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.

Virus adds heft to W&OD changes

The 1.5 mile section of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail (W&OD) that runs through the City of Falls Church is well on its way to adding dedicated cycling and pedestrian lanes by next summer, and is seen as all the more crucial given how the novel coronavirus is transmitted. Read more...
Brian Indre, September 28, 2020, FCNP

Woman struck by MARC train in Elkridge

A woman is dead after she was struck by a MARC train Tuesday morning in Maryland’s Howard County. Read more...
Colleen Kelleher, September 29, 2020, WTOP

Fairfax Co. reexamines changes to bus routes in Franconia-Springfield area

The Fairfax County, Virginia, Department of Transportation is shaping a new transit development plan and reviewing routes for the Fairfax Connector bus system as it looks for ways to improve service. Read more...
Dick Uliano, September 28, 2020, WTOP

Speak up for a safer Richmond Highway

The Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) has begun an advocacy campaign to generate public support for having the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) reduce the speed limit along the Richmond Highway corridor where four people have been struck and killed already in 2020. Read more...
September 28, 2020, FABB

Making Room: Will Pentagon City make room for people or cars?

Last week, Arlington County staff held the community kick-off for the Pentagon City Planning Study. Read more...
Jane Green, September 28, 2020, ARLnow

Introducing... Pay-what-you-can membership

We want anyone to be able to join our community, regardless of their financial resources. And, we want to be better able to celebrate the people who dig deep and give generously to WABA. Read more...
Hannah Anderson Dana, September 28, 2020, WABA

VDOT hosting virtual Q&A for I-495 Express Lanes extension project

The Virginia Department of Transportation is hosting two question-and-answer sessions this week about the I-495 Express Lanes Northern Extension Project in advance of public hearings scheduled in October. Read more...
September 27, 2020, Inside NoVa

Drivers in three Northern Virginia jurisdictions among rudest in the country

Insurify, an insurance quotes comparison website, has compiled a list of the top 20 cities with the rudest drivers, with Virginia taking a whopping nine spots on the list. Read more...
September 28, 2020, Inside NoVa

Memorial Circle construction to begin on Monday

NPS said Memorial Circle is a heavily used area with crosswalks, challenging and unconventional road patterns. Read more...
Kristen Powers, September 28, 2020, WJLA

Airline industry set to cut more than 35,000 jobs this week

It’s another devastating blow for an industry facing a crisis analysts say is already far worse than it experienced after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and one that has already seen employment in air transportation decline by 100,000 jobs according to one measure. Read more...
September 26, 2020, Washington Post

Despite Purple Line problems, Maryland will pursue public-private partnership for toll lane plan

Even as Maryland’s $5.6 billion public-private partnership for the Purple Line project is on the verge of collapsing mid-construction, the state is continuing to pursue a similar arrangement to add toll lanes to the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270. Read more...
Katherine Shaver, September 26, 2020, Washington Post

Lawmakers: Environmental review of Hogan highway plan is 'heavily skewed'

Nearly 70 members of the Maryland General Assembly have accused the State Highway Administration of tailoring a federally-mandated environmental study to fit a preordained plan for adding capacity to two highways in the Washington, D.C., suburbs. Read more...
Bruce DePuyt, September 27, 2020, WTOP

Metro asks riders for input on service cuts and other reductions as federal funding dries up

Metro announced it has opened a public comment period so riders can voice their feelings about service cuts, reduced hours, furloughed staff and other reductions as federal funding for the transit service runs out. Read more...
Zeke Hartner, September 26, 2020, WTOP

Tips for safe and polite biking in the region

FABB was pleased to see the recent Washington Post article by Angela Haupt on trail etiquette (and not just because our own Bruce Wright was interviewed for the piece). Read more...
September 26, 2020, FABB

New, potentially 'significant safety concern' identified with second phase of Silver Line

New issues identified with the automated train control system on Phase 2 of the Silver Line extension could pose a “potentially significant safety concern” for riders, Metro said in a letter to officials managing the project. Read more...
Lori Aratani, September 25, 2020, Washington Post

Metro Transit Police implement new written policy on force

As the country continues to deal with social justice issues pertaining to police and communities, the Metro Transit Police Department will have a watchdog group to review its incidents. Read more...
Adam Tuss, September 24, 2020, NBC Washington

