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.

Shady Grove, Rockville Metro stations reopened January 16

Metro is excited to welcome you back to Shady Grove and Rockville stations. Here is everything you need to know about service at the reopened stations and fun facts about the project. Read more...
January 20, 2022, WMATA

Airlines cancel, change flights despite 5G rollout delays

Multiple airlines canceled or delayed flights to the United States ahead of an anticipated 5G rollout scheduled for Wednesday even though wireless carriers agreed on Tuesday to pause the deployment around some airports, Reuters reported. Read more...
Cameron Jenkins, January 19, 2022, The Hill

Federal government launches bridge-formula program

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently launched the largest bridge-formula program in American history, made possible by the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in Pennsylvania. Read more...
Melina Druga, January 19, 2022, Transportation Today

Majority of US fleets cleared for 'low-visibility landings' at airports with 5G: FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday said that close to two-thirds of U.S. commercial fleets have been cleared "to perform low-visibility landings at airports" with the newly deployed 5G wireless service. Read more...
Caroline Vakil,January 19, 2022, The Hill

NTSB chief to fed agency: Stop using misleading statistics

With traffic fatalities spiking higher, the nation’s top safety investigator says a widely cited government statistic that 94 percent of serious crashes are solely due to driver error is misleading and that the Transportation Department should stop using it. Read more...
Hope Yen, Tom Krisher, January 18, 2022, Frederick News-Post

Pipe on Purple Line land in Silver Spring, sends water shooting into the air for hours

A pipe on Purple Line land began shooting water into the air for hours Sunday night, fascinating and scaring residents in the immediate area. Read more...
Kevin Lewis, January 17, 2022, ABC7

Snow to hit D.C. area, expect a slushy Thursday morning commute

Overnight rain, then snow, could create slow and slushy road conditions just as the morning rush hour heats up. Here’s the timing and how much snowfall is expected. Read more...
January 19, 2022, NBC Washington

Omicron forces Amtrak service cuts

Amtrak has been impacted by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which has sickened, albeit not killed, millions of people, even the fully vaccinated, creating staff shortages. Read more...
David Peter Alan, January 18, 2022, Railway Age

Airlines suspend US flights in response to 5G deployment

Numerous international airlines based outside of the U.S. have announced they will be suspending flights to certain U.S. locations due to the upcoming 5G deployment near airports. Read more...
Joseph Choi, January 18, 2022, The Hill

AT&T, Verizon to delay 5G rollout near certain airports

AT&T and Verizon on Tuesday each agreed to temporarily delay their 5G rollouts near certain airports amid concerns over possible flight disruptions. Read more...
Caroline Vakil, January 18, 2022, The Hill

Record number of handguns detected at airports in 2021

Throughout 2021, the Transportation Security Administration has shared news of incident after incident of guns being detected at airport security checkpoints. Read more...
Jack Pointer, January 18, 2022, WTOP

A shortage of bus drivers is causing problems for those who use public transportation

Frustration is growing among people who depend on public transportation as employees quit and agencies make major cuts. Read more...
January 17, 2022, NPR

Contemplating MARC expansion, Md. lawmakers look enviously at Virginia

Maryland policymakers and transit advocates are contemplating a bigger and better future for the state’s MARC commuter rail service. Read more...
Josh Kurtz, January 18, 2022, WTOP

Washington, D.C., approves 25-year strategic plan for multimodal transportation system

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) recently approved moveDC 2021, a goal-based strategic plan establishing a 25-year vision for the district’s multimodal transportation system. Read more...
Melina Druga, Janury 18, 2022, Transportation Today

Low overnight temperatures brings refreeze, icy conditions to DC region

As most people head back to work Tuesday after the MLK holiday, low overnight temperatures throughout the D.C. region will refreeze wet spots created from Sunday’s storm, creating icy and slick conditions for the morning commute. Read more...
Jose Umana, January 18, 2022, WTOP

U.S. Department of Transportation announces historic bridge investment program under Infrastructure Law

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it was launching a historic Bridge Replacement, Rehabilitation, Preservation, Protection and Construction Program (Bridge Formula Program) as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Read more...
Liz Carey, January 17, 2022, Transportation Today

Airlines warn of 'catastrophic' crisis when new 5G service is deployed

U.S. airlines and cargo carriers on Monday warned that the new 5G wireless service set to deploy Wednesday could ground flights, potentially stranding thousands of Americans overseas and delaying the delivery of key goods. Read more...
Karl Evers-Hillstrom, January 17, 2022, The Hill

