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.

Drastically reduced Metro service until at least Sunday as derailment investigation continues

Starting Tuesday and lasting at least until Sunday, Oct. 24, Metro said nearly all lines will continue to operate only every 30 minutes. The exception is the Red Line, where trains will operate every 15 minutes. Read more...
Jack Moore, October 18, 2021, WTOP

Even with cameras on Indian Head Highway, group says 'super speeders' still being clocked

Indian Head Highway, otherwise know as Maryland Route 210, is known as a dangerous highway because of how fast people drive. Read more...
Kyle Cooper, October 19, 2021, WTOP

WMATA removes all 7000-series cars following derailment

As part of the investigation into the Oct. 12 derailment on Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Blue Line, all 748 7000-series rapid transit cars were sidelined on Oct. 18. Read more...
Marybeth Luczak, October 18, 2021, Railway Age

Bus industry raises alarm, asks Congress for pandemic relief

Officials representing the private bus industry fear it could disappear unless Congress steps in, a coronavirus pandemic casualty that would wreak havoc on intercity travel, school buses, tourism, military transportation and disaster relief. Read more...
Rafael Bernal, October 19, 2021, The Hill

Tell SHA to keep protected bike lanes on MD 193/University Blvd.

Earlier this summer, the Maryland State Highway Administration enacted a temporary experiment by installing a protected bike lane on MD-193/University Boulevard, between Amherst and Arcola Ave, in Wheaton. Read more...
Garrett Hennigan, October 18, 2021, WABA

Potentially 'catastrophic' Metro issue linked to derailment first found in 2017: NTSB

Equipment problems that appear to have caused the Metro derailment in Northern Virginia last week have been known since 2017, a preliminary investigation by federal safety investigators showed. Read more...
October 18, 2021, NBC Washington

NTSB: Metro Blue Line train derailed 3 times that day before defect discovered

The D.C. Metrorail will pull almost 60% of its rail fleet from service on Monday, Oct. 18, after its safety oversight board found a recurring problem with the axles on the Metro's newest railcars, the agency said Sunday evening. Read more...
Anna Liss-Roy, October 18, 2021, WUSA9

Toyota plans to build $1.3 billion US battery plant, employ 1,750

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to invest $3.4 billion in the U.S. through 2030 to produce its own automotive batteries, including building a $1.3 billion battery plant that will employ 1,750 U.S. workers, the automaker announced Monday. Read more...
Karl Evers-Hillstrom

Metrorail limits service after pulling 60% of fleet for derailment investigation

Significant delays are in store for Monday commuters with Metrorail pulling more than half of its rail fleet out of service as it continues to investigate last week’s Blue Line derailment. Read more...
Alejandro Alvarez, Ivy Lyons, October 18, 2021, WTOP

Metrorail to operate reduced service Monday, October 18

As part of the investigation into the Blue Line derailment, Metro is holding out of service all of its 7000-series railcars, which is nearly 60% of its rail fleet. Without these railcars, Metro will operate about 40 trains tomorrow – offering a basic service pattern on all lines of trains departing about every 30 minutes. Read more...
October 17, 2921, WMATA

D.C.'s Metro pulls half of its rail cars over safety compliance problem

Washington D.C.'s Metro pulled more than half of its railcars Sunday night after the National Transportation Safety Board investigation found multiple axels out of compliance with manufacturing specifications. Read more...
Rachel Scully, October 17, 2021, The Hill

D.C. wants you to ride bikes. This month it raised the cost to ride Capital Bikeshare.

Capital Bikeshare, the Washington region’s bike-sharing system, quietly changed its pricing structure this month — and for the most part, it means riders are paying more. Read more...
Luz Lazo, October 16, 2021, Washington Post

Guide aims to help blind, low-vision pedestrians navigate Montgomery County streets

A first-of-its-kind guide aims to help Montgomery County, Maryland, make streets and roadways more accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. Read more...
Abigatil Constantino, October 15, 2021, WTOP

CSX earns award for emissions reduction program

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry have recognized CSX with a 2021 Climate Leadership Award. Read more...
Marybeth Luczak, October 15, 2021, Railway Age

Police and climate activists hurt in clashes at Interior Dept.

