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.
When carpool lanes cause mayhem
Carpool lanes may have originally been conceived as a way to mitigate highway widening by encouraging carpooling, particularly if buses use the corridor, which was the reason for the first two projects in Northern Virginia and New Jersey in 1969 and 1970, respectively.
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Irvin Dawid, October 24, 2025, Planetizen
Traffic congestion is a housing and transit problem, not a highway problem
Thankfully, there are better ways to reduce congestion, like building infill, affordable housing near jobs, schools, and transit hubs, plus adding bus, walking, and rolling options.
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October 23, 2025, Streetsblog USA
New West Alexandria Transit Center to open Nov. 2, replacing Landmark facility
The new facility represents a transportation goal first identified in the city’s 2008 Transportation Master Plan and reaffirmed in the 2021 Alexandria Mobility Plan. It will serve as a major transfer point for two future bus rapid transit routes, along with several local DASH and Metrobus routes.
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Ryan Belmore, October 23, 2025, ALXNow
Bus to Dulles, new Manassas Park garage add to transport options
The $35.2 million structure adds 740 spaces to the 600 spaces already available in a parking lot next to the station. Parking in the garage is free, according to Lindsey Martin, a Virginia Railway Express spokeswoman.
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Jill Palermo, October 22, 2025, Prince William Times
Commuter rail industry, facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities, set to convene in DC
Railroad leaders know that measuring the value of commuter rail to the communities it serves provides for powerful messaging and allows agencies to foster important allies.
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October 23, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine
From crisis response to daily commutes: location data powers smarter cities
Gridlocked traffic, rising emissions and the need to keep people safe while maintaining data privacy all demand smarter solutions. As recognized experts in maps and traffic data, TomTom helps governments and city planners keep their communities moving and protected.
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October 23, 2025, Planetizen
Virginia Railway Express opens new 740-space Manassas Park Station parking garage
Funding for the project was procured via contributions from I-66 Express Mobility Partners, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority , the I-66 Commuter Choice Program, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and the city of Manassas Park, Va.
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October 23, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine
Metro myths: Why local opposition may not be the only reason for Georgetown's lack of Metro
There is one consensus that advocates and skeptics of a Georgetown metro stop can reach—accessibility to public transport is not easy to accomplish.
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William San Jose, October 22, 2025, The Georgetown Voice
For better public transit, we need better stories
Public transportation provides many often-overlooked benefits. We can do better at communicating the value of transit investments. We have good stories to tell.
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Todd Litman, October 23, 2025, Planetizen
Nerd Alert: 'Subway Builder' video game lets you build your dream transit system
The game, Subway Builder, uses Census data to simulate ridership on Metro lines. Players can start with a budget or let their imagination go wild in a budget-free sandbox mode.
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Diana Ionescu, October 22, 2025, Planetizen
Metro to open at 5 a.m. for Marine Corps Marathon this Sunday
Metrorail will open at 5 a.m. to help thousands of runners get to the start line for the 50th Marine Corps Marathon, one of the region’s most celebrated annual events. Trains will run frequently throughout the day, making Metrorail the easiest way to get around and avoid traffic and road closures.
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October 22, 2025, WMATA
FABB joins regional call for better bike/ped infrastructure
In Northern Virginia, over 5,000 miles of planned bike and pedestrian infrastructure remain unfunded—at a projected cost of $9 to $30 billion.
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October 21, 2025, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling
How remote work is reshaping commuting patterns in the D.C. metro area
As more companies adopt flexible work policies, the familiar rush hour congestion on D.C. roads and transit systems has noticeably eased. Recent data shows a significant drop in weekday ridership on Metro trains and buses compared to pre-pandemic levels.
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Partner Corner, October 21, 2025, Scene
Road closures for 50th Marine Corps Marathon in DC, Arlington
Anyone hitting the road Sunday in the vicinity of Rock Creek Parkway, Georgetown, Downtown D.C., Rosslyn, Crystal City, Pentagon City or anywhere in between should beware, getting around will be difficult and potentially impossible. Residents are recommended to utilize public transportation or rideshare to get around the city.
