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.
Biden-Harris administration announces $1.4 billion in infrastructure funding for 70 projects that will improve rail safety, strengthen supply chains, and add passenger rail service
As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, federal investments are tackling long-standing rail needs by supporting communities nationwide to help get people and goods where they need to be safely, quickly, and conveniently.
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September 25, 2023, U.S Dept. of Transportation
Weekend freight train derailment to impact commute in Hyattsville
Two days after a freight train derailed in Hyattsville, Maryland, several roads remained closed for cleanup and traffic delays were expected during the Monday morning commute.
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Juliana Valencia, September 25, 2023, NBC4 Washington
Columbia Pike road repair project a disruptive but necessary nuisance in Arlington Co.
According to the project’s website, residents should expect to “see and hear dust, mud, noise, debris, and temporary traffic and parking restrictions.” The work hours will be Mondays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Sandy Kozel, September 25, 2023, WTOP
All is not lost: Metro revises lost-and-found policy
Because of budget constraints related to COVID-19, the previous policy was limited to wallets, cameras, laptops, phones and tablets.
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Tadiwos Abedje, September 21, 2023, WTOP
Battery-electric buses could be best option in Virginia, report finds
The organization is pushing for the council to adopt readily available zero-emission buses to reduce air pollution, protect health, save on long-term costs, and enhance the overall experience for riders and drivers.
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September 22, 2023, Metro Magazine
Shared mobility as essential transit
Research reveals that shared bikes and scooters are often a crucial lifeline for low-income workers, signaling a need to include micromobility in the larger public transit conversation.
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Diana Ionescu, September 21, 2023, Planetizen
Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board approves new funding policies for VRE and WMATA
“VRE and WMATA provide essential services to the people who live and work in the region,” said Jennifer DeBruhl, director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT).
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September 21, 2023, Mass Transit Magazine
Warner, Kaine secure $100 million in funding for rail bridge in Franconia-Springfield
Once completed, the project will allow Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express trains to cross over two freight rail tracks, preventing delays and expanding capacity for additional service.
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September 21, 2023, Inside NOVA
New habits are making more commutes miserable
Traffic and travel data shows how contradictory forces — and the disproportionate return of cars at the expense of transit — have shaken a balance between the region’s road and rail networks, often resulting in miserable results.
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Ian Duncan/Luz Lazo/Justin George/Michael Laris, September 22, 2023, The Washington Post
7 ways the pandemic changed the Washington commute
Drivers and transit riders are facing the pain and befuddlement of Washington’s evolving commute. It’s a world shaped by 3½ years of human, corporate and federal decisions that have transformed traditional patterns.
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Michael Laris, September 22, 2023, The Washington Post
Transit in the Washington region has a future, if we plan for it
Because Metro and other transit systems in high-ridership metro areas have historically depended on commuters for the majority of their ridership, they are particularly vulnerable to any decrease in commuting.
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DW Rowlands, September 21, 2023, Greater Greater Washington
Overwhelming majority supports extending Metrorail to National Harbor, survey finds
The survey by Fort Washington Forward found 87% of people support the idea.Metro’s studies show a new Blue Line loop would add 180,000 new weekday rail trips to the system. The line would also generate 154 million dollars in new revenue per year.
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Adam Tuss, September 21, 2023, NBC4 Washington
Metro changing 8 bus routes in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
Effective on Sunday, Sept. 24, service adjustments will be made to improve safety, reliability, and customer experience.
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Amber Anderson, September 21, 2023, WUSA9
When it comes to transportation, it's all about options
Equitable, accessible transportation isn’t about taking cars away from those who have them. It’s about providing more choices, and safer transportation networks, for everyone.
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Diana Ionescu, September 21, 2023, Planetizen
Alexandria likely to throw its weight behind Arlington transit project
While the project is outside of Alexandria, Castaneda said Alexandria would benefit from the project as some of those added bus bays would serve the West End Transitway, which will stop at the Shirlington Bus Station.
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Vernon Miles, September 20, 2023, ALXNow
Sit less, do more: Time savings made possible by the 66 Express
The tolling system is configured to keep traffic flowing on the 66 Express at all times, regardless of conditions on the I-66 general-purpose lanes, at a minimum average of 55 miles per hour.