Police and climate activists clashed Thursday during protests at the Interior Department, with security personnel sustaining “multiple injuries” and one officer being taken to a hospital, agency spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said. Read more...
Ellie Silverman, October 14, 2021, Washington Post

Indigenous youths, climate activists to march to U.S. Capitol on final day of People vs. Fossil Fuels protests

Climate activists are concluding their five days of action in Washington with a march to the U.S. Capitol to demand that President Biden take more extreme measures to address climate change. Read more...
Ellie Silverman, October 15, 2021, Washington Post

Maryland sees increase in rainfall, flooding, and rising sea level in past 20 years: NOAA

Over the past 20 years, rainfall, flooding and sea level have increased across Maryland, according to data collected from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Read more...
Devon Milley, Clara Niel, October 14, 2021, ABC7

Green Line Metro service suspended due to stabbing aboard train near Anacostia

Green Line train service has been suspended due to a stabbing aboard a Branch Avenue-bound train near Anacostia. Read more...
October 14, 2021, Fox5

Weekend Road and Rail: Shutdown of I-66 and Md. 355; Metro single tracking

There is a possibility of rain Saturday night, but for now the Virginia Department of Transportation is planning to close Interstate 66 for a bridge demolition. Read more...
Mary DePompa, October 15, 2021, WTOP

Metro renovations will require 'extended shutdown' of Yellow Line service

Metro will embark on a series of renovations to a 1970s-era bridge spanning the Potomac River and nearby tunnels next year, resulting in an “extended shutdown” of Yellow Line service between L’Enfant Plaza and the Pentagon. Read more...
Debbie Truong, October 14, 2021, dcist

D.C. didn't ask Northam and Hogan to help crack down on ticket scofflaws

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser never reached out to the governors of Virginia and Maryland to negotiate reciprocity for automated traffic camera tickets, despite a District government report — signed by the mayor and submitted to the D.C. Council last week — saying that said she did. Read more...
Jordan Pascale, October 14, 2021, dcist

Normal service set to resume Friday amid ongoing investigation into Blue Line derailment

Normal service on Metrorail’s Blue, Orange and Silver lines are set to resume Friday, after two days of disruption following an investigation into a derailment that left hundreds of riders stranded. Read more...
Nick Ianelli, October 14, 2021, WTOP

Record number of guns caught at airport checkpoints this year

The Transportation Security Administration says it has found a record number of guns at airport checkpoints this year. Read more...
Jordan Williams, October 14, 2021, The Hill

3 Blue Line stations remain closed as derailment investigation continues

For a second day in a row, there will be no rail line service between the Rosslyn and Pentagon Metro stations on the Blue Line, as Metro continues to investigate a train derailment that left riders stranded during Tuesday’s afternoon commute. Read more...
Alicia Abelson, October 14, 2021, WTOP

USDOT releases climate adaptation, resilience plan

The U.S. Department of Transportation has published a climate action plan to ensure that “federally supported transportation infrastructure—as well as USDOT programs, policies and operations—both consider climate change impacts and incorporate adaptation and resilience solutions whenever possible.” Read more...
Marybeth Luczak, October 13, 2021, Railway Age

Southwest operations restored after spate of cancellations

Southwest Airlines on Wednesday said that its operations have been restored after canceling thousands of flights due to air traffic control and weather issues. Read more...
Jordan Williams, October 13, 2021, The Hill

Autonomous train demonstrated in Germany

Siemens Mobility and Deutsche Bahn (DB) recently presented the world’s first train that operates by itself in rail traffic in Hamburg, Germany. Read more...
Melina Druga, October 13, 2021, Transportation Today

Two fall onto tracks after Metro station dispute, transit agency says

Two people fell on the Metrorail tracks at a busy Northwest Washington station during a dispute at the height of the evening rush hour, according to the rail system. Both were taken to hospitals, a Metro official said. Read more...
Martin Weil, October 13, 2021, Washington Post

Hundreds of climate activists protest fossil fuel use outside White House

Hundreds gathered outside the White House fence in Washington D.C. Monday to protest the use of fossil fuels. They are calling on President Joe Biden to stop all fossil fuel projects. Read more...
October 11, 2021, ABC7

Over half a million people rode the Flash in its inaugural year. You can help Ride On plan for the future.

Montgomery County Department of Transportation is proud to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the county’s first rapid transit service – the Flash. Read more...
October 12, 2021, WTOP

Buses replace trains on 3 Blue Line stations as Metro investigates derailment

There will be no rail service between Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom Metro stations on the Blue Line Wednesday, as Metro continues to investigate a derailment that left several riders stranded during the Tuesday afternoon rush. Read more...
Abigail Constantino, October 12, 2021, WTOP

Bowser announces expedited traffic safety projects with "truncated" community engagement

In the midst of widespread anger over pedestrian safety after a number of high-profile crashes injuring and killing children, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced an expedited safety improvement process in a press conference Tuesday morning. Read more...
Libby Solomon, October 12, 2021, GGWash.org

COVID-19 drives gas, oil prices to their highest in 7 years

Gas prices are on the rise again, thanks to the highest oil prices in seven years, and industry analysts say they could go higher because of imbalances between supply and demand due to COVID-19. Read more...
Dick Uliano, October 11, 2021, WTOP

