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.

Transit riders share stories at community-building event ahead of 'Week Without Driving'

While hearing stories about transit struggles was validating for many in the crowd, the folks they were meant for weren’t in attendance.  Read more...
Jonathan Maus, August 26, 2025, Bike Portland

Transit agencies expand free and discounted passes for students as new academic year begins

The programs aim to remove transportation barriers to education. Read more...
Brandon Lewis, August 25, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

Plan for road diet with bike lanes on Huntington Avenue stalls

The project, which was a joint effort of Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT), has stalled after multiple years of planning, both agencies told FFXnow. Read more...
Jared Serre, August 25, 2025, FFXNow

The Metro U Pop-Up shop is now open through Sept. 12

Take the Blue, Orange, Silver, Green, or Yellow lines to L'Enfant Plaza and take Exit B. Cross the street and enter Metro's headquarters to get into the shop.  Read more...
August 22, 2025, WMATA

Adventure Cycling adds NoVa Loop to Short Routes collection

The NoVa Loop showcases some of Northern Virginia’s best trails, riverside paths, and bike-friendly roads in a 68.5-mile adventure connecting Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria, and D.C. Read more...
August 24, 2025, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling

Bike bus + Pop up lane = A better way to get back to School (and advocate)

As America's roads grow more dangerous for people on two wheels, it's not hard to see why parents need a little encouragement to get their kids in the saddle — and a little help understanding why bike infrastructure is a public good worth investing in. Read more...
Kea Wilson, August 25, 2025, Streetsblog USA

DC ranked among top 10 safest US cities for pedestrians

The "Safest & Most Dangerous Cities for Pedestrians in 2025" report revealed the District had 2.95 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people. D.C. also had a "Walk Score" of 98. The report noted that the dense urban planning and extensive transit systems enhanced pedestrian safety. Read more...
August 24, 2025, Fox Baltimore

Amtrak debuts NextGen Acela trains Aug. 28 with stops in NYC, Boston and Washington, D.C.

The rollout begins Thursday, Aug. 28, and continues through 2027, when 28 NextGen trains will be on the rails. Read more...
Thomas C. Zambito, August 22, 2025, lohud

Metro is bringing back its brown color scheme

Brown is, in many ways, Metro’s official (if potentially unloved) color. Trash cans, fare gates, pylons, and most of the system’s generations of railcars have either been fully brown or heavily feature the color.  Read more...
Martin Austermuhle, August 21, 2025, The 51st

Maryland Transit Administration launches awareness campaign for its code of conduct

"We are serious about ensuring the safety of our riders and employees," said Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold. "Most people ride with respect every day. The rider code of conduct is about making sure everyone can count on a safe transit experience.”   Read more...
August 21, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

Metro riders have until Friday to vote on new train designs

The deadline is Friday, Aug. 22, for the public to vote for one of three proposed designs for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s upcoming 8000-series rail fleet. Read more...
James Cullum, August 21, 2025, ALXNow

The happiest cities in the world are also the most bicycle friendly

The cities that scored highest in overall happiness also scored impressively in mobility and environmental indicators — the very metrics closely tied to cycling infrastructure and urban design. Read more...
Ron Johnson, August 19, 2025, Momentum Mag

AI-powered bus lane cameras are speeding up buses by up to 36%

Besides the obvious benefit of keeping bus lanes clear, the technology generates data to optimize bus routes, traffic signal timing, and overall network efficiency, strengthening the backbone of a multimodal transportation system that integrates buses, bikes, pedestrians, and private vehicles. Read more...
Diana Ionescu, August 19, 2025, Planetizen

Commuters face nightly I-395 lane closures near Pentagon for bridge repairs

Starting Sunday night, Aug. 24, and continuing through Thursday night, Aug. 28, VDOT will close lanes on the southbound I-395 general purpose lanes between 9:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. each night, weather permitting.  Read more...
Ryan Belmore, August 21, 2025, ALXNow

Metro has back-to-school tips for students on our new bus routes, Kids Ride Free cards, and student lanes

Metro is attending 14 school outreach events this summer to alert students and families of the bus changes. Metro has already engaged more than 1,200 school leaders, educators, students, and family members about the changes so far.  Read more...
August 20, 2025, WMATA

Spending money to go nowhere: Southside Express Lanes should be a Metro extension

VDOT wants to add two new high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in each direction along an 11-mile stretch of I-495 between I-395 in Fairfax County and Maryland Route 210 in Prince George’s County, crossing the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in between. Read more...
David Edmondson, August 20, 2025, Greater Greater Washington

Let your voice be heard: Vote on the exterior design for Metro's new 8000-series rail fleet??

