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.

Riders share stories of taking Metro one day after WMATA pulled 60% of its rail fleet.

On Sunday night, WMATA announced they were pulling all of their 7000-series trains out of service Monday morning as part of the ongoing investigation into the Blue Line train derailment last week. The 7000-series trains make up about 60% of Metro’s rail fleet. Read more...
David Andrews, October 18, 2921, GGWash.org

Construction on Hunter Mill Bridge over Colvin Run to wrap up in fall 2022

“The median refuge and RRFB will improve safety and accessibility of drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians where Hunter Mill Road and the Colvin Run Stream Valley Trail intersect just south of the bridge. The bridge is also being designed to allow a future trail crossing of Colvin Run,” according to a memo prepared by county staff. Read more...
Fatimah Waseem, October 18, 2021, Reston Now

DASH network overhaul receives fewer complaints than expected

A new report from DASH shows that the bus network has received significantly fewer angry public calls about the new bus network overhaul than had earlier been expected. Read more...
Rick Horner, October 18, 2021, ALXnow

Some alternatives to Metrorail amid service cuts

Here are a few ideas on affordable options as the majority of Metrorail cars are out of service during inspections. Read more...
Skye Witley, October 18, 2021, NBC Washington

Is it true Maryland and Virginia drivers don't face penalties for unpaid D.C. camera tickets?

Maryland and Virginia drivers owe D.C. more than $220M in outstanding camera tickets. Read more...
Delia Goncalves, October 19, 2021, WUSA9

New I-66 express lanes on schedule to open in December 2022

It’s one of the largest and most expensive highway projects the D.C. area has ever seen, but the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway project is still scheduled to finish on time in December 2022. Read more...
Kyle Cooper, October 18, 2021, WTOP

Drastically reduced Metro service until at least Sunday as derailment investigation continues

Starting Tuesday and lasting at least until Sunday, Oct. 24, Metro said nearly all lines will continue to operate only every 30 minutes. The exception is the Red Line, where trains will operate every 15 minutes. Read more...
Jack Moore, October 18, 2021, WTOP

Even with cameras on Indian Head Highway, group says 'super speeders' still being clocked

Indian Head Highway, otherwise know as Maryland Route 210, is known as a dangerous highway because of how fast people drive. Read more...
Kyle Cooper, October 19, 2021, WTOP

WMATA removes all 7000-series cars following derailment

As part of the investigation into the Oct. 12 derailment on Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Blue Line, all 748 7000-series rapid transit cars were sidelined on Oct. 18. Read more...
Marybeth Luczak, October 18, 2021, Railway Age

Bus industry raises alarm, asks Congress for pandemic relief

Officials representing the private bus industry fear it could disappear unless Congress steps in, a coronavirus pandemic casualty that would wreak havoc on intercity travel, school buses, tourism, military transportation and disaster relief. Read more...
Rafael Bernal, October 19, 2021, The Hill

Tell SHA to keep protected bike lanes on MD 193/University Blvd.

Earlier this summer, the Maryland State Highway Administration enacted a temporary experiment by installing a protected bike lane on MD-193/University Boulevard, between Amherst and Arcola Ave, in Wheaton. Read more...
Garrett Hennigan, October 18, 2021, WABA

County applying for $80M grant for Ballston Metro western entrance project

Arlington County is applying for an $80 million grant to help pay for a proposed west entrance to the Ballston Metro station. Read more...
Jo DeVoe, October 18, 2021, ARLnow

Potentially 'catastrophic' Metro issue linked to derailment first found in 2017: NTSB

Equipment problems that appear to have caused the Metro derailment in Northern Virginia last week have been known since 2017, a preliminary investigation by federal safety investigators showed. Read more...
October 18, 2021, NBC Washington

Surveillance video shows car stolen in just 9 seconds in Temple Hills

Prince George's County Police say these jump-in car thefts are on the rise. Read more...
Matt Pusatory, October 16. 2021, WUSA9

NTSB: Metro Blue Line train derailed 3 times that day before defect discovered

The D.C. Metrorail will pull almost 60% of its rail fleet from service on Monday, Oct. 18, after its safety oversight board found a recurring problem with the axles on the Metro's newest railcars, the agency said Sunday evening. Read more...
Anna Liss-Roy, October 18, 2021, WUSA9

Toyota plans to build $1.3 billion US battery plant, employ 1,750

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to invest $3.4 billion in the U.S. through 2030 to produce its own automotive batteries, including building a $1.3 billion battery plant that will employ 1,750 U.S. workers, the automaker announced Monday. Read more...
Karl Evers-Hillstrom

