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.

Masks are still required in planes, trains and buses despite loosened CDC guidelines

Fully vaccinated people traveling in buses, trains and airplanes must continue to wear a mask, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday, even as it said they could go without one in most other indoor settings. Read more...
Ian Duncan, May 13, 2021, Washington Post

Here are things that might change about your commute this fall

While more companies outline plans to bring employees back, many workers are still likely to do their jobs from home. Read more...
Lori Aratani, May 14, 2021, Washington Post

Weekend Metro schedule

Here's what to expect if you're taking the Metro this weekend. Read more...
Alessia Grunberger, May 14, 2021, Takoma Park Patch

MetroAccess contract dispatchers end strike over wages

More than 100 MetroAccess reservation-takers and dispatchers went on strike Friday in a dispute with a Texas-based transportation provider over pay and working conditions. Read more...
Michael Laris, May 14, 2021, Washington Post

Montgomery County strikes deal to electrify Ride On buses

AlphaStruxure, an energy-as-a-service company, will help Montgomery Co. transition at least 44 Ride On buses from diesel to electric power. Read more...
Alessia Grunberger, May 14, 2021, Takoma Park Patch

Metro's Red Line single-tracking in Maryland after person struck by train

Trains on Metro’s Red Line were sharing a track between the Twinbrook and Grosvenor stations in Maryland after a person was struck by a train at the White Flint station, officials said Friday. Read more...
Justin Wm. Moyer, May 14, 2021, Washington Post

Joint Economic Committee releases report on infrastructure investments

America invests less in infrastructure than its peers, a new report for the U.S. Congress’ Joint Economic Committee (JEC) released Wednesday said. Read more...
Liz Carey, May 14, 2021, Transportation Today

Washington D.C. DOT to invest $10M in road improvements

The Washington D.C. District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will be investing $10 million to improve the safety of intersections and roads. Read more...
Melina Druga, May 14, 2021, Transportation Today

What does WMATA's non-dire 2022 budget mean for an equitable recovery in DC?

Thanks to an influx of $729 million in federal relief after fare revenues collapsed in 2020 and early 2021, WMATA’s FY2022 budget restores about 80 - 85% of pre-pandemic service levels for train and bus, respectively, from June. Read more...
Caitlin Rogger, May 14, 2021, GGWash

Metro expects most pre-pandemic riders won't return this year amid an altered future for transit

The transit agency will regain only about 42 percent of its pre-pandemic riders by the end of the year, according to a new report. Read more...
Justin George, May 13, 2021, Washington Post

Metro waives fee for events that end after normal closing time

The temporary fee waiver and extended rail service will be provided until Dec. 31 when needed for the Capitals, Nationals and other events. Read more...
Mark Hand, May 13, 2021, Arlington Patch

Metro bus service to ramp up without rail fare discounts

Metro will take more steps toward a return to normalcy next month with additional bus service. Read more...
John Aaron, May 13, 2021, WTOP

Weekend Road and Rail: Paving in Md., sign work in DC, detour in Va.

The weather forecast is looking good for road work in the D.C. area over the weekend. Here’s what you need to know. Read more...
Mary DePompa, May 14, 2021, WTOP

Riders say frequent cleaning, ability to social distance will encourage them to return to Metro

About 55% of riders surveyed said more frequent cleaning of buses or trains would make them more likely to take transit. Read more...
May 13, 2021, dcist

New bill would help measure transportation access for non-drivers

A new bill would give U.S. communities money to analyze how easy -- or difficult -- it is for residents to access the destinations they need most, and how their mode of transportation, race, income, age, disability, and other factors that affect their basic mobility. Read more...
Kea Wilson, May 13, 2021, Streetsblog USA

Have an expired Maryland license? Get it renewed before Aug. 15.

