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.

How millions for transit, walking, and biking could vanish on Sept. 30

According to a recent analysis by Transportation for America, funding for at least 13 competitive federal transportation programs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is set to expire Sept. 30 unless the federal Department of Transportation has signed a legal contract obligating the federal government to actually release their awarded funds. Read more...
Kea Wilson, September 15, 2025, Streetsblog USA

Ride the rails, support a cause at 5th annual Tour de VRE

The 5th Annual Tour de VRE rolls out on Saturday, October 4, and offers cyclists a scenic tour along the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Manassas Line, all in support of the Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Foundation. Read more...
September 14, 2025, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling

Weekend track work: Buses replace Red Line trains between Union Station and Rhode Island Av Sept. 20-21

At Judiciary Square only, one track will be closed to customers, and trains will arrive every 16 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes after 9:30 p.m. on the track available to customers. As an alternative, customers can board at nearby Gallery Place for a shorter wait time. Read more...
September 12, 2025, WMATA

Prince George's County bus routes changing Sunday as part of Metro's Better Bus initiative

Metro's new bus network launched in June and the first changes to Prince George's County stops start on Sunday. Routes with changes include the P14, P32, P33, P35, P40, P60, P61, P62, and P72. Read more...
September 13, 2025, ABC7 News

Metrobus service improvements in Prince George's County begin Sunday

This first round of changes, affecting routes serving Prince George's County, Maryland, will be followed by additional changes across the region in December. Routes with changes include the P14, P32, P33, P35, P40, P60, P61, P62, and P72. Read more...
September 12, 2025, WMATA

Metro on pace for 'lowest crime year ever,' says GM

The biggest drop was in car thefts at stations, which were down nearly 60%. Larceny cases fell by 33%, while robbery and assault each dropped by more than 20%. This continues a downward trend that began in 2023, with overall crime now down 50% compared to two years ago. Read more...
Neal Augenstein, September 12, 2025, WTOP

Metro sees drop in on-time performances for bus and trains in DC

At Thursday’s meeting, Metro General Manager Randy Clarke told the board Metro is on pace for its lowest year for crime since transit police began keeping records about 25 years ago. Read more...
Tom Roussey, September 11, 2025, ABC7 News

Alexandria school board expresses caution on DASH transit proposal

The board also reviewed evaluation criteria for assessing the proposal, including rubrics examining cost savings, safety improvements, vehicle reduction for climate goals, and equitable access to transportation. Read more...
Ryan Belmore, September 11, 2025, ALXNow

Ride for a Cause: Join the Tour de Midnight

This year, EFVA is hosting a Northern Virginia satellite ride right here in Vienna, giving our local cycling community an opportunity to ride together for a meaningful cause. Read more...
September 10, 2025, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling

Exclusive: Nationwide study finds micromobility is replacing car trips across US

In a country once dominated by cars, shared micromobility in the U.S. has become a practical and often essential part of daily life for millions of people, making commuting and errands faster—and sometimes even possible at all. Read more...
Athena Browning, September 10, 2025, Zag Daily

Weekend roadwork scheduled on troublesome Beltway corridor that could lead to improvements

The Virginia Department of Transportation announced lane and ramp closures will begin Friday at 9 p.m. and continue until 9 a.m. Sunday on the northbound lanes of the Capital Beltway between Leesburg Pike and the George Washington Parkway. Read more...
Thomas Robertson, September 11, 2025, WTOP

Expert: Improving Arlington's transportation means facing deep-rooted challenges

Efforts now underway in Arlington are helping to break a century-old national focus on the automobile as primary, and sometimes lone, transportation option, said Henry Grabar, author of “Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.” Read more...
Scott McCaffrey, September 11, 2025, ARLNow

Hampton Roads Transit eyes on-demand microtransit to fix bus driver shortage

At a Portsmouth Public Works session on Monday, HRT officials presented their System Optimization Plan, a long-term strategy to increase ridership and ensure more reliable transportation, particularly in low-performing service areas. Read more...
Kamilah Williams, September 10, 2025, News WKTR

N. Va. leaders fear potential changes could reduce state funding for region's transit

The details of the proposed revisions are complex, but the possibility exists that the region’s local bus networks — including Fairfax Connector and Fairfax City’s CUE buses — could see a reduction in state funding starting in fiscal year 2028. Read more...
Scott McCaffrey, September 9, 2025, FFXNow

Budgeting for the bus

The $6.8 million budget for Zero Fare, approved in June, comes from last year’s GRTC budget surplus, a federal grant for projects that mitigate congestion and improve air quality, money from ad revenue and local donations, and a small contribution from Virginia Commonwealth University. Read more...
Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza, September 9, 2025, Richmond Magazine

School board to discuss DASH bus proposal for ACHS students Thursday

The proposal comes after City Council members Abdel Elnoubi and Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley directed staff in January to study using Alexandria’s public transit system for high school transportation. Read more...
Ryan Belmore, September 10, 2025, ALXNow

Building a culture of traffic safety

A key element of the city’s efforts has been the use of automated enforcement solutions: camera systems that detect and capture traffic violations related to speed, red lights, school buses, work zones and more. Read more...
September 9, 2025, Government Technology

VRE set to welcome 1 millionth rider this October, vice mayor announces

Virginia Railway Express will reach its 1 millionth rider this October, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley announced during Tuesday night’s Alexandria City Council meeting. “This is a big deal for us,” Bagley said during her report to council. “It really shows how important VRE is to our area’s transportation system.” Read more...
Ryan Belmore, September 10, 2025, ALXNow

