News

Regional transportation news stories compiled by CommuterPage.com. Subscribe to a daily email with the most recent news, recent ACCS blog posts, and upcoming events. Every CommuterPage.com News email includes an "unsubscribe" link.

Blue Line Corridor Coalition aims to keep revitalization alive in this part of Maryland

A group of developers, elected leaders, business owners and residents came together Wednesday to celebrate the creation of the Blue Line Corridor Coalition. It’s a group that aims to bring together all the stakeholders focused on revitalizing the area closest to the D.C. line and make sure everyone is pulling in the same direction. Read more...
October 31, 2025, Maryland Matters

DC Streetcar service ending on H Street

DDOT said DC Streetcar service will end on March 31, 2026, encouraging people to look into other travel options to use after that date, including the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA’s) D20 Metrobus. Read more...
Brian Farrell, October 31, 2025, DC News Now

Task force recommends increasing Metro funding, starting at $460M

The DMV Moves task force approved a nonbinding framework yesterday (Wednesday) for increased, dedicated capital spending in support of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).  Read more...
Scott McCaffrey, October 30, 2025, FFXNow

Reflections on the National Week Without Driving

During the National Week Without Driving (September 29 to October 5, 2025), we invited public officials in DC and members of the public to share their experiences using non-car modes of transportation, highlighting what works well (or not) in our transportation system.  Read more...
Kai Hall, October 29, 2025, Greater Greater Washington

Study: Electric scooters boost rideshare trips but reduce bikeshare demand, raise new safety concerns

Using data from more than eight million rideshare trips, 750,000 bikeshare rides and detailed crime reports across 866 census tracts, they applied a statistical method known as “generalized synthetic control” to measure how e-scooter access changed travel and crime patterns compared to similar neighborhoods without them. Read more...
Phil Ciciora, October 27, 2025, University of Illinois

Alexandria City Council approves $513,000 for paratransit program after staff presents cost-saving measures

DOT Paratransit is a specialized transportation service for residents and visitors who cannot use fixed-route public transit due to a disability. To use the service, residents must submit an application to the paratransit coordinator. Read more...
Ryan Belmore, October 29, 2025, ALXNow

Proposed $460M funding plan promises streamlined Metro travel in DC, Maryland and Virginia

There are 14 separate transit operators in the region, which can make travel complicated. The DMV Moves plan aims to streamline that, creating one coordinated vision for regional transit across three states. Read more...
Kelly Vaughen, October 30, 2025, WUSA9

This weekend: Modified service on Green, Yellow, and Silver lines; single tracking on Orange and Green lines

Crews will conduct running rail renewal and third rail maintenance on the Orange Line and grout pad rehabilitation on the Green Line to improve reliability and provide a smoother ride for customers. Read more...
October 29, 2025, WMATA

Flying ferries could speed commutes across Potomac

In the D.C. area, it says it could take passengers from Georgetown to Reagan National Airport. It says the ferries would be faster and cheaper to operate than the water taxis that run from Alexandria, the Wharf and National Harbor. Read more...
Rachel Weiner, September 29, 2025, The Washington Post

CaBi sustains annual growth as September ridership dips

Members carried the system in September, accounting for 70.2% of all trips. E-bikes again proved dominant, as 64.1% of all rides were on the electric models rather than the classic red bikes. Read more...
Samuel Littauer, October 29, 2025, Greater Greater Washington

Officials celebrate $11M overhaul of bike and pedestrian infrastructure on Army Navy Drive

“By reducing congestion, expanding transportation options, and enhancing safety, this project helps everyone traveling through Arlington and beyond enjoy a more reliable and connected regional transportation network,” NVTA Chair Phyllis Randall said in a release. Read more...
Dan Egitto, October 29, 2025, ARLNow

Metro seeks funding boost to replace outdated rail signaling system, promises fewer delays

