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.

1st passenger flight using 100% sustainable fuel landing in DC

United flight 2701 from Chicago to Reagan National used 500 gallons of sustainable aviation fuel. Read more...
Laura Wainman, December 1, 2021, WUSA9

NTSB report on WMATA derailment: Wheelset problem has 'potential to create a catastrophic event'

On Wednesday, the federal agency issued a Safety Alert while also revealing its finding into the October derailment along the Blue Line in Arlington. Read more...
Tom Dempsey, December 1, 2021, WUSA9

Study: Better bike policy could prevent 15K U.S. deaths every year

If U.S. leaders take aggressive, but realistic, action to replace car trips with bike trips by 2050, they could prevent more than 15,000 premature deaths every year — and not just in traffic crashes, a new study finds. Read more...
Kea Wilson, December 2, 2021, Streetsblog USA

D.C. street closures planned Thursday for National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony

Street closures are planned Thursday in downtown D.C. for the National Christmas Tree Lighting on the Ellipse. Read more...
December 2, 2021, Washington Post

Mask mandates on transit expected to be extended into March

Mask mandates for transit — including on planes, trains and buses — are expected to be extended into March in the United States, sources confirmed to Reuters. Read more...
Caroline Vakil, December 1, 2021, The Hill

Brown: Why White's Ferry closed

In 2003, Hurricane Isabel destroyed a wooden wall on the Virginia landing. Ed Brown, my father and the previous owner of White’s Ferry, replaced it with a concrete retaining wall, believing it was within the public right-of-way. Read more...
Herbert O. Brown, November 30, 2021, Loudoun Times-Mirror

Chevy Chase to contribute up to $4 million to convert parking lots near Bethesda Farm Women's Market to parks

The town of Chevy Chase will contribute up to $4 million to a project in Bethesda that aims to convert a group of surface parking lots near the Farm Women’s Market to parks and open space. Read more...
Caitlynn Peetz, November 30, 2021, Bethesda Magazine

Greenbelt police to increase presence at Metro station after carjacking

Police are still looking for the suspects in a pair of recent carjackings in Greenbelt — one of which was reported outside the Greenbelt Metro Station. Read more...
John Domen, November 30, 2021, WTOP

Montgomery County's Ride On buses to stay free until July

Ride On buses in Montgomery County, Maryland, will remain free to ride until July 2022 Read more...
Rick Massimo, Jack Moore, November 30, 2021, WTOP

Bike infrastructure will help prevent crashes and fatalities, advocates and researchers say

There are 2,000 miles of road in Baltimore City. Only 10 of those miles include separated bike infrastructure that divides the road into distinct lanes for cars and bikes. Read more...
Julia Arbutus, Molly Castle Work, November 30, 2021, WTOP

Montgomery County could send relief to small businesses harmed by protracted Purple Line construction

Around 40 business owners affected by the ongoing construction of the Purple Line could receive up to $5,000 in state grants under a new program proposed in Montgomery County. Read more...
Ally Schweitzer, November 30, 2021, dcist

Howard Street Tunnel expansion project launches

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan led public- and private-sector leaders in breaking ground on the $466 million Howard Street Tunnel expansion project, which will reconstruct the 126-year-old freight rail tunnel to accommodate double-stack container trains to and from the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore. Read more...
Bill Wilson, November 30, 2021, Railway Age

Can e-mopedsharing help wean Americans off car ownership?

Electric moped sharing became one of the most rapidly growing alternatives to driving in cities around the world during 2021, a new report says — but its future in America may be more modest unless local policies catch up with the mid-speed mode. Read more...
Kea Wilson, November 30, 2021, Streetsblog USA

D.C. officers to target traffic safety around school zones, but some say it's not enough

D.C.’s  Metropolitan Police Department will dispatch officers to school zones throughout the District in hope of improving drivers’ behavior when they are near kids. Read more...
Jordan Pascale, November 29, 2021, dcist

Car-free transportation gets boost from U.S. grant program

A program that primarily funded highways during the Trump administration has pivoted away from roads in its new disbursement, marking a potential shift in infrastructure spending. Read more...
Laura Bliss, November 29, 2021, Bloomberg Citylab

Initial testing of weighted 7000 series trains complete, Metro officials say

WMATA officials say they are one step closer to getting the 7000-series trains back in service. Read more...
Tom Roussey, November 29, 2021, ABC7

Room to improve: Transportation struggles topic of Frederick forum

Living across the street from Frederick Health Hospital, JoAnn Coates-Hunter has watched recently released patients wait at the bus stop in all kinds of weather. Read more...
Mary Grace Keller, November 29, 2021, Frederick News-Post