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I-66 Express Mobility Partners, September 20, 2023, Washington Business Journal
County poised to require drivers to come to a full stop for pedestrians in crosswalks
Currently, county code only requires drivers to yield to those crossing the street on foot, according to a county report. This conflicts with state code, which was amended this March to require drivers to “stop for” pedestrians.
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Jo DeVoe, September 20, 2023, ARLNow
Study: How low-income people really use micromobility
Low-income people are using shared micromobility a lot like they use public transit, a new study finds — and researchers think cities should thoroughly embrace (and subsidize) the mode as part of the larger ecosystem of buses and trains.
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Kea Wilson, September 20, 2023, Streetsblog USA
Why sustainable transportation advocates need to talk about long COVID
Covid-19 transformed many U.S. cities' approach to sustainable transportation forever. But how did it transform the lives of sustainable transportation advocates who developed lasting symptoms from the disease?
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Thomas De Luze, September 19, 2023, Streetsblog USA
Metro changes lost and found policy, says more items will be held for riders
The new policy updates changes that were made due to pandemic-related budget cuts in 2021. Metro previously restricted lost and found storage to wallets and electronic items like phones, tablets, laptops and cameras.
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September 19, 2023, Fox 5 News
DC delays implementing fines for using bus lanes, extends warning period indefinitely
Vehicles that are allowed to use the lanes include public transit buses, tour buses, school buses, maintenance vehicles, emergency vehicles, bikes and scooters.
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Nick Iannelli, September 19, 2023, WTOP
DC Council makes e-bike subsidies available for residents
The bill creates a system where subsidies will be offered to residents based on income. The two-tiered system will provide subsidies at different levels, with greater dollar amounts available to residents who qualify for SNAP and TANF programs.
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Kate Ryan, September 20, 2023, WTOP
WMATA to revamp bus system and simplify routes with Better Bus, Better Names campaign
WMATA has opened a survey to ask the public how WMATA can name bus routes to make it easier for customers to understand and use the Metrobus system. The survey will be open until Sept. 28.
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September 18, 2023, Mass Transit Magazine
How to decide between light rail and bus rapid transit
Additionally, it is important to take a look at how transit usage and working from home has changed mass transit usage over the past few years. The demand to work remotely at least one or two days a week immediately cuts ridership.
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Wes Guckert, September 19, 2023, Streetsblog USA
A brand new neighborhood is coming to Richmond's Pulse bus rapid transit corridor
Located along Broad Street’s Pulse bus rapid transit corridor, the newly released Sauer Center master plan envisions over two million square feet of new construction in the middle of some of Richmond’s most in-demand neighborhoods.
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Wyatt Gordon, September 18, 2023, Greater Greater Washington
Viewpoint: Want workers back in the office? Stop Connecticut Avenue bike lanes.
Downtown landlords and businesses are not the only ones being threatened by this project. Over 120 Connecticut Avenue businesses have signed a Save Connecticut Avenue petition opposing the bike lane project.
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Paul C. Dougherty, September 18, 2023, Washington Business Journal
Maryland awards more than $11.5M in highway safety grants
The funds, distributed by the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office, are part of Moore’s efforts to increase safety on the state’s roadways through traffic safety initiatives.
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Liz Carey, September 18, 2023, Transportation Today
Tired of those confusing Metrobus route names? They could change soon — with your input
Metro is encouraging its customers to take a survey gauging how the transit agency can rename bus routes to make it easier for customers to understand. The online survey will be open for responses until Sept. 28.
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Luke Lukert/Kate Corliss, September 16, 2023, WTOP
Capital Bikeshare hits record high use in Alexandria this year
After a dip in 2020, Capital Bikeshare use in Alexandria has been on a rapid rebound and this year surpassed pre-Covid ridership.
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Vernon Miles, September 15, 2023, ALXNow
WMATA responds after social media videos appear to show drug use on Metro bus, train
WMATA responded to the video, which was posted on X, saying they've made Metro Transit Police aware and are continuing to add members to their crisis intervention team.
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Fox 5 DC Digital Team, September 14, 2023, Fox 5 News
Metro delays full switch to automated trains until next year
Transit leaders plan to start the conversion to automatic train operations (ATO) this fall by reinstalling an automatic rail car door system, which would be activated when trains stop at stations.
