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.

Woman struck by Metro train near Rockville Metro

A woman suffered life-threatening, traumatic injuries after a Metro train struck her not far from the Rockville station Tuesday morning. Metro Transit police said in a tweet that the woman had climbed a fence next to the Metro tracks in Montgomery County. Read more...
Colleen Kelleher, February 25, 2020, WTOP

WMATA can't measure fare evasion, but still says it's a big problem

A new study from the DC Policy Center says there’s little or no evidence about how much fare evasion there is. Read more...
David Alpert, February 24, 2020, GGWash

Public Metro budget hearings start Monday

Metro’s first budget proposal hearing starts Monday evening. Read more...
Will Vitka, February 24, 2020, WTOP

Bethesda residents among those pushing to save rush-hour Metrobus into D.C.

WMATA is considering eliminating its D5 Metrobus route, which starts near the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Chesterbrook Road in Bethesda’s Westwood neighborhood, and runs to Farragut Square in D.C. Read more...
Dan Schere, February 21, 2020, Bethesda Magazine

Md. lawmakers propose financial support for businesses hurt by Purple Line construction

Everyone expected the construction of the Purple Line would lead to some disruptions for the streets and businesses near its path, but the duration of that disruption is far longer than some businesses expected. Read more...
John Domen, February 22, 2020, WTOP

HOV enforcement proves extremely difficult for police

More than 50,000 drivers in Maryland and Virginia have been cited or warned since 2017 for breaking HOV rules, the News4 I-Team has found, but they likely represent just a small fraction of the actual number of violators. Read more...
February 21, 2020, NBC Washington

Capital Bikeshare is bringing e-bikes back

After nixing its first electric bike initiative last year  over braking issues, Capital Bikeshare will introduce a fleet of 1,500 electric bikes to the region’s streets next month. Read more...
Colleen Grablick, February 21, 2020, dcist

Watchdog group seeks ethics investigation of Md. Gov. Hogan's transportation funding

A D.C.-based government watchdog group has filed an ethics complaint with the Maryland State Ethics Commission against Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. Read more...
February 20, 2020, WTOP

Lime CEO: We made a lot of mistakes and we've learned from them

Lime CEO Brad Bao admits his company has had its fair share of missteps on its way to building the world’s largest scooter-sharing company. Read more...
Matt McFarland, February 19, 2020, WTOP

Montgomery County Council, state delegation urge WMATA to restore Metrobus funding

Montgomery County Council members and state lawmakers are urging the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) to maintain service levels for four Metrobus routes targeted for cuts. Read more...
Dan Schere, February 19, 2020, Bethesda Magazine

D.C. lawmakers want civilian panel to review Metro Transit police abuse complaints

An unsanctioned competition between some Metro Transit Police officers to make arrests has D.C. lawmakers questioning the transit agency’s policing practices. Read more...
Abigail Constantino, February 19, 2020, WTOP

What are your thoughts on Metro's proposed fares, service changes?

Metro is seeking feedback on its proposed budget for the next fiscal year. Read more...
February 18, 2020, Reston Now

Next-Gen Acela enroute to TTCI

The first of 28 new Acela Express high-speed trainsets that Alstom is building for Amtrak in Hornell, N.Y., departed for the Federal Railroad Administration facility in Pueblo, Colo., for high-speed testing on Feb. 17. Read more...
David Briginshaw, February 18, 2020, Railway Age

Fairfax Connector bus drivers again warn of a strike

Two months after Fairfax Connector bus drivers and maintenance workers in Virginia returned to their jobs following a brief strike, more than 500 members of the Amalgamated Transit Union are threatening to walk off their jobs again on Thursday. Read more...
Dick Uliano, February 17, 2020, WTOP

Metro will close three Orange Line stations for three months this summer

Metro is preparing to shut down three stations on the Orange line from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day due to deteriorating conditions at several platforms. Read more...
Natalie Delgadillo, February 17, 2020, dcist

Metro must address train operator fatigue, maintenance issues

An exhausted train operator dozed off and forgot to stop a Green Line train at the Waterfront station during morning rush hour last June, a Washington Metrorail Safety Commission report on the incident revealed. Read more...
Margaret Barthel, February 17, 2020, WAMU