On Wednesday, a group of regional leaders called the DMVMoves Task Force plans to vote on a plan to help Metro get the extra funding the transit agency says it needs to replace the aging signaling system and to pay for other future priorities. Read more...
Tom Roussey, October 28, 2025, ABC7 News

More buses, fewer riders? Thoughts on the ridership vs coverage tradeoff

Generally, if transit is frequent, it has the potential to be useful to a lot of people. The less frequently it comes, the more it loses that opportunity. A focus on ridership means a focus on frequency, and frequency is what makes transit service useful to the most people.  Read more...
Joshua Woods, October 28, 2025, Planetizen

Feedback wanted on proposed Fairfax Connector service changes for 2026

A detour would be made permanent on the Fort Belvoir Express, while Route 983 would see more frequent service on weekends, shortening the gap between buses from an hour to anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour. Read more...
Jared Serre, October 28, 2025, FFXNow

DC Streetcar service to end in 2026, a year earlier than originally planned

In a statement, DDOT officials said the decision comes after years of low ridership. They also cited the system’s operational challenges because it ran in mixed traffic, and it also racked up higher costs to maintain and extend the system. Read more...
Diane Morris, October 29, 2025, WTOP

Metro officials say Red Line tech needs major upgrades

Metro compared the scale of the renovations needed on the Red Line to switching from an eight-track tape to a streaming service. Metro Chief Infrastructure Officer Theresa Impastato said they have to teach new employees the “old way” of operating the systems. Read more...
Adam Tuss, October 27, 2025, NBC4 Washington

We're spending more time stuck in traffic than ever

The average U.S. car commuter is spending a record 63 hours annually stuck in traffic amid changes in when and why we drive, a new report finds. Read more...
Alex Fitzpatrick, October 28, 2025, Axios

When carpool lanes cause mayhem

Carpool lanes may have originally been conceived as a way to mitigate highway widening by encouraging carpooling, particularly if buses use the corridor, which was the reason for the first two projects in Northern Virginia and New Jersey in 1969 and 1970, respectively. Read more...
Irvin Dawid, October 24, 2025, Planetizen

Traffic congestion is a housing and transit problem, not a highway problem

Thankfully, there are better ways to reduce congestion, like building infill, affordable housing near jobs, schools, and transit hubs, plus adding bus, walking, and rolling options. Read more...
October 23, 2025, Streetsblog USA

New West Alexandria Transit Center to open Nov. 2, replacing Landmark facility

The new facility represents a transportation goal first identified in the city’s 2008 Transportation Master Plan and reaffirmed in the 2021 Alexandria Mobility Plan. It will serve as a major transfer point for two future bus rapid transit routes, along with several local DASH and Metrobus routes. Read more...
Ryan Belmore, October 23, 2025, ALXNow

Bus to Dulles, new Manassas Park garage add to transport options

The $35.2 million structure adds 740 spaces to the 600 spaces already available in a parking lot next to the station. Parking in the garage is free, according to Lindsey Martin, a Virginia Railway Express spokeswoman.  Read more...
Jill Palermo, October 22, 2025, Prince William Times

Commuter rail industry, facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities, set to convene in DC

Railroad leaders know that measuring the value of commuter rail to the communities it serves provides for powerful messaging and allows agencies to foster important allies. Read more...
October 23, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

From crisis response to daily commutes: location data powers smarter cities

Gridlocked traffic, rising emissions and the need to keep people safe while maintaining data privacy all demand smarter solutions. As recognized experts in maps and traffic data, TomTom helps governments and city planners keep their communities moving and protected. Read more...
October 23, 2025, Planetizen

Virginia Railway Express opens new 740-space Manassas Park Station parking garage

Funding for the project was procured via contributions from I-66 Express Mobility Partners, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority , the I-66 Commuter Choice Program, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and the city of Manassas Park, Va.  Read more...
October 23, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

Metro myths: Why local opposition may not be the only reason for Georgetown's lack of Metro