Trucking industry hit by surging fuel prices, driver shortages at holiday season

With the holiday season in full swing, Randall Schuldt, a move manager with JK Moving Services says he’s felt it while driving cross country. Read more...
Justin Hinton, November 28, 2021, ABC7

Shootings, smoke affect service on Metro's Red, Yellow, Green lines

Two separate shootings on the Green Line and a malfunction that caused smoke on the Red Line disrupted service throughout the Metrorail system Monday. Read more...
Jack Moore, November 29, 2021, WTOP

Advocates to Biden: There's a better way to address rising gas prices

Sustainable transportation advocates are sending a clear message to Washington: the best way to address rising gas prices is to cut oil demand, not increase supply. Read more...
Kea Wilson, November 29, 2021, Streetsblog USA

Freight activity expected to grow 50 percent by 2050

U.S. freight activity will grow 50 percent to 28.7 billion tons between 2020 and 2050, and will double in value to $36.2 trillion, according to an industry forecast recently published by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics and the Federal Highway Administration. Read more...
Melina Druga, November 29, 2021, Transportation Today

Post-Thanksgiving air traffic easily hits pandemic high

Air travel hit a new pandemic high in the United States on Sunday, with nearly 2.5 million passengers passing through Transportation Security Agency (TSA) checkpoints. Read more...
Zachary Schonfeld, November 29, 2021, The Hill

Events: How congestion pricing can help manage demand for driving in cities

The third installment in our webinar series, “Getting There,” explores how road pricing (also known as congestion pricing) can help manage demand for driving in cities. Read more...
George Kevin Jordan, November 29, 2021, GGWash.org

Amazon on track to become largest US delivery service by early next year, executive says

Amazon is on track to become the largest U.S. delivery service by early 2022, the company's worldwide consumer business CEO, Dave Clark, told CNBC on Monday. Read more...
Olafmihan Oshin, November 29, 2021, The Hill

County proposes bus depot, restoration center at correctional facility site in Rockville

County officials have proposed redeveloping the roughly 40-acre site of a correctional facility in Rockville to also include a bus depot and a restoration center, but plans are preliminary. Read more...
Steve Bohnel, November 26, 2021, Bethesda Magazine

Lobbyists turn to infrastructure law's implementation

The $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill is enshrined into law, but the lobbying over its implementation is just getting started. Read more...
Karl Evers-Hillstrom, November 27, 2921, The Hill

Bus-driver shortage hurts D.C. region's ability to return to pre-pandemic transit service levels

Nearly two years into the pandemic, transit systems battling a decline in passengers and fare revenue in the Washington region are facing another hurdle: a bus-driver shortage that threatens their ability to resume normal operations. Read more...
Luz Lazo, November 26, 2021, Washington Post

Many climate activists support Biden's move to use oil reserve

Democrats and climate activists generally supported President Joe Biden's decision to release a record 50 million barrels of oil from America's strategic reserve, even as the move appeared to contradict his long-term vision of combating climate change. Read more...
Matthew Daly, November 24, 2021, Fox5

Transportation board approves funds to expand mobility options for seniors, people with disabilities

The D.C. region’s transportation board has approved more than $6 million to expand mobility options for seniors and people with disabilities. Read more...
Abigail Constantino. November 25, 2021, WTOP

Thanksgiving air traffic tops 2.3M, highest since 'low point' of pandemic

A spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration reported on Thursday that Thanksgiving air traffic had topped 2.3 million people the day prior, the highest since the “low point” of the pandemic. Read more...
Caroline Vakil, November 25, 2021, The Hill

Maryland's 'painful' toll backlog will linger long into 2022, officials warn

When the first wave of COVID-19 infections swept Maryland last year, the state Department of Transportation pulled toll-takers off the job as a safeguard against employees and motorists infecting one another with the new and mysterious virus. Read more...
Bruce DePuyt, November 24, 2021, WTOP

Metro buses will allow all-door boarding starting in 2022

Metro plans to outfit its entire bus fleet for two-door entry in a dual effort to reduce boarding times and prepare for the next health emergency. Read more...
Ally Schweitzer, November 23, 2021, DCist

Airport parking lots, garages filling up as passengers choose driving over transit and cabs

Airport parking lots and garages are filling up around the country as a surge in holiday flying coincides with more people opting to drive rather than using transit or ride-hailing services during the pandemic. Read more...
Ian Duncan, November 24, 2021, Washington Post