The Motor Vehicle Administration will resume requirements to renew state-issued documents after an extension during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more...
Luz Lazo, May 13, 2021, Washington Post

Agreement allows buses to switch from diesel to electric

Montgomery County has reached an agreement with AlphaStruxure for an integrated microgrid and electric bus charging infrastructure project at the Brookville Bus Depot  in Silver Spring. Read more...
May 13, 2021, Bethesda Magazine

MDOT hosts meeting on University Blvd. bike lane project

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration is hosting a virtual presentation Thursday so residents in Montgomery County can learn more about the shared streets pilot project coming to University Boulevard in Wheaton. Read more...
Will Vitka, May 13, 2021, WTOP

Modern Mobility: Happy Bike Month

May is Bike Month, and from what I’ve seen out and about so far, lots of you are already celebrating. Read more...
Chris Slatt, May 12, 2021, ARLnow

As long lines reported at local gas stations, D.C.-area officials urge drivers not to panic buy

Some local gas stations are experiencing fuel shortages as the effects of a ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline late last week ripple through the region. Read more...
Dominique Maria Bonessi, May 12, 2021, dcist

Maryland Department of Transportation shrinks plan to supersize Beltway

Maryland’s Department of Transportation announced a proposal to drastically reduce its Beltway expansion project, a part of the state’s years-long effort to reduce congestion on the Beltway and I-270. Read more...
Colleen Grablick, May 12, 2021, dcist

Amid rising road deaths, Bowser pledges $10 million for more speed cameras, street improvements

With traffic deaths happening at the fastest pace in recent years, Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday that she’s dedicating $10 million to add speed cameras across D.C. and make changes at dangerous intersections. Read more...
Jordan Pascale, May 12, 2021, dcist

Study: Cycling rates low unless women are riding

Around the world, cities that do the best job of catering to the needs of women cyclists also have the highest level of cycling overall, a new study finds -- and the U.S. has among the lowest share of female-identified riders on the planet. Read more...
Kea Wilson, May 13, 2021, Streetsblog USA

Metro is behind on training and safety protocols, audit says

Metro is not keeping up with preventive maintenance, lacks needed safety certifications and is not training employees on how to maintain the system’s complex equipment and machinery, the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission said in a new audit. Read more...
Justin George, May 12, 2021, Washington Post

Toyota predicts most of its vehicles will still use gas in 2030

Toyota on Wednesday predicted that most of its U.S. vehicles would still use gasoline in 2030, though the company signaled a commitment to developing hybrid and electric vehicles. Read more...
Joseph Choi, May 12, 2021, The Hill

Officials seek state study on MARC Brunswick Line

The administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration will meet with several elected officials from Frederick and Montgomery counties as they seek a study about improvements on MARC’s Brunswick Line. Read more...
Ryan Marshall, May 11, 2021, Frederick News-Post

Drivers line up at DC-area gas stations in fueling frenzy

Lines of vehicles were seen at D.C.-area pumps, as drivers filled up on gas following a cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline -- the biggest fuel pipeline in the U.S., delivering about 45% of what is consumed on the East Coast. Read more...
May 12, 2021, WTOP

Dispatchers who connect riders with disabilities to MetroAccess vote to authorize strike if necessary

Dispatchers who connect people with disabilities to MetroAccess paratransit vans are threatening to strike. Read more...
Jordan Pascale, May 11, 2021, dcist

Inside Berlin's free cargo-bikeshare program

This sounded like such a simple and brilliant solution to a challenge that anyone without a car (or who shares a car with other family members and can’t always use it) has probably faced. Read more...
Rachel Quednau, May 12, 2021, Streetsblog USA

Airlines start to feel Colonial Pipeline pinch

Fuel supply shortages from the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack are hitting airlines at a time when the industry is just beginning to emerge from the coronavirus recession. Read more...
Alex Gangitano, May 11, 2021, The Hill

D.C. parking enforcement will resume June 1 after suspension for pandemic

D.C. officials said Tuesday that parking enforcement suspended for the coronavirus pandemic will return June 1. Read more...
Justin Wm. Moyer, May 11, 2021, Washington Post

Reps. Crawford, Rouzer, Cohen introduce legislation prioritizing transportation workers for PPE, vaccines

U.S. Reps. Rick Crawford (R-AR), David Rouzer (R-NC), and Steve Cohen (D-TN) introduced the legislation Friday that would give priority to transportation workers when it comes to personal protective equipment and vaccines. Read more...
Liz Carey, May 11, 2021, Transportation Today

Where DC drivers have jumped curbs in May (so far)

In the first 10 days of May alone, we’ve counted at least six separate reported incidents of drivers crashing their cars where they’re not supposed to be: into sidewalks and buildings. Read more...
Libby Solomon, May 11, 2021, GGWash

Buttigieg labels infrastructure a national security issue

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pointed to a ransomware attack on a major U.S. pipeline providing energy to much of the East Coast as he suggested funding the country's infrastructure needs amounts to a national security issue. Read more...
Dominick Mastrangelo, May 11, 2021, The Hill