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Thomas Robertson, October 22, 2025, WTOP
Federal workers can now ride MARC for free during government shutdown
Any individual with a federal ID badge can ride for free by showing their badge to a MARC or Commuter Bus operator. The goal is for the free rides to ease some of the strain felt by the "essential" federal employees working without pay until the shutdown ends.
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Maggie More, October 21, 2025, NBC4 Washington
What improvements should Metro make in the next 10 years?
Metro is looking at possibilities for its future, including an east-west rapid bus system with its own lanes.
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Adam Tuss, October 20, 2025, NBC4 Washington
Metro ridership drops as government shutdown drags on
Metro officials said that weekend numbers have remained steady, but overall ridership across both bus and rail has dropped about seven percent from last month’s weekday averages.
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Liberty Simmons, October 20, 2025, DC News Now
Route 7 BRT planners welcome feedback at recent Culmore open house
BRT aims to provide speedier, more efficient service than a traditional bus system through improvements that could range from something small, like signal prioritization, to full-fledged, dedicated travel lanes.
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Scott McCaffrey, October 20, 2025, FFXNow
Mode choice for urban mobility
In May 2025, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the replacement of the DC Streetcar with “next generation streetcars,” and the end of streetcar funding in two years. These “next generation streetcars” will be electric buses powered by the overhead lines currently being used by the fixed rail streetcar.
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Sohail Husain, October 17, 2025, Eno Center for Transportation
Wouldn't it be better to have more bike lanes?
Northern Virginia led the state with more than 31 miles of new bike infrastructure, and Fairfax County topped the list for new on-street bike lanes. That’s worth celebrating—but it’s a relatively tiny amount and a reminder of how far we still have to go.
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October 19, 2025, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling
Advocates: The Senate's chance to ensure America's public transit future is now
Congress is in the process of writing America's next big transportation bill — and more than 100 organizations are demanding it deliver for transit.
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Kea Wilson, October 20, 2025, Streetsblog USA
Maryland will provide free rail and commuter bus transit to federal workers during shutdown
“This is what Maryland does in times of crisis: We band together and we help each other out,” Gov. Moore said in a statement. “But while Maryland is mobilizing to ease the shutdown’s burden on our people, let’s be clear, no state can fill the gap created by the federal government.”
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Jeffery Leon, October 19, 2025, WTOP
Seven transportation agencies to discuss regional projects at Monday meeting
The event brings together the Commonwealth Transportation Board, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, Virginia Railway Express, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, and state rail agencies.
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Ryan Belmore, October 19, 2025, ALXNow
Anne Arundel County seeks to expand transportation mitigation
The multimodal approach to APF would require new development and some tenant improvement /redevelopment projects to build or improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to meet minimum “stress comfort levels.” Transit systems would also have to meet access and service frequency requirements.
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October 17, 2025, City Biz
Transportation Metro DC leaders drop express lanes planned for Woodrow Wilson Bridge, for now
Wednesday’s vote by the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board pulls the project for now, but directs the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to improve its studies and report back next year on the status and outcomes of its work with all relevant jurisdictions.
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Nathaniel Cline, October 17, 2025, Maryland Matters
How Southwest DC helped residents and visitors get around the neighborhood
The innovation district selected Circuit, a provider of electric shuttle services, for a pilot program. A fixed-route service and an on-demand service began in October 2022.
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Dan Zukowski, October 16, 2025, Smart Cities Dive
Can a video game help solve public transit in Baltimore?
“Subway Builder,” a new simulation game, allows amateur transit planners to remake the rail system in Baltimore and 25 other U.S. cities. Players start with a budget — or can play in a budget-free sandbox mode — to build Metro lines and attract commuters across the city.
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Daniel Zawodny/Greg Morton, October 9, 2025, Baltimore Banner
Budget cuts kill DC Streetcar a year ahead of schedule
Ridership on the streetcar never gained strength, in part because the line lacks a dedicated, blocked-off track and plans to extend it to more areas never materialized. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in May that the streetcar will be replaced by an electric bus using the same overhead wires in late 2028 or 2029.