Alexandria closes block permanently for pedestrian use

Since the pandemic began, visitors to Alexandria’s Old Town have been able to grab a drink or shop outdoors without watching for traffic through the Northern Virginia city’s “streetery” program. Now, one block will be closed-off for good. Read more...
Luke Lukert, October 17, 2021, WTOP

Metrorail limits service after pulling 60% of fleet for derailment investigation

Significant delays are in store for Monday commuters with Metrorail pulling more than half of its rail fleet out of service as it continues to investigate last week’s Blue Line derailment. Read more...
Alejandro Alvarez, Ivy Lyons, October 18, 2021, WTOP

Metrorail to operate reduced service Monday, October 18

As part of the investigation into the Blue Line derailment, Metro is holding out of service all of its 7000-series railcars, which is nearly 60% of its rail fleet. Without these railcars, Metro will operate about 40 trains tomorrow – offering a basic service pattern on all lines of trains departing about every 30 minutes. Read more...
October 17, 2921, WMATA

D.C.'s Metro pulls half of its rail cars over safety compliance problem

Washington D.C.'s Metro pulled more than half of its railcars Sunday night after the National Transportation Safety Board investigation found multiple axels out of compliance with manufacturing specifications. Read more...
Rachel Scully, October 17, 2021, The Hill

Alexandria Council votes to permanently close Old Town block to vehicles

The Alexandria City Council voted to permanently Saturday close a block of King Street to car traffic, converting it to a pedestrian promenade in Old Town. Read more...
Sophia Barnes, October 16, 2021, NBC Washington

D.C. wants you to ride bikes. This month it raised the cost to ride Capital Bikeshare.

Capital Bikeshare, the Washington region’s bike-sharing system, quietly changed its pricing structure this month — and for the most part, it means riders are paying more. Read more...
Luz Lazo, October 16, 2021, Washington Post

Work on a new pedestrian bridge over Wiehle Avenue to begin next summer

The bridge, which would connect to the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, is intended to improve access for pedestrians and bicyclists near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station. Read more...
Fatimah Waseem, October 15, 2021, Reston Now

Guide aims to help blind, low-vision pedestrians navigate Montgomery County streets

A first-of-its-kind guide aims to help Montgomery County, Maryland, make streets and roadways more accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. Read more...
Abigatil Constantino, October 15, 2021, WTOP

Two Metro Yellow Line shutdowns scheduled for 2022

Metro’s Yellow Line, which runs through Arlington and Alexandria, could see some closures next year as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) works to repair the Yellow Line Bridge between Virginia and D.C. and bring the Potomac Yard Metro station online. Read more...
Vernon Miles, October 14, 2021, ALXnow

CSX earns award for emissions reduction program

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry have recognized CSX with a 2021 Climate Leadership Award. Read more...
Marybeth Luczak, October 15, 2021, Railway Age

Virginia leaders push congress to pass infrastructure bill

U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Virginia’s Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam joined representatives from labor and business organizations in that state to urge the House to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) quickly. Read more...
Liz Carey, October 15, 2021, Transportation Today

Police and climate activists hurt in clashes at Interior Dept.

Police and climate activists clashed Thursday during protests at the Interior Department, with security personnel sustaining “multiple injuries” and one officer being taken to a hospital, agency spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said. Read more...
Ellie Silverman, October 14, 2021, Washington Post

Indigenous youths, climate activists to march to U.S. Capitol on final day of People vs. Fossil Fuels protests

Climate activists are concluding their five days of action in Washington with a march to the U.S. Capitol to demand that President Biden take more extreme measures to address climate change. Read more...
Ellie Silverman, October 15, 2021, Washington Post

Train's holding brake was stuck before derailment, Metro said

Metro announced Thursday evening that normal rail service would resume for Friday’s commute. Read more...
Justin George, October 14, 2021, Washington Post

Colorful design by D.C. artist will adorn Crystal City Metro Plaza

Lisa Marie Thalhammer, a Washington, D.C. artist, submitted the winning design for the reimagined wall mural that will soon adorn the Crystal City Metro Plaza. Read more...
Michael O'Connell, October 14, 2021, Arlington Patch

Maryland sees increase in rainfall, flooding, and rising sea level in past 20 years: NOAA

Over the past 20 years, rainfall, flooding and sea level have increased across Maryland, according to data collected from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Read more...
Devon Milley, Clara Niel, October 14, 2021, ABC7

Fairfax Co. task force asks for feedback on renaming Lee, Lee-Jackson Memorial highways

In July 2021, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors established the Confederate Names Task Force (CNTF) to review the names of Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29) and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway (U.S. Route 50), and to make recommendations to the board on whether the names should change. Read more...
Ida Domingo, Ocotober 15, 2021, ABC7