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Justin George, September 14, 2023, The Washington Post
The path to one million Metro rides a day starts with service enhancements
To achieve one million rides per day on Metrorail, regional leaders will first need to provide a dedicated funding source that invests in WMATA’s systems—Metrorail and Metrobus—for the long-term.
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Nick Sementelli, September 14, 2023, Greater Greater Washington
OmniRide continues push into Stafford; Proposes 3 commuter routes
With three new proposed bus routes, OmniRide aims to continue its push into Stafford County and the Fredericksburg region.
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Sarah Romero, September 13, 2023, Potomac Local News
Maryland transportation money projected to start to run short in 2 years
Maryland’s pending list of ambitious transportation projects — the Red Line in Baltimore, a Southern Maryland transit way and a new American Legion Bridge over the Potomac River — faced a brutal financial reality.
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Erin Cox/Ian Duncan, September 13, 2023, The Washington Post
How and why to start a walking school bus
The walking school bus website suggests starting small with a few families, a route, and a schedule. It’s easiest to begin by talking to families who live in a concentrated geographic area who need to get to the same school or co-located schools.
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Caitlin Rogger, September 13, 2023, Greater Greater Washington
Lee Chapel Road receives funds for improvement project
Fairfax County residents have been sounding the alarm about the dangers on Lee Chapel Road in Fairfax Station for years.
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Juliana Valencia, September 14, 2023, NBC4 Washington
Opinion: Fare evasion is a red herring
The loss of revenue from fare evasion is a drop in the bucket compared to the fiscal cliff facing major U.S. transit agencies.
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Diana Ionescu, September 13, 2023, Planetizen
More sidewalks and bike lanes could be coming to King Street near the Bradlee Shopping Center
The City of Alexandria announced today that it will start a King Street-Bradlee Safety and Mobility Enhancements Project later this month. The project will look at potential improvements to King Street just northwest of Quaker Lane along the Bradlee Shopping Center.
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Vernon Miles, September 12, 2023, ALXNow
Metro to hold public meeting tonight on proposals to improve service and reliability on the Blue, Orange, Silver lines
Metro’s current round of public engagement for the BOS Study, which started in mid-July and included hybrid public meetings in Virginia and Maryland, has resulted in over 3,000 public comments.
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September 12, 2023, WMATA
Summer heat means longer Amtrak trips, delays
These are just a few of the delays Amtrak passengers on the East Coast have endured this summer. A major culprit? Heat-related speed restrictions.
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David Andrews, September 12, 2023, Greater Greater Washington
Metro shutting down part of Red Line in downtown DC for 2 weeks in December
While Red Line service will be shut down, Blue Orange and Silver Line service will continue to run on the lower level of Metro Center and Green and Yellow Line service will continue to run on the lower level of the Gallery Place station.
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Jack Moore, September 12, 2023, WTOP
Am I on the wrong train? Where am I? Metro to pilot more user-friendly signage
By Thursday, a six-month pilot program will begin at the L’Enfant Plaza station, utilizing new signs that aim to make it easier for customers to pinpoint where they are, even if standing in in a system where all of the underground stations look similar.
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Neal Augenstein, September 12, 2023, WTOP
WMATA speaks out about 'subway surfing' social media trend
A Maryland congressman sparked a conversation about the dangerous "subway surfing" trend on Friday, requesting Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to speak out on the issue.
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Brittney Melton, September 11, 2023, WUSA9
Amtrak makes case in court for immediate takeover of Union Station
The station, which opened in 1907 in the heart of the nation’s capital, is owned by the federal government but is leased to and operated by other entities.
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Luz Lazo, September 11, 2023, The Washington Post
Virginia studies adding Beltway express lanes from Springfield to Maryland
The lanes would run from Springfield through Alexandria and across the Potomac River to Maryland.
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Adam Tuss, September 11, 2023, NBC 4 Washington
Due to parking restrictions and construction, the Mobile Commuter Store will not be at the L'Enfant location through October 12, 2023
Due to parking restrictions and construction, the Mobile Commuter Store will not be at the L'Enfant location through October 12, 2023. Read more...