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.

DC Metrorail expands automated operation systemwide

The system, which was part of Metrorail from its launch in 1976, was shut off in 2009 following a fatal collision. The ATO system was ultimately determined not to have been responsible, but it had remained out of service until its reintroduction on Metrorail’s Red Line six months ago. Read more...
David Lassen, June 15, 2025, Trains.com

Quick to break, hard to fix: Meet the Metro worker ensuring your bus doesn't stall on the way to work

Lonesome has been working with the D.C.-area transit agency for nearly 17 years, and she’s worked as a bus fleet supervisor at Metro’s Landover, Maryland, bus garage for three. Read more...
Scott Gelman, June 16, 2025, WTOP

Metro expanding full train automation to all lines for the first time in 16 years

The rollout of automatic train operation systemwide caps off several months of testing and incremental implementation, beginning with the Red Line in December 2024, according to Metro. Read more...
Jeffery Leon, June 13, 2025, WTOP

D.C. is removing bike lane barriers for the first time, calling them ugly

It’s the first time D.C. is removing a set of protected bike lanes, cycling advocates say. They worry it’s a sign that city leaders are joining a backlash against bike infrastructure building nationally. Read more...
Rachel Weiner, June 13, 2025, The Washington Post

Metro to launch automatic train operation on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines on June 15

The date was decided after rigorous internal training and testing and concurrence from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. Since the December 2024 implementation, there have been no safety issues or red signal violations for trains operating in ATO. Read more...
June 13, 2025, WMATA

Why bus service enhancements, not cuts, pave the way forward

The typical public transit user is changing. While bus service has historically been vital for lower-income communities, recent data indicates that a wider range of people are now depending on transit.  Read more...
June 13, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

Maryland DOT awards $1.25 million in grants supporting transit-oriented development

The program, also known as the TOD Fund, is the department’s latest tool to speed up state and local efforts to create communities around transit, grow transit ridership and expand housing opportunities.  Read more...
June 12, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

Study shows switch to electric buses poses challenges

For optimal battery usage, communities with cold weather could work toward providing enough inside space and charging stations to charge their buses immediately after their routes.  Read more...
Jessica Cain, June 11, 2025, WRVO Public Media

Bus-only lanes can irritate drivers, but they help city dwellers share limited space

Liberating those buses to flow more smoothly would get more out of that investment that’s already being made. More people would reach their destinations sooner, so they would have more opportunities in their lives.  Read more...
Jarrett Walker, June 13, 2025, The Globe and Mail

Proposed bike trail along Haycock Road wins support in Falls Church

While city officials suggested that the shared-use path might someday expand northward to meet up with the W&OD Regional Trail, although Fairfax County has not finalized plans for any future extension. Read more...
Scott McCaffrey, June 12, 2025, ARLNow

Supporting cycling takes more than just bike lanes

Safe, protected bike lanes are a key part of a city’s bike infrastructure — but secure parking, e-bike charging, and other amenities can also influence people’s shift to cycling. Read more...
Diana Ionescu, June 11, 2025, Planetizen

Capital Bikeshare adds two new stations in Alexandria

One new station is located at Virginia Tech/University Drive and Potomac Avenue. The second new station is located at the intersection of Four Mile Road and Milan Drive. Read more...
Ryan Belmore, June 11, 2025, ALXNow

Off Campus: Students are boosting public transit as key to affordability

Best of all for regional transit, the student money will inject much-needed funding into local systems, while the transit systems gain young riders during their four years on campus — and, most likely, beyond. Read more...
Jack Guan, June 12, 2025, Streetsblog USA

Get to know the Better Bus Network

The new system has new service frequencies, with Metro promising many lines will run as quickly as every 12 minutes or less. Next up, medium-service lines will run every 20 minutes or less, and low-frequency will be every half hour or less. Any slower than that will be considered a limited frequency line. Read more...
Sophie Rosenthal, June 11, 2025, WUSA9

Metro service information for Juneteenth, Thursday, June 19

In recognition of Juneteenth on Thursday, June 19, Metrorail will open at 5 a.m. and close at midnight, operating on Saturday service levels. Metrobus will run Saturday Supplemental service, to provide additional buses beyond the typical weekend schedule but less than a normal weekday.  Read more...
June 11, 2025, WMATA

Army 250th birthday military parade: How to take Metro to get to the National Mall

Metro has announced that the Smithsonian Metro station National Mall entrance will be closed on June 14 for the Army's 250th Anniversary celebration. Here's how to take the Metro to the military parade this Saturday. Read more...
Miracle Gross, June 11, 2025, Fox 5 News