Green Line Metro service suspended due to stabbing aboard train near Anacostia

Green Line train service has been suspended due to a stabbing aboard a Branch Avenue-bound train near Anacostia. Read more...
October 14, 2021, Fox5

Weekend Road and Rail: Shutdown of I-66 and Md. 355; Metro single tracking

There is a possibility of rain Saturday night, but for now the Virginia Department of Transportation is planning to close Interstate 66 for a bridge demolition. Read more...
Mary DePompa, October 15, 2021, WTOP

Metro renovations will require 'extended shutdown' of Yellow Line service

Metro will embark on a series of renovations to a 1970s-era bridge spanning the Potomac River and nearby tunnels next year, resulting in an “extended shutdown” of Yellow Line service between L’Enfant Plaza and the Pentagon. Read more...
Debbie Truong, October 14, 2021, dcist

D.C. didn't ask Northam and Hogan to help crack down on ticket scofflaws

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser never reached out to the governors of Virginia and Maryland to negotiate reciprocity for automated traffic camera tickets, despite a District government report — signed by the mayor and submitted to the D.C. Council last week — saying that said she did. Read more...
Jordan Pascale, October 14, 2021, dcist

Normal service set to resume Friday amid ongoing investigation into Blue Line derailment

Normal service on Metrorail’s Blue, Orange and Silver lines are set to resume Friday, after two days of disruption following an investigation into a derailment that left hundreds of riders stranded. Read more...
Nick Ianelli, October 14, 2021, WTOP

One arrested after alleged theft ends with fracas in Pentagon City Metro station

A D.C. man was arrested after allegedly stealing from a vehicle and fighting the victim in a Metro station. Read more...
October 14, 2021, ARLnow

Record number of guns caught at airport checkpoints this year

The Transportation Security Administration says it has found a record number of guns at airport checkpoints this year. Read more...
Jordan Williams, October 14, 2021, The Hill

Lyft e-scooters: Getting started, rules of the road, and riding safely [video]

Getting started, rules of the road, and riding safely Read more...
October 14, 2021, WABA

Planners envision greener, more urban and less car-centric Pentagon City

With the construction of Amazon’s HQ2, a nearly 40-year-old planning document guiding development in Pentagon City has reached the end of its useful life. Read more...
Jo DeVoe, October 13, 2021, ARLnow

Officials celebrate $1 billion capital improvement project at Reagan National Airport

A ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday marked “major completion” of a $1 billion improvement project at Reagan National Airport, which will have a big impact on travelers. Read more...
John Aaron, October 13, 2021, Inside NoVa

Police looking for bicyclist who interrupted attack on teen jogger in Leesburg

The Leesburg Police Department is investigating an Oct. 7 attack on a teenage girl jogging on the W&OD Trail in the area northwest of the trail access point from Tuscarora Creek Park. Read more...
October 13, 2021, Inside NoVa

Leesburg suspect seized teenage jogger on trail; thwarted by passing bicyclist

Leesburg police are looking for a man who tried to seize a teenage girl while she jogged along a trail, only to be thwarted by a bicyclist who crashed into him. Read more...
October 13, 2021, Fox5

3 Blue Line stations remain closed as derailment investigation continues

For a second day in a row, there will be no rail line service between the Rosslyn and Pentagon Metro stations on the Blue Line, as Metro continues to investigate a train derailment that left riders stranded during Tuesday’s afternoon commute. Read more...
Alicia Abelson, October 14, 2021, WTOP

USDOT releases climate adaptation, resilience plan

The U.S. Department of Transportation has published a climate action plan to ensure that “federally supported transportation infrastructure—as well as USDOT programs, policies and operations—both consider climate change impacts and incorporate adaptation and resilience solutions whenever possible.” Read more...
Marybeth Luczak, October 13, 2021, Railway Age

Southwest operations restored after spate of cancellations

Southwest Airlines on Wednesday said that its operations have been restored after canceling thousands of flights due to air traffic control and weather issues. Read more...
Jordan Williams, October 13, 2021, The Hill

Reagan National Airport checkpoints to open next month, bringing faster screening times to new concourse

The public will get its first look Wednesday at new security checkpoints set to open next month at Reagan National Airport — an upgrade that officials hope will speed screening times and ease congestion in time for the holiday travel season. Read more...
Lori Aratani, October 13, 2021, Washington Post

Metro's Blue Line still stopped in Arlington as derailment investigation continues

The Washington Metrorail’s Blue Line remains suspended between Pentagon and Foggy Bottom as transit officials continue to investigate a derailment that left riders stranded in the dark during Tuesday afternoon’s commute. Read more...
Alejandro Alvarez, October 13, 2021, WTOP