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.

Md. publishes 18,000-page environmental impact assessment of proposed I-270, I-495 expansion

The state of Maryland has released its long-awaited draft environmental impact assessment for the Hogan administration’s controversial Beltway expansion project. Read more...
Margaret Barthel, July 10, 2020, dcist

Weekend Metro schedule: buses replace trains, more rail work

If you are taking the Metro this weekend, here's what to expect. Read more...
Alessia Grunberger, July 10, 2020, Takoma Park Patch

Purple Line dispute continues on whether contractors can leave job in late August

Tensions are heightening in the dispute between Purple Line contractors and Maryland officials over whether the contractors can leave the job. Read more...
Briana Adhikusuma, July 10, 2020, Bethesda Magazine

Former Redskins player pleads guilty to defrauding Metro

A former NFL player who played in Washington during the early 1980s has pleaded guilty to defrauding Metro of more than $300,000. Read more...
Rick Massimo, July 10, 2020, WTOP

Four Arlington transportation projects to receive regional funding

Four major transportation projects in Arlington will receive tens of millions in regional funding, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority announced today. Read more...
July 10, 2020, ARLnow

States are deferring billions of dollars of transportation projects

Leaders of state transportation departments across the nation say the coronavirus pandemic has left them facing an estimated $50 billion shortfall in funding needed to repave rutted and pockmarked roads, maintain bridges and otherwise prop up already shaky infrastructure. Read more...
Ian Duncan, July 10, 2020, Washington Post

Commuters confident slug lines will make a comeback

Slug lines were bare in mid-March during the coronavirus pandemic. As things slowly start to reopen, some commuters are also returning to slugging. Read more...
Marcella Robertson, July 10, 2020, WUSA9

Metro board to consider making bus rides free for low-income residents

The Metro board on Thursday asked its staff to look into proposals for free or reduced-fare travel for low-income Metrobus riders, adding momentum to initiatives by D.C. officials to provide residents with free transit. Read more...
Justin George, July 9, 2020, Washington Post

D.C. will add quick-build bus lanes as part of its COVID-19 response

Buses and cyclists will soon have a little more room to traverse the streets as the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced plans today to establish three dedicated lanes throughout DC, with construction starting late July. Read more...
Caitlin Rogger, July 9, 2020, GGWash

Federal workers are returning to the office. Some members of Congress say they shouldn't be.

With the number of coronavirus cases increasing across much of the country, leading members of Congress on civil service issues are challenging orders by federal agencies for teleworking federal employees to return to their regular worksites. Read more...
Eric Yoder, July 9, 2020, Washington Post

Metro agrees to solar power deal worth $50 million

Metro has sold 13 football fields’ worth of space at its parking lots and garages in the District and Prince George’s County for a solar power project worth up to $50 million over 25 years, the transit agency said Wednesday. Read more...
Justin George, July 8, 2020, Washington Post

Could outdoor 'streeterys' become a permanent fixture across the DMV?

Outdoor "streeterys" are becoming increasingly popular across the DMV as restaurants continue to reopen. Read more...
Nicole DiAntonio, July 8, 2020, WUSA9

Red Line train derails after operator overruns red signal, Metro safety commission says

A Metro Red Line train derailed in Silver Spring on Tuesday, after the operator ran a red light signal, the agency responsible for safety oversight of Metrorail said. No one was injured in the mishap in which two cars left the tracks. Read more...
July 7, 2020, Washington Post

Did a Prince George's detective have just cause to break a cyclist's jaw?