WMATA eyes trackside wheel inspection tech

The Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (WMATA) 7000-series rapid transit cars will be out of service for another 90 days, the agency reported on Jan. 13; it said it is acquiring technology to measure the cars’ wheelsets, which have been under inspection since an Oct. 12, 2021 Blue Line train derailment. Read more...
Marybeth Luczak, January 14, 2022, Railway Age

More than 2,000 Sunday flights canceled due to weekend storm

The flight-tracking website FlightAware reported 2,280 canceled flights on Sunday as of Saturday night. Read more...
Brad Dress, January 16, 2022, The Hill

Amtrak conductor dies after falling off train heading from Boston to DC

An Amtrak conductor has died after falling off the train she was working on near the Westerly train station, according to Westerly Police Chief Shawn Lacey. Read more...
January 15, 2022, ABC7

Weekend winter storm set to bring snow, sleet, rain and damaging wind

Snow develops Sunday afternoon. Read more...
January 16, 2022, WUSA9

Prince George's County planners are setting a vision for transportation, looking toward 2035

The public has the opportunity to weigh in on plans last updated more than a decade ago. Read more...
Ian Dumcan, January 14, 2022, Washington Post

Omicron deepens bus driver shortage, frustrating passengers as transit agencies pare back service

The fast-spreading variant has thrown transit agencies into crisis as they try to fill shifts and keep routes operating. Read more...
Justin George, January 15, 2022, Washington Post

MDOT MTA Purple Line won't open until late 2026, project costs have gone up too

The 16-mile light-rail project has experienced a shake-up in its contracting team, as well as supply chain challenges, rising material costs and labor shortages. Read more...
Mischa Wanek-Libman, January 14, 2022, Mass Transit

Metro is listening to local government, developers – not riders – when it comes to station re-naming

In recent months, local officials have been asking Metro to change the name of stations in their area to reflect a revitalized neighborhood, and Metro has largely been granting their preferred choice. That’s despite public surveys done by Metro that often show riders don’t like or agree with the new names. Read more...
Jordan Pascale, January 13, 2022, dcist

Unveiled: Amtrak P-42 honoring OLI's 50th anniversary

The diesel locomotive, unveiled during a ceremony at Washington (D.C.) Union Station, will run on Amtrak’s national network, the railroad reported. Read more...
Marybeth Luczak, January 13, 2022, Railway Age

How the 7000-series train outage makes Metro less accessible

Service times have suffered without the railcars, which make up more than half of Metro’s fleet. But it wasn’t until my recent ride that I realized the lack of 7000-series trains is also an accessibility issue. Read more...
Jonathan Paul Katz, Jauary 14, 2022, GGWash.org

Winter Storm Watch issued in DC area with snow, wintry mix expected Sunday

More winter weather is on the way Sunday as the D.C. area braces for the potential impacts of snow and freezing rain. Read more...
Jessica Kronzer, Jose Umana, January 14, 2022, WTOP

Biden to tout new bridge program at infrastructure law's 60-day mark

The Biden administration on Friday is launching a new multi-billion-dollar bridge investment program funded by the $1.2 trillion infrastructure law that will provide funds to repair bridges across the country. Read more...
Morgan Chalfant, January 14, 2022, The Hill

Metro hopes to bring back service after 'tough period'

Omicron continues to hit the Metro system — and area riders — hard. Read more...
John Aaron, January 13, 2022, WTOP

Metro says 7000-series trains won't return until mid-April at earliest

On Thursday, Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld announced that he will not return any 7000-series trains for “about 90 days” to buy engineers and mechanical experts more time to analyze the root cause of the wheelset problems that have kept the trains off the tracks on and off for months. Read more...
Amanda Michelle Gomez, January 13, 2022, dcist

Metrobus riders report buses not showing up, issues with real-time location data

Metrobus customers have been having a rough week as the transit agency reduced service this week. Riders say some buses aren’t showing up on time, or at all, leading to long waits in frigid temperatures. Read more...
Jordan Pascale, January 13, 2022, dcist

Capital Bikeshare and Metro extend free rides for mobile SmarTrip card offer through June

Have you been thinking about switching to a mobile SmarTrip card? It’s not too late to get 10 free Capital Bikeshare rides for your efforts, after CaBi and Metro expanded a partnership until June. Read more...
Libby Solomon, January 13, 2022, GGWash.org

40 years ago, a 737 crashed into the 14th Street Bridge during a snowstorm, killing 78

The date also marked the first deaths on the Metrorail system after a train derailed. Read more...
Ian Duncan, January 13, 2022, Washington Post