Metro's early tests of automated trains are positive on Green and Yellow lines

Safety commission engineer Paul Smith said in the first 10 days of automated train operation on the Green and Yellow lines there were 25 station overruns, compared with 40 overruns during the first 10 days the system was put into place on the Red Line, a more than 37% decrease. Read more...
Dan Ronan, June 11, 2025, WTOP

Maryland announces $1.25 million in grants for development around rail stations

The Odenton MARC station in Anne Arundel County is slated for $750,000 that will further preconstruction for a new parking garage, which planners say will free up roughly 12 acres of surface parking for housing and retail development. Read more...
Daniel Zawodny, June 10, 2025, Baltimore Banner

DC, Columbus bike share fleets introduce cargo bikes

Expanding the types of bikes and scooters available is a natural extension of shared mobility’s “growing up:” as Descant puts it, “morphing into the kinds of practical vehicles that can haul home a bag of groceries or other items, establishing these devices as essential pieces of urban mobility.”  Read more...
Diana Ionescu, June 10, 2025, Planetizen

Public transit agencies continue to lag in cybersecurity prep

Collectively, U.S. transportation services have cyber preparedness work to do, according to a recent study. Individually, they are hardening their postures; an Illinois state pilot offers locals consulting and training. Read more...
Skip Descant, June 10, 2025, Government Technology

Metro provides station closures, service update for Army military birthday parade

The region's primary transit agency said it will remain on Saturday service numbers throughout the day, meaning trains every 4-6 minutes at most core stations and which will decrease shortly after 9:30 p.m. Read more...
June 10, 2025, ABC7 News

Metro announces service information for the Army 250th Birthday Parade and Festival on June 14

Metrorail is running Saturday service frequencies. Trains run every 4-6 minutes at most core stations during the day. At stations further out, trains arrive anywhere from every 8 minutes to every 12 minutes. Read more...
June 10, 2025, WMATA

Is your bus line changing? Why Metro is cutting some stops

The first major redesign of the D.C. area’s Metrobus system since it started running in 1973 will start soon.  Read more...
Adam Tuss, June 9, 2025, NBC4 Washington

New program helps residents navigate Loudoun County public transit

Beginning in June 2025, the free, hands-on program will provide personalized and group instruction on how to plan trips, read schedules, purchase SmarTrip cards, board buses, transfer between routes and practice safe travel habits. Read more...
June 10, 2025, The Burn

Five key transportation funding proposals in Trump's budget

The President’s proposed 2026 budget would keep spending roughly the same for transit and rail and eliminate over $5 billion in funding for EV charging infrastructure. Read more...
Diana Ionescu, June 10, 2025, Planetizen

Alexandria asks VDOT to delay adding express lanes to Woodrow Wilson Bridge

In an April letter to VDOT, Gaskins wrote that the project will bring “Alexandria substantial consequences” to our local neighborhoods, and asked that an alternative not be chosen until a noise, traffic, and air safety analysis is conducted. Read more...
James Cullum, June 9, 2025, ALXNow

N. Va. leaders: More funding is not guaranteed for proposed Metro improvement plan

With Virginia typically splitting its share of Metro’s operating costs between the state government and localities, local leaders and the General Assembly will need to come up with their shares of the extra funding as part of budget deliberations to take place next winter and spring. Read more...
Scott McCaffrey, June 9, 2025, FFXNow

How shared electric cargo bikes are changing cities

According to preliminary results, almost 80 percent of those surveyed bought their cargo bike new, while 18.7 percent bought one used. Only 0.2 percent rented or borrowed one.  Read more...
Aina de Lapparent Alvarez, June 5, 2025, Reasons to be Cheerful

Commuters share candid reviews after worker considers e-bike purchase: 'Nice to show up to the office without breaking a sweat'

Commuting can be monotonous and environmentally damaging, but the world's workers must get from point A to point B. For this reason, it is a wonder to have transportation options for that day-to-day travel.  Read more...
Claire Huber, June 9, 2025, The Cooldown

Friends raced to check out every Metro station in one day. Would they make it?

Louie Melluish and Will Sheriff built a model that told them the most efficient route. Running a simulation a million times, they were given an average completion time of just under 20 hours and a 72 percent chance of making it. They liked those odds. Read more...
Rachel Weiner, June 9, 2025, The Washington Post

Maryland DOT deploying 'Complete Streets' projects

Complete Streets is all about ensuring everyone has access to safe, convenient transportation, and our experience with quick-build projects shows we can deliver on that promise with innovation and efficiency. Read more...
Melina Druga, June 9, 2025, Transportation Today

Protected bike lanes boost bicycle commuting

The paper, titled "The link between low-stress bicycle facilities and bicycle commuting," reports that protected bike lanes see about 1.8 times the number of bike commuters than standard bike lanes do and 4.3 times as many as blocks without bike lanes. Read more...
Nick Ferenchak, June 8, 2025, Mirage