Metro won't run late service after Washington Football Team game Monday night

The team plans to alert fans in the stadium when they need to leave to get the last train and offer a special Lyft deal. Read more...
Ian Duncan, November 24, 2021, Washington Post

AAA: Nearly 1.3 million in D.C. area traveling for Thanksgiving

AAA is projecting that almost 1.3 million Washington-area residents will travel over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, an increase of more than 13% over last year, but nearly nine percent below pre-pandemic Thanksgiving travelers in 2019, which was the second highest travel volume on record for the holiday. Read more...
November 24, 2021, Inside NoVa

Man stabbed on Metrobus in Maryland after argument

A man was stabbed aboard a Metrobus on Tuesday morning in Prince George’s County after an argument with another person, Metro officials said. Read more...
Lori Aratani, November 23, 2021, Washington Post

Metro to make bus boarding possible at all doors, aiming to speed up service

Transit agency officials say they will install fare targets near rear doors, cutting down on the time it takes for riders to board. Read more...
Justin George, November 23, 2021, Washington Post

More than 100 drivers 'met up' in Silver Spring, leading to downtown chaos

No one was arrested, but traffic citations issued, police say; Hucker says 'lawlessness' must stop. Read more...
Dan Schere, November 22, 2021, Bethesda Magazine

As traffic fatalities rise nationally, survivors share memories of those killed on local roads

New Montgomery County safety advocacy group participates in World Day of Remembrance. Read more...
Andrew Schotz, November 23, 2021, Bethesda Magazine

Governor Hogan remembers victims who lost lives to impaired driving during holiday season

Governor Larry Hogan joined state officials and families for the 18th annual Maryland Remembers ceremony, which honors Marylanders who lost their lives to impaired driving. Read more...
November 22, 2021, ABC7

TSA security changes at DCA, IAD and BWI create long lines, confusion

This Thanksgiving all three major airports in the DC region are expecting to see their biggest crowds in almost two years. Those who haven’t flown during the pandemic will likely notice changes, especially at Reagan National Airport. Read more...
Tom Roussey, November 22, 2021, ABC7

Decision to pull most of Metro's trains from service was not made lightly, head of safety commission says

The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission is two years old, but last month it issued its most consequential order. Read more...
Justin George, November 23, 2021, Washington Post

Advocates hope 'inspired' RAISE grants are a taste of things to come

Late last week, the federal Department of Transportation wowed sustainable transportation advocates with its list of grantees for the RAISE discretionary grant program. Read more...
Kea Wilson, November 23, 2021, Streetsblog USA

Metrorail says limited service will last for rest of 2021

Metrorail will spend the rest of the year in a reduced service pattern, with no timeline established after October’s Blue Line derailment. Read more...
Alejandro Alvarez, November 22, 2021, WYOP

Ridesharing may help reduce alcohol-impaired crashes: study

More rideshare trips mean fewer alcohol-involved accidents, according to a new study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. The finding adds to a growing body of work suggesting that ridesharing may take the place of drunk driving. Read more...
November 22, 2021, The Dan

Flying taxis, hyperloops and driverless cars: Is it too early to start planning for future mobility?

"We know this technology is going to come, and we want to have the best framework in place when it does," said Jacques Coulon, transportation planning projects coordinator for the city of Orlando. Read more...
Jason Plautz, November 19, 2021, SmartCitiesDive.com

Thanksgiving holiday travelers are taking to the sky at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport

On Sunday, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport airport in Baltimore, Maryland, had a steady stream of people getting back to traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday. Read more...
Valerie Bonk, November 21, 2021, WTOP

A wall of memories — and an urgent message as D.C. struggles with a surge in traffic fatalities

The District has recorded as many traffic fatalities by mid-November as occurred in all of 2020. Read more...
Luz Lazo, November 19, 2021, Washington Post

Traffic safety measures sought on Connecticut Ave. in Montgomery County

Safety changes are being called for along Connecticut Avenue in Montgomery County, where a 72-year-old woman died from injuries suffered in a crash Tuesday. Read more...
Darcy Spencer, November 19, 2021, NBC Washington

A rising road death toll, yet virtually no U.S. lawmakers want to reduce the carnage

Fewer than 10 percent of members of Congress and just 13 percent of Senators have signed a pledge to end a national traffic violence epidemic that’s on pace to kill more American residents this year than in decades — and sustainable transportation advocates are demanding their representatives get off the sidelines now. Read more...
Kea Wilason, November 19, 2021, Streetsblog USA