The designs are part of a broader branding refresh that includes refined Metro logos and illustrations that reflect our heritage. With this final step in the process, customers will see a revamped color scheme in a warm palette that?embraces modern design principles and pays homage to the standards set by Metro’s founding designers. Read more...
August 18, 2025, WMATA

What is happening with the Spring Street Bridge and Bethesda Purple Line station?

When completed, the 16-mile Purple Line will have 21 stations and connect riders to the Metro’s Red, Green and Orange lines as well as to MARC and Amtrak trains and bus services.  Read more...
Elia Griffin, August 15, 2025, Bethesda Today

Micromobility report shows rising demand, funding and equity models in North America

Shared micromobility across North America reached a new milestone in 2024, with 225 million trips taken – a 31 percent increase on the previous year.  Read more...
William Thorpe, August 16, 2025, Cities Today

VRE Advances station upgrades in Manassas Park, completes Spotsylvania property transfer

A ribbon-cutting for the improved lot is tentatively planned for October 21, 2025, though the date could change. The board also recommended approval of an agreement with Virginia Electric and Power Company to relocate power facilities that cross the station property. Read more...
Uriah Kiser, August 17, 2025, Potomac Local News

Goodbye Van Ness Kiss and Ride, and a few other WMATA Better Bus updates

Well before WMATA rolled out the new Better Bus system on June 29th, we knew that the old, familiar lines like the L2 and the 30s buses would be remade and renamed. What we did not realize is that the new system would mean the end of the Van Ness Metro Kiss and Ride. Read more...
August 15, 2025, Forest Hill Connection

Public transit funding and the road not yet taken

In the days before both chambers convened to approve their respective solutions, Republican Sen. Gene Yaw, of Williamsport, and Democratic Sen. Anthony Williams, of Philadelphia, suggested solving two problems at once: collect a $500 monthly fee from unregulated skill game terminals and use it to pay for increased public transit support. Read more...
Christen Smith, August 14, 2025, The Washington Examiner

We don't need flying cars – we just need transit that works

The newest survey from Diffusion, fielded by Censuswide, shows that reliability and efficiency (42%), decongestion (27%) and accessibility (26%) are the top requests from transit riders over a flying car.  Read more...
Tory Patrick, August 15, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

Moving to a walkable city can add more than 1,000 steps to your day: Study

Using smartphone step counts and the Walk Score system, which rates locations from 0 to 100 based on access to amenities like stores, parks and schools, they found that moving from a low-walkability city (48 or less) to a high-walkability one (75 or more) added an average of 1,100 steps a day. Read more...
Dr. Ashish Bibireddy, August 13, 2025, ABC News

Ambitious MTA plan would get Baltimore students to class, advocates tell Moore

An organization that advocates for public city schools students is calling on Gov. Wes Moore to fund a recently released vision plan to expand Maryland Transit Administration bus service, citing “significant positive impacts for students.” Read more...
Daniel Zawodny, August 13, 2025, The Baltimore Banner

Maryland Governor announces transit-centered development at Bowie State University

Located immediately west of the Bowie State MARC Station train tracks, the agency says the 4.6-acre state-owned site represents an opportunity to create a vibrant, mixed-use community centered on public transit, as well as the growing Bowie State University campus. Read more...
August 13, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

The only surviving 611 steam locomotive returns to the tracks this fall in Virginia

That's after the "Shenandoah Valley Limited" is coming back to the tracks for another year. The iconic Norfolk & Western Class J#611 steam locomotive will be carrying passengers on a 60-mile path beginning and ending in Goshen. Tickets for the experience are on sale now. Read more...
Robert Locklear, August 13, 2025, ABC7 News

King Street ranks 53rd on 'Top 100 Best Main Streets in US to Walk' list

With pedestrian-only blocks near the Potomac River to local businesses along picturesque red brick sidewalks, King Street in Old Town was just listed as one of the top 100 main streets to walk in the United States. Read more...
James Cullum, August 13, 2025, ALXNow

New Arlington program offers vouchers for e-bikes worth up to $1,650

“This program supports the County’s Community Energy Plan (CEP) by incentivizing residents to adopt lower-emissions transportation options and reduce travel via single-occupancy vehicles,” a county webpage says. Read more...
Vernon Miles, August 13, 2025, ARLNow

MDOT's Purple Line grant program awards small businesses $500,000

The program awarded more than 40 small businesses along the Purple Line grants between $5,000 and $40,000 to assist in sustaining operations and preserving jobs during the project’s construction. Read more...
Elizabeth Polo, August 12, 2025, ABC7 News

No desire for streetcars: a transit mode falls out of favor

Ridership on the 2.2-mile line peaked in the first years of service but was never as high as hoped for. Despite gradually growing since a pandemic-era drop-off, city officials have said switching to bus operations will allow for a more “nimble” and less costly expansion of the service. Read more...
Jared Brey, August 12, 2025, Governing