Five takeaways from Trump's proposed 2026 budget for rail and public transit

The U.S. Department of Transportation could see a $1.5 billion increase in its discretionary budget authority in fiscal year 2026, a 6% increase over the current fiscal year, if President Donald Trump’s budget request is enacted. Funding for public transit, passenger and freight rail would increase. Read more...
Dan Zukowski, June 6, 2025, Smart Cities Dive

Where public transit systems are bouncing back around the world

Subway ridership came booming back in many European and East Asian cities, while much of North and South America remains well below pre-pandemic levels, according to a Bloomberg analysis of 15 major transit systems on four continents. Read more...
Aaron Gordon, Marie Patino, June 5, 2025, Bloomberg

Metro unveils new design, extends service for WorldPride

During the last weekend of WorldPride, Metro will increase its services and extend hours along the Yellow Line to the end of the line at Greenbelt. Read more...
Odyssey Fields, June 6, 2025, DC News Now

Uber's new shuttles look suspiciously familiar to anyone who's taken a bus

Beyond the jokes about Uber inventing bus lines are serious questions about what its shuttle service will mean for struggling transit systems, air quality, and congestion. Read more...
Sophie Hurwitz, June 3, 2025, Grist

Reminder: Metro begins construction on the Blue Line on July 5

Metro’s annual summer and winter construction work keeps the Metrorail system in a state of good repair, preventing problems before they disrupt service. One construction period allows crews to get more work done at a time instead of months of weekend closures.  Read more...
June 5, 2025, WMATA

How to get around D.C. during WorldPride this weekend

Metro has Pride-wrapped buses and trains, too, and is increasing rail service between Friday and Sunday. Capital Bikeshare also has Pride-themed bikes across the city and will have bike valets who will take your bike if you can't find a parking spot at docks near this weekend's events. Read more...
Mimi Montgomery, June 4, 2025, Axios

VDOT holding public hearing in Alexandria on plan to add express lanes to Woodrow Wilson Bridge

While widening the bridge is not being proposed, VDOT is considering removing concrete barriers between through and local lanes, both of which limit VDOT’s options for express lanes.  Read more...
James Cullum, June 4, 2025, ALXNow

Want more bike commuters? Build protected bike lanes, says new study

The study’s big takeaway is simple and clear: not all bike infrastructure is created equal. The difference in performance between types of facilities is dramatic. Read more...
Ron Johnson, June 2, 2025, Momentum Mag

Blind pedestrians sue D.C. over unsafe crosswalks

The pedestrians, all of whom are blind, are among five people suing the District, alleging that it doesn’t provide enough working signals that make it safe for them to cross the street.  Read more...
Jasmine Hilton, June 1, 2025, The Washington Post

Trump budget calls for 25% cut in Amtrak Northeast Corridor funding

According to the detailed DOT budget request, Amtrak national network funding would increase by $291 million, with the overall Amtrak budget down by $763,000. Read more...
David Lassen, June 2, 2025, Trains

The household auto fleet is a money pit

Replacing a car with an e-bike can save a household $120,000 over a decade—enough to wipe out debt, fund a college account, or boost retirement savings.  Read more...
Andy Boenau, June 2, 2025, Fast Company

Congressman proposes bill to rename DC Metro "Trump Train"

In a bill brought before the U.S. House of Representatives last week, Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) calls for revoking federal funding to the agency if it refuses to go through with the name change. Read more...
Diana Ionescu, June 2, 2025, Planetizen

New Metro bus network expected to begin June 29, residents supporting the project

Metro is redesigning its entire bus network for the first time in 50 years.  Every route will get a new name, some routes will change, and some new connections are coming. Metro GM and CEO Randy Clarke says work has been underway since 2022 to improve the bus system. Read more...
Tim Reid, June 2, 2025, DC News Now

Innovating fare collection: How three transit agencies are rethinking revenue, ridership and the rider experience

From fare freezes to new pricing models and vending machines, the TTC, WMATA and PRT are evolving how they collect and manage fares. Read more...
Brandon Lewis, June 2, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

VDOT leans toward two toll lanes on I-495 across Woodrow Wilson Bridge

With its I-495 Southside Express Lanes study, VDOT identified 10 options for relieving congestion on the Beltway before pushing two forward as “build” alternatives — one with a single toll lane in each direction and one with two lanes — as well as one “no-build” alternative. Read more...
Vernon Miles, June 2, 2025, FFXNow

Arlington streetcar critics take victory lap over D.C.'s plans to kill similar project

Underscoring the difficult logistics of D.C.’s streetcar service, especially its high price tag, onetime opponents of the Columbia Pike streetcar hold up the latest news as evidence that Arlington’s initiative wouldn’t have worked. Read more...
Scott McCaffrey, June 2, 2025, ARLNow