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Diana Ionescu, October 15, 2025, Planetizen
Improving transit accessibility by offering assistive listening
Did you know that there are literally tens of millions of people worldwide with hearing loss, many of whom will use some form of public transit at some point? According to the CDC, the reported number of Americans with mobility-related disabilities is around 41 million, or about 12% of the country.
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Jim Scott, October 15, 2025, Metro Magazine
Proposed changes to bus commute along congested Route 7 gets public feedback from riders
According to project leaders, Envision Route 7 would increase access to transit by connecting stops and job centers along a 14-mile stretch, which could include changes like bus-only lanes and off-board fare collection to speed up bus service.
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Christian Flores, October 15, 2025, ABC7 News
Regional planners exclude VDOT's I-495 Express Lanes project from 2050 plan
The Express Lanes project was proposed by the Virginia Department of Transportation as a means of reducing congestion on one of the most heavily traveled stretches of the Beltway. It would span 11 miles between the Maryland Route 210 interchange near Oxon Hill and the Springfield interchange, connecting with Express Lanes in Springfield.
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Nate Doughty, October 15, 2025, Washington Business Journal
Clean transportation programs have supported $4.6B in investments: report
Federal clean transportation programs have supported $4.6 billion in investments and 14,400 jobs in domestic manufacturing, according to a recent report by Atlas Public Policy and the Coalition Helping America Rebuild and Go Electric (CHARGE).
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Melina Druga, October 16, 2025, Transportation Today
Every tap pays back for Metro riders: WMATA and FutureCard partnership delivers new Metro rewards in the DMV
Riders simply tap their FutureCard at faregates to enter and exit the Metro system and automatically benefit from 5% cashback and a $5 bonus when they ride ten times in a week.
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October 14, 2025, PR Newswire
This year's 'Week Without Driving' proved America needs more transportation choices
For many participants, the experience showed how much of daily life becomes more complicated without a car. Getting to work, buying groceries, or reaching a doctor often means crossing unsafe streets, waiting on unreliable buses, or paying for expensive rideshares.
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Emily Salazar, October 14, 2025, Streetsblog USA
Metro, Washington Spirit agree to partnership that promotes taking transit to games
Nearly 40% of fans coming to Spirit matches take public transportation to and from, making both the Metro bus and rail a primary form of transportation for the fanbase. So far in 2025, an estimated 56,000 fans have taken transit to Spirit games at Audi Field. The Spirit and Metro hope to get even higher ridership.
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October 14, 2025, WMATA
More buses, more riders: the case for frequent transit
Think of transit like the elevator at your workplace. It’s only useful if it actually comes in a reasonable time. For elevators, a reasonable amount of time is about 20 seconds, per Otis Elevators. For transit, a reasonable amount of time is about 7-8 minutes.
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Joshua Woods, October 14, 2025, Planetizen
The major transportation projects poised to change Greater Washington
Billions of dollars are reshaping how Greater Washington moves — from rails and roads to airports and bridges. Some major projects, years in the making, are nearing an end as others slog through delays and new ones break ground.
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Nate Doughty, October 14, 2025, Washington Business Journal
Goodbye, grody carpet: Metro retires 2000 series railcars
The 2000 series railcars with the iconic brown and orange seats and carpet are out of service forever. Carpeted railcars bring back memories for riders, but not necessarily good ones.
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Adam Tuss, October 13, 2025, NBC4 Washington
Decision looms on future of I-495 express lanes across Woodrow Wilson Bridge
The project, which has been pushed by the Virginia Department of Transportation since 2022, would add 11 miles of new express lanes from the Springfield Interchange in Fairfax County, Virginia, crossing the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and ending at the Maryland Route 210 interchange in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
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Mike Murillo, October 13, 2025, WTOP
Mastercard expands $2.50 public transit credit to more U.S. cities
Mastercard just expanded its Public Transit Benefit to 2 new cities, New York and Washington, D.C., bringing the total to 7 major cities where cardholders can get a $2.50 statment credit each month on eligible purchases.
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Chris Hassan, October 13, 2025, Upgraded Points