Proposed light rail for Southern Maryland aims to relieve some of America's worst traffic

This 18.7-mile-long light rail project, first proposed in the 1990s, would stretch from Branch Avenue at the southern end of WMATA’s Green Line in Prince George’s County to White Plains in Charles County, just south of the area’s largest community, Waldorf. Read more...
Alex Holt, February 17, 2020, GGWash

Gentrification in the D.C. area pushes people from homes and away from transit

The District’s most vulnerable residents, who had not historically relied on a car because they lived in dense urban zones, are being pushed into areas where having a car is necessary. Many can’t afford one. Read more...
Yulia Panfil, February 14, 2020, Washington Post

Man who fell onto Capitol South Metro tracks uses 'refuge area' to avoid oncoming train

In the train business, they’re called “under-platform refuge areas” and a man used one at the Capitol South station around 11 a.m. Sunday to avoid an approaching train after he tumbled onto the tracks. Read more...
Kristi King, February 16, 2020, WTOP

Climate Ride heading from Philly to D.C.

September 10-13, 2020, bicyclists will be riding from Philadelphia to Washington, DC on a peer-to-peer fundraising ride. Read more...
Jonathan Kincade, February 15, 2020, WABA

Metro safety audit shows a lack of checks, records and rules

The new safety commission overseeing Metrorail found several problems with how Metro maintains its tracks, including a failure to consistently check for heat-related buckling and kinks that could lead to derailments. Read more...
Justin George, February 14, 2020, Washington Post

Man struck by Metro train at Minnesota Ave.

D.C. Fire and EMS freed the man from beneath the train and took him to a hospital with critical injuries. Read more...
February 14, 2020, NBC Washington

Tech issues, conflicting standards hold back smoother Metro rides

A newly available internal review details Metro’s struggles in returning to faster, smoother automatic train operation after more than a decade. Read more...
Max Smith, February 14, 2020, WTOP

Metro train operator fell asleep at the switch, investigation finds

A Metro train operator fell asleep at the controls, leading to a rush-hour train blowing right through a station without stopping last year, a newly-finalized investigation concluded. Read more...
Max Smith, February 13, 2020, WTOP

Your dog is now welcome in (some) DC Ubers

Uber has launched Uber Pet in D.C. meaning Uber riders can bring along their dog or cat for an extra fee. But not all Uber drivers are available. Read more...
Jeff Clabaugh, February 12, 2020, WTOP

Significant problems found in Metro track safety and inspection department

Metro must fix inadequate, inconsistent or outdated track safety and maintenance policies that lead to some track workers essentially winging it and others skipping key maintenance or inspection procedures, the first-ever audit from the independent Washington Metrorail Safety Commission found. Read more...
Max Smith, February 13, 2020, WTOP

Metro Transit Police held a competition to encourage arrests, other enforcement

Metro Transit Police held a weekly contest to encourage arrests and other enforcement actions last summer before top commanders learned of the unsanctioned competition and shut it down, the transit agency confirmed Wednesday. Read more...
Justin George, February 12, 2020, Washington Post

Close calls, reform ideas shared at MoCo road safety forum

Montgomery County residents flocked to Wheaton High School on Sunday to discuss traffic safety at a Vision Zero town hall. Read more...
Alessia Grunberger, February 10, 2020, Takoma Park Patch

Interactive map promises to reduce traffic woes

Seeing where Metrorail, commuter rail, streetcars and Bus Rapid Transit exist now, and is proposed and planned for the future, promises to be a helpful tool for leaders who have a goal of putting 75% of new area housing near high-capacity transit or activity centers. Read more...
Kristi King, February 12, 2020, WTOP

Trump again asking Congress to slash Amtrak funding

The proposal to cut Amtrak’s subsidy by more than half renews the administration’s calls to reform the passenger rail system to focus on more profitable intercity routes. Read more...
Luz Lazo, February 11, 2020, Washington Post

Are electric vehicles really better for the climate?

The latest data affirms that driving on electricity produces significantly fewer emissions than using gasoline and is getting better over time. Read more...
David Reichmuth, February 11, 2020, Union of Concerned Scientists

WMATA wants your opinion on its next budget

The agency posted an online survey about the budget proposals. There will also be three public hearings. Read more...
David Alpert, February 11, 2020, GGWash