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.

Red-light cameras are expanding across Arlington; more to come

Throughout August, violators will receive warning notices; beginning Sept. 1, the owners of vehicles caught on camera running red lights will receive $50 civil citations in the mail. Read more...
July 26, 2024, Gazette Leader

Fairfax man with visual disability says eliminated bus stops pose a safety concern

However, the bus stops were eliminated as part of a comprehensive service change to the Fairfax Connector in late June. The changes happened following significant analysis and public input, according to the county. Read more...
Matthew Torres, July 25, 2024, WUSA9

Bigger, stronger, safer: DC's new Douglas Street pedestrian bridge reopens

The bridge’s construction took three years and $17 million to rebuild after it collapsed in June of 2021 after being struck by the load of a large truck. Read more...
Jimmy Alexander, July 26, 2024, WTOP

Northern Virginia OmniRide users to face new schedule, higher fares

The OmniRide Express base fare will also increase from $9 each way to $11 each way; the reduced fare will be $5.50. The monthly unlimited pass will increase from $265 to $285. Read more...
Emily Seymour, July 25, 2024, Inside NoVa

Get ready for fun: Metro Fest Celebration at Branch Avenue Station this Saturday

Metro Fest is a community event open to the public at no cost. The event includes arts and crafts, games, entertainment, snacks, water, and Metro-branded giveaways. Read more...
July 25, 2024, WMATA

Carly Rae Jepsen responsible for highest ridership at Navy Yard Metro since 2019

The 45,000 trips is the highest number of trips since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Metro says overall ridership is up since last year, but still has not reached pre-pandemic levels.  Read more...
Matt Pusatory, July 24, 2024, WUSA9

Bike share, scooters break ridership record

Shared micromobility users in the United States and Canada took a record 157 million trips in 2023, according to a report from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). Read more...
Diana Ionescu, July 24, 2024, Planetizen

Micromobility ridership up 16% in US cities in 2023

Even as shared bike and scooter rides continue to grow, affordability and limited city resources threaten future success, according to a National Association of City Transportation Officials report. Read more...
Dan Zukowski, July 24, 2024, Smart Cities Dive

EPA awards more than $272 million to four mobility projects

The competitive program supports projects that will implement community-driven solutions to the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice and accelerate the clean energy transition in the U.S. Read more...
Mischa Wanek-Libman, July 24, 2024, Mass Transit Magazine

America is setting micromobility records — but that boom could go bust without public funding

According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials, which compiled the numbers, that increase happened in spite of a fragile micromobility ecosystem in which even popular programs have suddenly shut down. Read more...
Kea Wilson, July 24, 2024, Streetsblog USA

MD: Transit Services sees 22% increase in ridership in fiscal 2024

According to Mary Dennis, Transit Services’ communications manager, the increase in riders can be attributed to the department’s Travel Training program, as well as outreach initiatives from the department and service updates. Read more...
Apurva Mahajan, July 24, 2024, Mass Transit Magazine

OmniRide changes: fares increasing, routes discontinued

Notable changes include the combination and elimination of some routes, the introduction of new timetables, and updated routing for various Express, Metro Express, and Local routes. The OmniRide Express base fare also increased from $9 to $11 each way. Read more...
Uriah Kiser, July 23, 2024, Potomac Local News

Alexandria launching pilot program to make buses more wheelchair and scooter accessible

A small number of DASH buses will have the Q’Straint’s Quantum system installed. The system is designed to help those who use mobility assistance devices easily and quickly secure themselves on the bus. Read more...
Vernon Miles, July 23, 2024, ALXNow

State DOTs could fuel a resurgence in intercity bus travel

While the number of carriers, jobs, and passenger miles traveled in the industry were still only about half of their pre-pandemic levels in 2022, ridership has continued to trend upward in recent years.   Read more...
Eric Murphy, July 23, 2024, Streetsblog USA

Weekend Track Work: Metro to fix track issue with impacts to Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines on Sunday