Capital Crescent Surface Trail and Tunnel will be reviewed by the Planning Board on October 14

The Montgomery County Planning Board will review and provide advisory comments to MCDOT on the Capital Crescent Surface Trail Phase 2 and Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) Under MD 355 projects on Thursday, October 14. Read more...
October 11, 2021, WashCycle

Southwest apologizes as flight cancelations mount

Southwest Airlines apologized Monday for the disruptions caused after nearly 2,000 flights were canceled over the weekend. Read more...
Monique Beals, October 11, 2021, The Hill

The bus should be free

If we want to liberate ourselves from car-dependency, save the planet, and right the wrongs of the past, the bus should be free. Read more...
Faith Walker, Wyatt Gordon, October 11, 2021, GGWash.org

How DC plans to address the impacts of climate change on transportation infrastructure

This summer’s extreme weather events have had a harmful impact on transportation infrastructure throughout the US. Read more...
Joshua Montgomery-Patt, October 11, 2021, GGWash.org

Democrats' electric vehicle push sparks intense lobbying fight

Democrats’ effort to spur electric vehicle (EV) adoption has set off an intense lobbying battle on Capitol Hill as car manufacturers jockey for influence over legislation that will shape the industry's future. Read more...
Karl Evers-Hillstrom, October 11, 2021, The Hill

Fire outside Philadelphia disrupts Sunday train traffic along busy Northeast corridor

A fire south of Philadelphia halted Amtrak operations in the Northeast Corridor for hours Sunday morning, stranding passengers aboard trains between Washington and New York. Read more...
Luz Lazo, October 10, 2021, Washington Post

Southwest cancels more than a thousand flights, cites air-traffic control issues

Southwest Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights this weekend amid air traffic control issues and weather, and the airline has not given an update as to whether the cancellations may continue. Read more...
Lindsay Watts, Tyler O'Neil, October 11, 2021, Fox5

Montgomery County DOT reports higher ridership; increases service and trip times beginning Sunday

Conklin said, the goal is to reduce wait times and make sure there is an expansion of services in place to better service communities as ridership returns. Read more...
Ayesha Khan, October 10, 2021, Fox5

D.C. may reduce area for residential parking permit holders

A new bill before the D.C. Council may shrink the area where your ward-specific, residential parking permit would apply in a couple of years. Read more...
Luke Lukert, October 10, 2021, WTOP

Takoma Park police team up with mechanics to stop catalytic converter thefts

Mechanics at an automotive shop in Takoma Park, Maryland, spent Friday afternoon etching serial numbers on catalytic converters and painting them. Read more...
Gigi Barnett, October 8, 2021, WTOP

64 Montgomery Co. bus routes see pre-pandemic schedules

In another sign that the pandemic is receding, Montgomery County has returned many of it’s bus routes to pre-pandemic levels. Read more...
Ivy Lyons, Dick Uliano, October 10, 2021, WTOP

Two Councilmembers say D.C. residential parking permit areas should be smaller

D.C. is redistricting its ward boundaries because of the new census figures, but changes to the District’s Residential Parking Permit boundaries could be more contentious than political boundaries. Read more...
Jordan Pascale, October 9, 2021, dcist

Less than 25 percent of office workers have returned to downtown D.C., new report says

City leaders had hoped that the hustle and bustle of downtown D.C. would be back by July 4. Then it was Labor Day. Read more...
Emily Davies, October 8, 2021, Washington Post

Va., Md. rebuff D.C.'s request to force drivers to pay traffic camera tickets

Virginia and Maryland’s governors say they won’t allow their respective DMV’s to hold their state’s drivers responsible for outstanding tickets and fines from D.C.’s traffic cameras, according to a new report filed with the D.C. Council this week. Read more...
Jordan Pascale, October 8, 2021, dcist

How less car-centric planning can benefit rural areas too

More than ever before, rural communities need policies that make it easier for residents to drive less, a new report argues — but the federal politicians who govern them are stonewalling the very legislation that could give it to them, like President Biden’s Build Back Better Act. Read more...
Kea Wilson, October 8, 2021, GGWash.org

64 Ride On bus route schedules changing Sunday

Montgomery County Ride On bus schedules are changing this weekend to increase frequency and improve service, the county said. Read more...
Colleen Martin, October 7, 2021, Takoma Park Patch

Asian man assaulted on Metro says he was targeted for his race

An Asian American man who says a group of kids poured coffee on him while he was commuting on Metro believes he and an Asian woman were targeted because of their race. Read more...
Aimee Cho, October 7, 2021, NBC Washington