Lawyers for a Prince George's County man are seeking witnesses or surveillance video after an encounter with an undercover police officer left 30-year-old Dioni Martinez with a badly broken jaw. Read more...
Bruce Leshan, July 7, 2020, WUSA9

Md. gets $45k to stop drug-impaired driving

The Maryland Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Association (MDOT MVA) has been awarded a grant aimed at reducing drug-impaired driving in the state. Read more...
Zeke Hartner, July 7, 2020, WTOP

How the pandemic might be changing people's perceptions about bike rides

A D.C. bicycling advocacy group wants to know how the coronavirus pandemic has changed the role that bikes play in people’s lives. Read more...
Kristi King, July 7, 2020, WTOP

Lawmaker wants to boost building high-rises at Montgomery County Metro stations

A Montgomery County, Maryland, lawmaker believes that high-rise buildings near Metrorail stations could be the answer to the housing needs in the county. Read more...
Mike Murillo, July 6, 2020, WTOP

Metro is inquiring about plans for returning to work

Metro is on a fact-finding mission so it can develop plans for increasing levels of rail and bus service as the D.C. region gradually reopens. Read more...
Kristi King, July 6, 2020, WTOP

TSA: July 4 weekend air travel down 70 percent compared to last year

U.S. air travel over the July Fourth weekend dropped significantly this year over last year as Americans remain wary of mass transit amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Read more...
John Bowden, July 6, 2020, The Hill

USDOT announces $3M campaign against child vehicular heatstroke

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Transportation would launch a $3 million public safety campaign to reduce the number of child vehicular heatstroke deaths in America. Read more...
Liz Carey, July 6, 2020, Transportation Today

No federal mandates for masks on planes or empty middle seats

The Trump administration is urging airlines to leave some airplane seats empty to help protect travelers and crew members from the coronavirus but it is stopping short of requiring airlines to keep seats open to create physical distancing on flights. Read more...
David Schaper, July 2, 2020, WAMU

People are driving less and skipping the toll roads, leaving less money for local projects

Add another victim to the list of industries hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic: toll road operators. Read more...
Luz Lazo, July 4, 2020, Washington Post

Construction work continues to advance at Reagan National

Passengers may be in relatively short supply at the moment, but work continues on the new 14-gate concourse pier at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Read more...
July 2, 2020, Inside NoVa

MPD officer struck by Metrobus weeks ago goes home Thursday

A Metropolitan Police Department officer who suffered significant injuries after being hit by a Metrobus in May will be released from the hospital Thursday. Read more...
Khalida Volou, July 2, 2020, WUSA9

Md. to begin restoring normal MTA bus, subway, light rail, MARC service in July

The Maryland Transit Administration, which limited service in March on its buses, subway, light rail and trains to curb the spread of the coronavirus, will begin the process of restoring more normal service in July. Read more...
Colin Campbell, July 1, 2020, Mass Transit

Are you planning to ride Amtrak during the pandemic? Here's what you can expect.

A spokesperson said as restrictions start to ease and as services are being restored, Amtrak has enhanced safety and cleaning protocols. Read more...
Kristen Powers, June 30, 2020, WJLA

What happens to public space when everything moves outside

As restaurants and bars dramatically expand their outdoor seating, questions are emerging about who gets to occupy the streets. Read more...
Feargus O'Sullivan, June 29, 2020, Bloomberg CityLab

D.C.'s first streatery in Adams Morgan proves popular, with more on the way

D.C.’s first streatery pilot along 18th Street in Adams Morgan appeared to be popular over the weekend. Read more...
Hannah Schuster, Jordan Pascale, June 29, 2020, dcist

As reopening plans continue, how can D.C. keep pollution at bay?

A pandemic induced shutdown is a harsh way to achieve cleaner air, but it has done just that. Read more...
Ethan Goffman, June 29, 2020, GGWash

Metro expands bus service, reopens 15 stations closed to due COVID-19 pandemic

As of Sunday, June 28, Arlington Cemetery is the only Metro train station that remains closed, and that's because the cemetery is still closed to the general public. Read more...
Lesly Salazar, Tom Roussey, June 29, 2020, WJLA

Metrobus reallocates bus service to prevent overcrowding

With the D.C. region slowly reopening after a monthslong coronavirus shutdown, Metrobus is reallocating buses to provide more frequent service and up its capacity for passengers starting Monday, June 29. Read more...
Alejandro Alvarez, June 29, 2020, WTOP