Crews will be repairing a restraining rail on a curved track section with bad fasteners and broken studs that hold the rail down. Trains have been running through the area at reduced speeds. The repair will allow trains to run at usual speeds again. Read more...
July 23, 2024, WMATA

Amtrak begins Susquehanna River Rail Bridge Project in northeast Maryland

The first pre-construction work includes removal of remnant bridge piers from the Susquehanna River and utility upgrades in the town of Perryville, Md. In the Susquehanna River, an Amtrak contractor is safely demolishing and removing 10 remnant piers.  Read more...
July 22, 2024, Mass Transit Magazine

Metro seeks public's input to 'help shape transit' in the DMV

A post on the X platform from Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation said the 10-minute survey, “DMVMoves,” will gather information from the public’s experiences using transportation to “help shape transit in the D.C. region.” Read more...
Jenny Gable, July 22, 2024, DC News Now

States force green transition in public transportation despite taxpayer burden

In order to make that transition, cities will have to invest heavily in green infrastructure, like charging stations and batteries, or staffing electrical engineers. Read more...
Nolan Mckendry, July 21, 2024, Washington Examiner

Manassas awarded $3.8M in Northern Virginia Transportation Authority funds for new roundabout

The roundabout has been approved for funding from the authority after funding for the project was snubbed by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s RAISE grant program for the third time in 2022. Read more...
Cameron Delean, July 20, 2024, WTOP

Metro breaks ground on new Crystal City station entrance in Arlington

WMATA said the estimated $146 million entrance will sit at 18th Street and Crystal Drive. It will feature an above-ground entrance with fare gates, fare vending machines, two elevators, and a set of stairs that will take riders from a new mezzanine to the train platforms. Read more...
Odyssey Fields, July 20, 2024, DC News Now

Amtrak releases updated renderings of West Baltimore MARC Station

The new fully accessible station is a major part of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program, which will work to modernize and transform a 10-mile section of the Northeast Corridor through several infrastructure upgrades. Read more...
July 19, 2024, Mass Transit Magazine

ART bus storage at Virginia Square parking lot could continue one more year

The Arlington County Board, which is scheduled to vote on this item at a Monday meeting, approved plans to begin storing buses at the Quincy Street site, near Washington-Liberty High School, back in May 2022.  Read more...
Daniel Egitto, July 19, 2024, ARLNow

Stand on the right, walk on the left... or don't: UMD professor says unwritten Metro escalator rule is inefficient

It might be the biggest unwritten rule of Metro – when you're on the escalators, you stand to the right, and walk to the left. It's a message we holler at tourists and make memes about. Read more...
Adam Tuss, July 18, 2024, NBC4 Washington

'Data bikes' help governments understand bike path conditions

Local governments can use this data to build more resilient trails and understand problem areas. Planners can use the information to prioritize areas for improvement when applying for grants and developing maintenance plans. Read more...
Diana Ionescu, July 18, 2024, Planetizen

First light rail vehicle delivered to Maryland's Purple Line

It has 80 seats and a total capacity of 430 passengers, with space for up to eight wheelchair users and eight bike racks. Features include air-conditioning, a passenger counting system and audio-visual passenger information. Read more...
July 18, 2024, Railway Gazette

Supervisors sign off on Fairfax Connector fare increases

The new Fairfax Connector fees, set to take effect July 29, will see the base fare for local-bus service rise from $2 to $2.25 and from $4.25 to $4.80 for express-bus service. Read more...
Brian Trompeter, July 17, 2024, Gazette Leader

Fairfax supervisors OK new wish list for transportation funding

The Smart Scale Program, which was authorized by the General Assembly in 2014, prioritizes transportation projects using a weighted system that factors in congestion mitigation, accessibility, safety, environmental quality, economic development and land use. Read more...
Brian Trompeter, July 17, 2024, Gazette Leader

$607M in US DOT grants available for reconnecting communities

The funding available in this round includes allocations from fiscal years 2024 through 2026, the final year of the infrastructure law. According to the DOT, last year’s program was “oversubscribed and highly competitive.” Read more...
Dan Zukowski, July 17, 2024, Smart Cities Dive

Metrorail lowers train speeds as rail temps top 135?

