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.

AI will aid transit, not transform it

Some transit vehicles will become autonomous, as well, and future iterations may well include Waymo-style vans and shuttles. More immediate are AI applications that optimize routes, signals, and back-office support for human-operated buses. Some transit systems are already using them. Read more...
John Hood, June 25, 2025, The Carolina Journal

OmniRide ridership surges, prompting overcrowding concerns on key commuter routes

Commissioners raised questions about how ridership trends align with overall population growth. Staff explained they track commuter lot capacity and development trends — not just raw population figures — to guide service decisions. Read more...
Uriah Kiser, June 24, 2025, Potomac Local News

DASH and WMATA secure $14.9 million for Alexandria transit projects

This funding, part of the I-395/95 Commuter Choice Program, aims to reduce traffic congestion in Northern Virginia by enhancing public transit options. Read more...
Ryan Belmore, June 24, 2025, ALXNow

Alexandria City Council receives update on proposal to use DASH buses for high school student transportation

The initiative, which has been under study for five months through a joint City Council and School Board subcommittee, aims to provide student transportation that is safe, reliable, effective, and efficient while supporting environmental goals and potentially reducing costs. Read more...
Ryan Belmore, June 24, 2025, ALXNow

Which American cities are becoming bike-friendly the fastest?

America has a new most-bikeable city, according to a prominent ranking — but the real story may be the dozens of communities that are sparking a revolution in rapid cycling investments, even if they haven't claimed a spot in the top 10 just yet. Read more...
Kea Wilson, June 24, 2025, Streetsblog USA

A manifesto for a next-generation streetcar

The lack of fast and direct east-west connections has been frequently noted as a particular problem for the District’s transportation system. Read more...
Scott Burger, June 24, 2025, Greater Greater Washington

Challenges for drivers and walkers in Silver Spring with Purple Line construction

It’s part of ongoing construction on the Purple Line in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties that’s made it hard to access some areas. That work has led to financial losses for some businesses; MDOT has offered grants to some of the impacted small businesses. Read more...
Kyle Cooper, June 24, 2025, WTOP

Metro's faster trains and "Better Bus" launch mark biggest overhaul in decades

WMATA aims to make bus the backbone of the D.C.-area's transportation system by 2030. Many of the changes are an attempt to solve transportation disparities and provide access to underserved communities, given 60% of Metrobus riders are low-income and 83% are people of color. Read more...
Anna Spiegel, June 23, 2025, Axios

Blue Line closures to disrupt Alexandria Metro Service in July

Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield stations will be out of service during this time. WMATA is offering free shuttle buses to replace train service at these stations, along with free parking. Read more...
Ryan Belmore, June 23, 2025, ALXNow

New data suggests increased flooding risks for D.C. region's roads and transit systems

The FEMA data previously used exclusively for the analysis found that, when counting both coastal/river flooding and urban flooding, about 14% of roads, 4% of bus stops, 7% of rail stops and 39% of rail line-miles were at risk. Read more...
Scott McCaffrey, June 23, 2025, FFXNow

Metro says it's so hot that train must go slower

An excessive heat warning was issued for the DC Metro area on Monday. The extreme heat is expected to last through Wednesday. Read more...
Alanea Cremen, June 23, 2025, WUSA9

Major Metrobus and Metrorail changes take effect across the DC region

Later this month, Metrobus will undergo a full system redesign aimed at making routes faster, simpler, and more frequent without increasing fleet size. Read more...
Miracle Gross, June 23, 2025, Fox 5 News

Bikeshare Beat: Ridership shifts into high gear with over 690K rides

May 2025 was the second-busiest month in Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) history, with a total of 691,727 trips recorded across the regional micromobility network. This marks a 34.2% increase over May 2024, continuing a strong springtime surge in ridership. Read more...
Samuel Littauer, June 23, 2025, Greater Greater Washington

Metro unveils new Metrorail map ahead of expansion to Red and Silver Lines starting Sunday

Beginning Monday morning, Red Line trains will be more frequent, running every four minutes, compared with five minutes now during weekday rush periods, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced in a statement. Read more...
Dan Ronan, June 21, 2025, WTOP

Metrorail making service expansion changes beginning Sunday

E-bike trips surge by 47% – the key findings from the 2025 Lyft Multimodal Report

Its 2025 Multimodal Report highlights a series of programme milestones celebrated by the operator and its partners last year. These include 15 years of operation for Washington D.C’s Capital Bikeshare programme – a system that continuously exhibits year-on-year growth in the rapidly evolving shared micromobility industry. Read more...
Sela Musa, June 19, 2025, Zag Daily

MDOT MTA publishes BMORE BUS plan

The agency conducted community engagement sessions to gather feedback and confirm the top priorities of riders and non-riders. MDOT MTA says the BMORE BUS plan reflects not only the latest travel data, but also incorporates nearly 1,000 comments from the public. Read more...
June 18, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

'Car culture' still dominates in the US, survey finds

Survey respondents saw private vehicle ownership as a necessity, with more than 42% saying public transit is difficult or impossible for them to use. Read more...
Benton Graham, June 17, 2025, Smart Cities Dive

WMATA begins automatic train operation on entire rail system

This development marks the first full return to ATO since 2009. The full rollout followed internal training and testing and concurrence from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. Read more...
June 17, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

The entire D.C. bus network is changing June 29. Here's what to know.

On June 29, every Metrobus line in the D.C. area will change. Some will disappear, others will go farther than they used to or down different streets. Hundreds of stops are disappearing, and all the routes have new names. Read more...
Rachel Weiner/Dylan Moriarty, June 18, 2025, The Washington Post

Ride On Reimagined bus service changes begin Sunday, June 29

The Ride On bus service changes will bring streamlined connections to Metrorail, prevent overlap with routes serviced by Metro Bus and allow for more reliable service where demand is high. The Metro Bus changes are based on recommendations derived from responses to the WMATA Better Bus network study. Read more...
June 16, 2025, MCDOT

With protected lanes, 460% more people commute by bike

The study author notes that “while standard bike lanes increase the number of bicycle commuters compared to streets with no bike infrastructure, protected bike lanes and buffered bike lanes encourage even greater numbers of bicycle commuters.” Read more...
Diana Ionescu, June 16, 2025, Planetizen

VA: Bus service coming through Danville sets record for ridership

“This record-breaking ridership is a testament to the growing demand for safe, reliable, and affordable transportation options across Virginia,” Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation Director Tiffany Robinson said. “Virginians are choosing the Virginia Breeze because it is a service they can count on, operating 365 days a year. Read more...
June 17, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

After a decade of delays, Potomac Shores VRE station nears construction start

At a June 5 meeting of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), officials confirmed that the parking garage and station access infrastructure—critical components of the overall project—are “just about to get wrapped up.” Read more...
June 17, 2025, Potomac Local News

Metro's first weekday with automated trains on all lines met with weather challenges

Monday afternoon, 7News asked Metro if the agency was using ATO due to the day's rainy weather. A spokesperson responded that trains were operating manually in areas with above-ground stations, but were using ATO in tunnels. Read more...
Tom Roussey, June 17, 2025, ABC7 News

If the Rock Creek Parkway reversible lanes end, how will traffic spillover be managed?

Of all these options, the northern DC to Foggy Bottom commuters are, fortuitously, both the easiest to serve with improved transit and bicycling and the most common. Investments should be focused on their needs first. Read more...
David Edmondson, June 16, 2025, Greater Greater Washington

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

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