D.C. 'Streatery' opens downtown with aim to keep restaurants afloat

Patio season starts to wind down this time of year, but for many restaurants outdoor dining is their only hope of survival amid the pandemic. Read more...
Cory Smith, September 25, 2020, NBC Washington

Senators reprimand Metro after scathing audit

Maryland and Virginia representatives say problems in rail control center should have been fixed long ago. Read more...
Justin George, September 25, 2020, Washington Post

E-scooter injuries on the rise, report finds

A new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has found that injuries and deaths associated with e-scooters are increasing along with their popularity. Read more...
Will Vitka, September 25, 2020, WTOP

How substantial park requirements may challenge walkability goals in Tysons

Access to green space plays a key part of making dense urban areas pleasant, but the focus on a large quantity of parks in the Tysons planning area poses a challenge for achieving walkability goals. Read more...
Emily Hamilton, September 25, 2020, GGWash

Metro board members question whether region's low-income residents will take unfair hit with budget cuts

Metro board members representing the District and Maryland questioned the agency’s commitment to transit equity Thursday after learning it skipped doing a full analysis on how emergency budget cuts would impact low-income and minority riders. Read more...
Justin George, September 24, 2020, Washington Post

Alexandria e-scooter task force recommends extending phase II pilot

At its first virtual meeting on Monday night, the city’s ad hoc scooter task force recommended that the phase II e-scooter pilot program be extended. Read more...
Cody Mello-Klein, September 24, 2020, Alexandria Times

Tap and go technology from Metro to enhance efficiency

At the beginning of this month, Metro took a step into the 21st Century by allowing SmarTrip to be added to Apple Wallets. Read more...
Nicole Merlene, September 24, 2020, ARLnow

Vienna aims for community buy-in on sidewalks

Vienna officials will seek support from a majority of property owners on affected streets before deciding to build new sidewalks there. Read more...
Brian Trompeter, September 25, 2020, Inside NoVa

Public input sought for proposed DC Circulator Route in Ward 7

D.C. is asking the public to weigh in on seven options for a new bus route in its Northeast and Southeast neighborhoods. Read more...
Abigail Constantino, September 24, 2020, WTOP

New renderings offer a revamped vision of a Union Station designed for people, placemaking, and transit

The renovation project for Union Station seems to be undergoing an identity crisis, trying to figure out if the region’s main hub for transit will create a pathway for cars, or for people. Read more...
George Kevin Jordan, September 24, 2020, GGWash

Purple Line construction workers will be packed up and ready to leave by mid-October, contractor says

The clock is running out on Maryland reaching a settlement to keep the light-rail contractor on the job amid cost disputes. Read more...
Katherine Shaver, September 24, 2020, Washington Post

D.C. paid Streetcar contractor more than $5 million improperly

The District paid roughly $5.2 million in improper payments to the prime contractor on the D.C. Streetcar project from September 2010 through March 2019, a new report by the D.C. inspector general finds. Read more...
Andrew Giambrone, September 23, 2020, dcist

Fairfax County among top 25 healthiest U.S. communities

Fairfax County has been named the 21st healthiest community in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report. Read more...
Emily Leayman, September 23, 2020, Vienna Patch

Peter's Take: Green Valley ART bus facility plagued by poor planning

On September 15, The Arlington County Board approved a $3.8 million contract to design an ART operations and maintenance facility. Read more...
Peter Rousselot, September 23, 2020, ARLnow

Angry residents react to shut down of Purple Line construction

People in disrupted neighborhoods are now left with torn up streets, closed roads, and dangerous sidewalks. Read more...
Scott Broom, September 23, 2020, WUSA9

Governors Highway Safety Association speaks out against racism in traffic enforcement

A new effort to promote road safety is tackling excessive force and racism. Read more...
Melissa Howell, September 23, 2020, WTOP

D.C. Council wants zero traffic fatalities by 2024. These are the changes they're proposing

A sweeping bill that aims to help reduce traffic deaths in the District passed the Council unanimously Tuesday. Read more...
Jordan Pascale, September 23, 2020, WAMU

City Council approves adding Virginia Tech initials to Potomac Yard Metro station

The Alexandria City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved a proposal adding Virginia Tech’s initials to the Potomac Yard Metro Station. Read more...
James Cullum, September 23, 2020, ALX Now