Metro limited above-ground train speeds to 35 mph across the system as rail temperatures topped 135°, the agency said. The extreme heat can make the rails expand. Read more...
Adam Tuss, July 16, 2024, NBC4 Washington

Va. transportation board approves railway sale to support Southwest Va. passenger rail expansion

According to VPRA, the capital funds will help cover the purchase of the Manassas Line and infrastructure improvements in Roanoke to accommodate more trains and rights to run passenger service on Norfolk Southern’s Main Line, or N-Line, to Christiansburg.  Read more...
Nathaniel Cline, July 17, 2024, Virginia Mercury

Intense DC heat wave affecting Metro; riders searching for other transit options

On the street level, some Circulator buses were removed from service because of air conditioning problems, transit officials said. One bus on its dashboard showed that it was at one point 108 degrees outside. Read more...
Leonard N. Fleming, July 16, 2024, DC News Now

Fairfax Connector fares to increase for first time in seven years

The change was proposed by the Fairfax County Department of Transportation to bring its rates in line with Metrobus, which raised its base rate from $2 to $2.25 as of July 1. Read more...
Angela Woolsey, July 17, 2024, Inside NoVa

FRA announces $153M funding for intercity passenger rail services available

The funding, part of the Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Grant program will help with operating costs for projects that establish new service routes, or restore service on existing routes for intercity passenger operations.  Read more...
Liz Carey, July 16, 2024, Transportation Today

'This is a really good day for commuters': $40M in funding approved for Route 28 project in Va.

No houses will be removed, but some buildings, housing and businesses will be taken by eminent domain for the road improvement project, according to Roem, who said she is pleased that the project is based on ideas from area residents, commuters and workers. Read more...
Dick Uliano, July 16, 2024, WTOP

Metro wraps up feedback on major bus system overhaul, final vote due this fall

Now that the public comment period is over, Metro says they are reviewing the comments they received and will work over the summer to make some changes to the Better Bus Network proposal. Read more...
Tom Roussey, July 15, 2024, ABC7 News

Metro puts above-ground speed restriction in place due to heat; Blue, Yellow lines single-tracking due to track 'kink'

In a series of posts, WMATA said the single tracking was in effect between Pentagon City and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Commuters should expect an extra 20 minutes in their travel time.  Read more...
Gabby Allen/Brian Farrell, July 15, 2024, DC News Now

Fairfax County gets $50.5 million for new buses

Additionally, it will enable the Fairfax transit agency to make facility and station upgrades and buy support equipment for low- and no-emission buses. Read more...
Heather Zwicker, July 12, 2024, Fairfax County Times

Micromobility ridership surges in DC with 3.4 million trips through June

Through June, an estimated 3,379,600 trips have been recorded in 2024 by the four active micromobility operators in the District: Lime, Spin, Lyft, and Veo. Read more...
Samuel Littauer, July 15, 2024, Greater Greater Washington

D.C. bus system faces overhaul, with Monday deadline for public comment

As envisioned under the plan, lines would be renamed, buses would connect more Metro lines and travel more efficient routes, and new routes would be created.  Read more...
Rachel Weiner, July 12, 2024, The Washington Post

US transit leaders outline current challenges

In a survey of leaders at public transit agencies, close to half of respondents said their agencies are working to expand service, despite the drops in ridership experienced during the pandemic. Read more...
Diana Ionescu, July 14, 2024, Planetizen

$21.1M from NVTA to fund Crystal City-National Airport connection

NVTA also transferred $21.1 million previously dedicated to another NVTA-funded project in Arlington County to help pay for the Crystal City to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Multimodal Connection project, bringing the total number of funded projects in FY 2024-2029 to 24. Read more...
Michael O' Connell, July 12, 2024, Patch

Construction of new Crystal City Metro station entrance begins

The new entrance is expected to be completed in late 2027, as constructions is expected to take at least three years. It will be located at 18th Street South and Crystal Drive. Read more...
Christopher Thomas, July 13, 2024, WTOP