Weather Service warned VDOT of heavy snow threat ahead of I-95 disaster

Before and during the crippling snowstorm that brought traffic to a standstill on Interstate 95 on Jan. 3, the National Weather Service made information available about the heavy snow threat to the Virginia Department of Transportation on multiple occasions. Read more...
Jason Samenow, January 13, 2022, Washington Post

'Potential increasing' for major winter storm to impact the D.C. area

You may have already heard, but a major winter storm is expected to hit the Mid-Atlantic this weekend, and may bring more accumulating snow to Northern Virginia. Read more...
January 12, 2022, Inside NoVa

Amtrak pays $2.25M to passengers with disabilities over station access

Amtrak paid $2.25 million to more than 1,500 people as part of a disability discrimination lawsuit settlement, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday. Read more...
Rebeca Falconer, January 13, 2022, Axios

Man arrested after pistol-whipping Metrobus driver, police say

A man has been arrested after he allegedly pistol-whipped a Metrobus driver in D.C. on Tuesday night. Read more...
Thomas Robertson, January 12, 2022, WTOP

Maryland's Purple Line opening delayed to 2026, will cost $1.4 billion more

Riders looking forward to the much-anticipated Purple Line in Maryland will have to wait more than four years before the first passengers can take a ride,  and it’s going to cost over $1 billion more than expected to complete. Read more...
Abigail Constantino, January 12, 2022, WTOP

D.C. to upgrade 75,000 streetlights with energy-efficient LEDs

D.C. transportation officials announced, after a years-long process, that they’ve selected a contractor to conduct the city-wide lighting upgrade, at a cost of $309 million. The work is scheduled to begin this spring and be completed within two years. Read more...
Jacob Fenston, January 12, 2022, dcist

Shady Grove and Rockville Metro stations to reopen Sunday

Metro expects both stations to reopen Sunday following a four-month closure for canopy work and a delay. Read more...
Will Vitka, January 12, 2022, WTOP

Maryland tolling chief James F. Ports Jr. becomes state transportation secretary

James F. Ports Jr., the former chief of Maryland’s tolling authority, became state transportation secretary Tuesday after his predecessor, Gregory Slater, left for a job in Florida, state officials said. Read more...
Katherine Shaver, January 11, 2022, Washington Post

SoberRide finds success over holiday period

While the count was impacted by the ongoing pandemic, 461 individuals in the Washington region availed themselves of a SoberRide free ride home during the holiday period, the sponsoring organization said on Jan. 6. Read more...
January 11, 2022, Inside NoVa

Man stabbed on Metrobus in Northeast DC

Officials say a man was stabbed while riding a Metrobus in Northeast D.C. Tuesday evening. Read more...
Alanea Cremen, January 11, 2022, WUSA9

Montgomery County Public Schools requests National Guard assistance to help with bus driver shortage

The Maryland National Guard has been requested in Montgomery County to help with its school system's bus driver shortage, according to a county official, who said the county is going to have a tough few weeks as covid cases continue to rise across the region. Read more...
Kolbie Satterfield, January 11, 2022, WUSA9

Thousands of United employees call out sick, forcing flight cancellations

United Airlines is canceling and rescheduling an unspecified number flights over staffing shortages from COVID-19 infections, CEO Scott Kirby said in a memo to staff on Monday. Read more...
Sarakshi Rai, January 11, 2022, The Hill

Ride On service will decrease because of bus driver shortage

The latest surge in the coronavirus has caused Montgomery County to reduce Ride On bus service, beginning Jan. 16. Read more...
Steve Bohnel, January 10, 2022, Bethesda Magazine

D.C.: Lessons from Washington Metro, America's last great subway system

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) is simultaneously a deeply impressive piece of infrastructure and a perennial frustration for residents of the nation's capital. Read more...
Jake Blumgart, January 10, 2022, Mass Transit

USPS decarbonization plan is weak, say advocates

Sustainability leaders are furious at the United States Postal Service for dragging its feet on ditching gas-powered mail trucks and other vehicles — and the agency doesn’t seem to be seriously considering non-automotive mail delivery options, either. Read more...
Kea Wilson, January 10, 2022, Streetsblog USA

In 2021, drivers nearly erased most of 2020 climate wins

U.S. transportation emissions climbed back to two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels during 2021 — and that modest reduction was almost entirely attributable to decreases in air travel rather than decreases in gasoline consumption, a new study finds. Read more...
Kea Wilson, January 10, 2022, Streetsblog USA