A look inside the new factory where Metro train cars are being built

The factory only had a model of a Metro 8000-series train, with the new brown color scheme unveiled late last month. The trains aren’t set to be in service until 2028, when they will replace the 1980s-built 3000s. Read more...
Rachel Weiner, September 10, 2025, The Washington Post

How to improve trail access, with transit

In addition to the many logistical or environmental reasons, such as trailhead overcrowding, Transit to Trails service can help to improve equitable access to the outdoors. Read more...
Spencer Ainsworth, September 9, 2025, Greater Greater Washington

Crime on Metro is down; new data shows increasing issues with bus, rail service

Towards the end of the recent fiscal year, in June, on-time performance fell sharply for Metrorail riders. Metro said the problem stemmed in large part from issues with its aging signaling system.  Read more...
Tom Roussey, September 8, 2025, ABC7 News

The war on ... walking and biking?

Active transportation advocates constantly get accused of waging a "war on cars." But when you look around our communities, it sure looks more like we’re in the middle of a war on walking and biking — and the wrong side is winning. Read more...
September 9, 2025, Streetsblog USA

US Metro system to gain new fleet as $100M Hitachi factory opens in Hagerstown

“As a daily Metro rider myself, I'm very excited, because these vehicles are going to allow us to replace the 3000 series trains that have been around since the early 80s," said Randy Clarke, the general manager and CEO of WMATA.  Read more...
Kelly Vaughen, September 8, 2025, WUSA9

Metro sees big gains in safety and ridership over the past year, with car thefts down 60%

Metro credits the improvement to several key efforts, which include more visible police and staff on trains and platforms, expanded use of surveillance cameras to solve cases and data-driven deployment of officers.  Read more...
Mike Murillo, September 8, 2025, WTOP

Unlocking the power of predictive AI for safer bus operations

For bus operators — from public transit agencies to private motorcoach, shuttle services, and K-12 school buses — predictive AI offers an opportunity to enhance safety, optimize operations, and prepare for a more efficient future. Read more...
Dr. Stefan Heck, September 7, 2025, Busline

Upcoming track work: Buses replace trains between Foggy Bottom, and Pentagon on Blue Line Foggy Bottom and Courthouse on Orange and Silver lines Sept. 27-28

There will be no Blue Line train service at Pentagon, Pentagon City, and Crystal City, however Yellow Line service will be available. Crews will be working to replace fasteners and anchors as well as performing maintenance on the third rail and rail renewal to ensure reliability.  Read more...
September 5, 2025, WMATA

APTA's 2025 fact book highlights five consecutive years of ridership growth

APTA also notes that public transit is a $93.4 billion industry, employing more than 430,000 people directly while also supporting millions of private sector jobs as well. Read more...
September 5, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

Maryland releases draft of $21.5B, six-year transportation capital budget

The draft budget outlines the MD DOT’s focus on data-driven investments to advance the state’s transportation goals and includes key investments in transit, state highway network improvements, aviation and port projects and local transportation support. Read more...
Liz Carey, September 4, 2025, Transportation Today

The urgent need for sustainable funding in the D.C. Metro system

Without sustainable funding, the Metro risks exacerbating inequality, stifling job growth, and undermining the very infrastructure that binds the region together. Read more...
Victor Hale, September 4, 2025, AInvest

Urban mobility as a system: from car-centric to human-centered cities

This shift toward systemic thinking marks a turning point in urban planning since the advent of the automobile itself. For over a century, cities bent their form to accommodate vehicles - building freeways that sliced through neighborhoods and streets that privileged traffic over tree canopy and walkability.  Read more...
Ankitha Gattupalli, September 1, 2025, Arch Daily

Metro's asking, let's answer!

More biking. Less driving. A better commute. That’s the promise of a well-connected, multimodal transportation system—and we need your help to make it a reality. Read more...
September 3, 2025, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling

Region's new transportation plan fails to meet climate goals

It’s clear that under the proposed plan, even a more rapid switch to electric vehicles won’t be enough to meet our emissions reduction targets. The plan does too little to foster the more walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly communities needed to curb emissions from vehicles. Read more...
Bill Pugh, September 3, 2025, Greater Greater Washington

Maryland considers allowing e-bikes on all state trails

Maryland officials say they recognize the number of e-bikes has exploded in recent years and they are just trying to give everyone a space to use them. Read more...
Adam Tuss, September 3, 2025, NBC4 Washington

Maryland awards $1.2M in rail grants to improve safety, reliability

The grant program supports projects that preserve rail corridors, improve safety and reliability of freight rail operations and foster the growth of businesses that depend on rail service.  Read more...
Melina Druga, September 2, 2025, Transportation Today

Five trips to trails by transit

The 35% of DC’s population that is car-free shouldn’t have to jump through hoops and pore over timetables in order to access parks and trails beyond metropolitan DC. Transit to Trails service should be simple, direct, and accessible to all. Read more...
Spencer Ainsworth, September 2, 2025, Greater Greater Washington

Arlington seeks replacement for 'creaky' elevator at Courthouse Metro

The Courthouse Metro station opened in 1979 and the lone elevator taking riders from street level to the Metro station is, in the words of one county staffer, “creaky.” Still, it’s a vital link for riders who cannot use escalators. Read more...
Scott McCaffrey, September 2, 2025, ARLNow