City anticipates more delays with King Street-Old Town Metro Access Improvements Project

City staff are skeptical that the first phase of the project will be completed by this December. Read more...
James Cullum, September 23, 2020, ALX Now

Alexandria commuters to be impacted by Arlington National Cemetery Metro station improvements

Metro will shut down Arlington National Cemetery for platform improvements next spring, and construction will impact Alexandria commuters. Read more...
James Cullum, September 23, 2020, ALX Now

Purple Line construction stops as builders prepare to quit

The companies building the Purple Line have stopped construction as they proceed with plans to quit the light-rail project amid disputes with the state about cost overruns, Maryland officials said Tuesday. Read more...
Katherine Shaver, September 22, 2020, Washington Post

Falls Church ranked third healthiest community in U.S.

According to a report in today’s U.S. News and World Report, the City of Falls Church has been ranked the third healthiest community in the U.S. Read more...
Nicholas F. Benton, September 22, 2020, Falls Church News-Press

DC Council approves bill aimed at expanding traffic cameras, reducing deaths on roadways

The DC Council unanimously approved a bill that implements safety measures to reduce the number of injuries and deaths to pedestrians on city streets while increasing the number of traffic cameras in the District. Read more...
September 22, 2020, WJLA

Purple Line will be delayed as MDOT seeks management solution

Maryland transportation officials said Tuesday they will take over day-to-day management of building the Purple Line, at least temporarily, as soon as construction crews pack up and depart, a process that could come as early as next week. Read more...
Bruce DePuyt, September 23, 2020, WTOP

Metro makes 'substantial progress' with safety concerns identified in audit

Metro made “substantial progress” in addressing safety concerns raised in a recent audit, but has work to do in confronting a reportedly toxic workplace culture, the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission said Tuesday. Read more...
Nick Iannelli, September 23, 2020, WTOP

There are no safeguards against investigation interference at Metro's ROCC, a report finds

Metro protocols don’t ensure investigations that occur are fully independent from the employees involved, according to a report recently released from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC). Read more...
Stephen Repetski, September 22, 2020, GGWash

Organizations advocate Safety Spectrum preservation

The American Highway Users Alliance recently joined a series of other organizations in supporting efforts to preserve the 5.9 GHz Safety Spectrum. Read more...
Douglas Clark, September 22, 2020, Transportation Today

Survey finds telework is here to stay even after the pandemic

A recent Commuter Connections survey looked at recent telework trends and how it may impact traffic after the pandemic. Read more...
Marcella Robertson, September 21, 2020, WUSA9

D.C. Council to vote on Vision Zero bill aimed at reducing traffic fatalities

The D.C. Council will vote Tuesday on a package of sweeping road-safety measures aimed at cutting the growing number of traffic injuries and fatalities in the nation's capital. Read more...
Luz Lazo, September 22, 2020, Washington Post

Section of Beach Drive closed to drivers, cyclists for flood repairs

Parts of the D.C. area are still dealing with the aftermath of heavy rains that blew through earlier in September. Read more...
Adam Tuss, September 21, 2020, NBC Washington

DC 'Streatery' grant aims to keep restaurants in business this winter

On Monday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's office officially announced a grant program that will help restaurant owners “winterize” outdoor spaces in an effort to keep the restaurants and businesses that heavily relied on “Streatery” outdoor summer spaces afloat as we push into the cooler months. Read more...
Stephanie Ramirez, September 21, 2020, Fox5

Features aim to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists at Memorial Circle

Improvements are coming to Memorial Circle, and they’re aimed at improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists who frequently use the area near the D.C.-Virginia border. Read more...
Abigail Constantino, September 21, 2020, WTOP

Commuter Connections wants you to commit to a car free Tuesday

Commuter Connections, a regional network of transportation organizations, is hosting its annual “Car Free Day” Tuesday, and is urging the D.C. region’s workforce to find a way to work that doesn’t involve driving. Read more...
September 21, 2020, WTOP

A streatery is coming to downtown D.C. this week

From September 25 until Oct 25, the streatery, dubbed “Downtown D.C. Dine Out on 8th Street,” will operate on Fridays from 5 p.m.-10 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from noon-10 p.m. Read more...
Nathan Diller, September 21, 2020, dcist