There is one consensus that advocates and skeptics of a Georgetown metro stop can reach—accessibility to public transport is not easy to accomplish.  Read more...
William San Jose, October 22, 2025, The Georgetown Voice

For better public transit, we need better stories

Public transportation provides many often-overlooked benefits. We can do better at communicating the value of transit investments. We have good stories to tell. Read more...
Todd Litman, October 23, 2025, Planetizen

Nerd Alert: 'Subway Builder' video game lets you build your dream transit system

The game, Subway Builder, uses Census data to simulate ridership on Metro lines. Players can start with a budget or let their imagination go wild in a budget-free sandbox mode.  Read more...
Diana Ionescu, October 22, 2025, Planetizen

Metro to open at 5 a.m. for Marine Corps Marathon this Sunday

Metrorail will open at 5 a.m. to help thousands of runners get to the start line for the 50th Marine Corps Marathon, one of the region’s most celebrated annual events. Trains will run frequently throughout the day, making Metrorail the easiest way to get around and avoid traffic and road closures. Read more...
October 22, 2025, WMATA

FABB joins regional call for better bike/ped infrastructure

In Northern Virginia, over 5,000 miles of planned bike and pedestrian infrastructure remain unfunded—at a projected cost of $9 to $30 billion.  Read more...
October 21, 2025, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling

How remote work is reshaping commuting patterns in the D.C. metro area

As more companies adopt flexible work policies, the familiar rush hour congestion on D.C. roads and transit systems has noticeably eased. Recent data shows a significant drop in weekday ridership on Metro trains and buses compared to pre-pandemic levels.  Read more...
Partner Corner, October 21, 2025, Scene

Federal workers can now ride MARC for free during government shutdown

Any individual with a federal ID badge can ride for free by showing their badge to a MARC or Commuter Bus operator. The goal is for the free rides to ease some of the strain felt by the "essential" federal employees working without pay until the shutdown ends. Read more...
Maggie More, October 21, 2025, NBC4 Washington

What improvements should Metro make in the next 10 years?

Metro is looking at possibilities for its future, including an east-west rapid bus system with its own lanes.  Read more...
Adam Tuss, October 20, 2025, NBC4 Washington

Metro ridership drops as government shutdown drags on

Metro officials said that weekend numbers have remained steady, but overall ridership across both bus and rail has dropped about seven percent from last month’s weekday averages. Read more...
Liberty Simmons, October 20, 2025, DC News Now

Route 7 BRT planners welcome feedback at recent Culmore open house

BRT aims to provide speedier, more efficient service than a traditional bus system through improvements that could range from something small, like signal prioritization, to full-fledged, dedicated travel lanes. Read more...
Scott McCaffrey, October 20, 2025, FFXNow

Mode choice for urban mobility

In May 2025, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the replacement of the DC Streetcar with “next generation streetcars,” and the end of streetcar funding in two years. These “next generation streetcars” will be electric buses powered by the overhead lines currently being used by the fixed rail streetcar.  Read more...
Sohail Husain, October 17, 2025, Eno Center for Transportation

Wouldn't it be better to have more bike lanes?

Northern Virginia led the state with more than 31 miles of new bike infrastructure, and Fairfax County topped the list for new on-street bike lanes. That’s worth celebrating—but it’s a relatively tiny amount and a reminder of how far we still have to go. Read more...
October 19, 2025, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling

Advocates: The Senate's chance to ensure America's public transit future is now

Congress is in the process of writing America's next big transportation bill — and more than 100 organizations are demanding it deliver for transit. Read more...
Kea Wilson, October 20, 2025, Streetsblog USA

Maryland will provide free rail and commuter bus transit to federal workers during shutdown

“This is what Maryland does in times of crisis: We band together and we help each other out,” Gov. Moore said in a statement. “But while Maryland is mobilizing to ease the shutdown’s burden on our people, let’s be clear, no state can fill the gap created by the federal government.” Read more...
Jeffery Leon, October 19, 2025, WTOP