D.C.'s Lafayette Square opens gates to pedestrians for first time in nearly a year

The tall metal fence that has surrounded Lafayette Square for nearly a year opened Monday morning -- to the delight of tourists and relief of D.C. residents, who took cautious steps forward into the center of the park. Read more...
Marissa J. Lang, May 10, 2021, Washington Post

Survey: Metrobus riders return in greater numbers, but Metrorail's ridership looks bleak

Results of a new survey of pre-pandemic Metro riders show that although a majority of bus riders have now returned, rail ridership's present and future still look bleak. Read more...
Tom Roussey, May 10, 2021, ABC7

BWI Marshall sets passenger departures record over Mother's Day weekend

BWI Marshall Airport experienced its busiest day for departing passengers on the Friday before Mother’s Day since Maryland first announced a state of emergency due to COVID-19 in March 2020. Read more...
Glynis Kazanjian, May 10, 2021, WTOP

Survey finds support for maglev in Prince George's; officials skeptical

Public discourse regarding a proposed high-speed train running between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. has been dominated by a vocal group of project opponents, particularly in Prince George’s County. Read more...
Bruce DePuyt, May 11, 2021, WTOP

Metro wants to temporarily drop fees for special events

One of the ways Metro is hoping to entice riders back to the system is to waive the fees it charges for keeping the trains running during events in the D.C. area. Read more...
Abigail Constantino, May 11, 2021, WTOP

Rebirth of the streetcar

During the past 40 years, the streetcar has rebounded from the precipice of the grave. Read more...
David Peter Alan, May 10, 2021, Railway Age

Drivers stole 20% of bike/walk dollars last year

A fifth of the largest pot of federal money that’s explicitly promised to active transportation users instead went to drivers last year -- and advocates say it’s critical that we pass legislation that makes it harder for states to misuse the funds. Read more...
Kea Wilson, May 10, 2021, Streetsblog USA

Events: Get the latest on a protected bike lane project on 15th Street NW

The District Department of Transportation and the National Park Service are holding a public meeting to offer updates on the extension of the 15th Street NW Cycletrack, this Wednesday from 5:30 pm to 7 pm. Read more...
George Kevin Jordan, May 10, 2021, GGWash

Don't panic over fuel shortage from halted pipeline, expert says

With a critical U.S. pipeline struggling to resume operations after a cyberextortion attempt, an industry expert is tempering fears of a gasoline shortage and spikes in prices -- as long as the public doesn’t panic. Read more...
Alejandro Alvarez, Mike Murillo, May 10, 2021, WTOP

A $73 billion bill could speed up electric bus adoption in the US

Two Democratic senators want to give (almost) the same amount of funding to transit agencies to electrify nation’s bus fleet as President Biden promised to private drivers to electrify their cars. Read more...
Kea Wilson, May 10, 2021, GGWash

Gas prices set to rise after pipeline cyberattack

Gas prices are expected to rise following a ransomware attack targeting Colonial Pipeline Company last week that forced the company to shut down a major fuel pipeline. Read more...
John Bowden, May 10, 2021, The Hill

Customs officers and nurse help save infant's life at BWI Marshall Airport

Their job is to inspect planes, but on Wednesday afternoon, three U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers dropped their normal duties to help save an infant’s life. Read more...
Mike Murillo, May 7, 2021, WTOP

Out-of-state drivers owe more than $167 million to Maryland

The state tolling authority is being urged to negotiate reciprocity agreements with neighboring states to recoup the tolls. Read more...
Luz Lazo, May 7, 2021, Washington Post

Miles of George Washington Parkway will see lane reduction as part of plan to boost safety

The National Park Service is planning to put parts of Northern Virginia’s George Washington Memorial Parkway on a “road diet,” the agency says, reducing the number of travel lanes on the southern part of the route. Read more...
Justin Wm. Moyer, May 8, 2021, Washington Post

New research released on e-scooters

The scooters can be found in cities and in the suburbs and are used as a quick inexpensive way to get around. But where do they belong? On the street -- the sidewalk -- bike lanes? Read more...
Bob Barnard, May 7, 2021, Fox5

State to embark on next phase of Central Maryland transit plan

The Maryland Transit Administration and five metro Baltimore jurisdictions announced on Thursday that they are moving forward with their joint pursuit of improved transportation options for the region. Read more...
Bruce DePuyt, May 7, 2021, WTOP