. tomorrow night and friday, some wet weather and chilly air temperatures friday, just 49 for the high. even with wall-to-wall sunshine on saturday, high schools struggled to hit 50. another round of rain coming in sunday afternoon to monday morning. >> even in spring training, you get the feeling of importance the pitcher will carry. he did not have much support today, a consistent problem for the orioles. the orioles did score first. felix comes around, 1-0 orioles.

he doubles into the corner at right field. all tied at 2 a piece. phillippi lopez delivered the go-ahead run for the cardinals. 13 days and counting until opening day. dwight gooden had well- publicized problems with drugs and alcohol during his days in new york. police in franklin lakes new jersey have charged him with driving under the influence of drugs and leaving the scene of an auto accident. he also faces child endangerment charges because he had a job with him in the car when he got into a to a car accident last night and then fled the scene. during a field goal or extra point, the defensive team cannot put a player directly over the

top of the offensive center. owners adopted a rule to protect all carriers who lose their helmet in the course of play. as a and as a helen of all, -- as soon as the helmet comes off. the rule previously applied to contact only with defenseless receivers. your mom probably total that people will judge you by the company you keep. the ec authorities have interviewed some about the chiropractor they had visited. the director was arrested yesterday and charged with illegally selling steroids. all three players say they were never offered steroids. tom will be back with the changing forecast, straight

ahead.

>> the mayor's preliminary budget affects every city agency, including potential layoffs in the police and fire departments. details on the proposed cuts and how the changes could affect city recreation centers. new details on the accident in cockeysville involving a light rai

fill out and mail back the census today. because your census answers are more than just answers. they're the first step toward a happier, healthier community. we can't move forward until you mail it back. 2010 census.

>> we have some rain on the way to mall night into friday. 67 degrees tamara as the clouds taken up during the day. friday is a chilly wind and could in with some wet snow are sleet. sunshine for saturday and 50 degrees. chance for showers again sunday night into monday. saturday is very significant. it is the opening of trout season. but how could we forget? >> nbc nightly news is coming your weight next. we will see you back here at 11.