All Commuter News stories gathered from Washington, D.C. area sources over the past two weeks are listed below. Stories can be sorted by topic using the links immediately below. For older stories, see the Commuter News archives.
D.C. might bring back vehicle safety inspections
D.C. Councilman Jim Graham is considering introducing emergency legislation that would resume mandatory safety inspections for vehicles in the District after photographs of hazardously damaged cars were brought to his attention.
By Alana Goodman, March 15, 2010, Examiner
read more...
Metro aims to use travel training to help disabled passengers and save money
With Metro facing a projected $190 million budget gap for the coming fiscal year, new emphasis is being placed on helping people with disabilities be more independent.
By Nicole Norfleet, March 15, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
MARC Penn Line schedule changes
Major Amtrak track work scheduled to begin today will impact Penn Line commuters. The Penn Line schedule will shift every 4 to 5 weeks as work progresses north on the tracks.
By Mark Berman, March 15, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Man, 19, stabbed at Rockville Metro station
A 19-year-old man was stabbed Saturday at the Rockville Metro station after a dispute that began several miles away turned violent at the busy transit hub, Rockville police said.
By Henri Cauvin, March 14, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
For Metro's strapped budget, a wealth of ideas but not cash
The list of options already was pages long when board members told the staff to look again to make sure the document included every concept that was legal and technically feasible from any responsible source.
By Robert Thomson, March 14, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Bethesda Metro station briefly closes Friday
An electrical short circuit on a third-rail insulator sent light smoke through the METRO station near the intersection of East-West Highway and Wisconsin Avenue Friday night, closing the station shortly before 7:30pm.
March 12, 2010, WUSA 9
read more...
Metro steps up security to combat robberies
With Blackberries and iPods everywhere, police want to make sure Metro riders are aware of an alarming crime trend. They say thieves may be riding next to you and your electronic device could be their next target.
March 12, 2010, ABC 7 News
read more...
The weekend and beyond
This weekend marks the return of Daylight Saving Time, not that we're going to see much daylight, according to the Capital Weather Gang's rainy forecast. Here are some other issues you need to know about as you travel in the D.C. area this weekend and next week.
By Robert Thomson, March 12, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Commuters: Get paid $2 a day to carpool
"As long as you work in the Washington, D.C. region and you form a new carpool, you would qualify to participate," says Commuter Connections Director Nicholas Ramfos.
By Veronica Robinson, March 12, 2010, WTOP
read more...
'Withering' report says Metro needs 3 years to be turned around
Transit expert David L. Gunn gave a blunt assessment of Metro's management, financial and service problems to its board of directors Thursday, predicting that it will take three years to turn the nation's second-busiest transit system around, according to Metro officials and sources.
By Ann Scott Tyson, March 12, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Metro Board looks to past GM for ideas
Metro is still struggling to get itself on the right track after deadly accidents and major financial problems. Now, it has brought back a former general manager to get his point of view, and he did not pull out any punches. (video)
By Roz Plater, March 12, 2010, myfoxdc.com
read more...
Metro train derails in DC rail yard
Metro officials say a train with no passengers aboard derailed in a rail yard.
March 12, 2010, myfoxdc.com
read more...
Slow year ahead on Metrorail
Metrorail will continue to perform at a sub-par level for the rest of this year. That's the way Metro board member Chris Zimmerman assessed this afternoon's report to the board from Metro's chief of rail operations.
By Robert Thomson, March 11, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
AAA, others back Md. negligent-killing-by-auto bill
The legislation would fill a gap between the traffic offense of negligent driving and the felony of vehicular manslaughter -- a charge that is difficult to prove without evidence of extreme negligence such a drunk driving.
By Michael Dresser, March 11, 2010, Baltimore Sun
read more...
U.S. traffic fatalities fall in 2009
According to a release from the U.S. Department of Transportation, traffic fatalities nationally reached the lowest level since 1954.
March 11, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Md. bill bans reading text messages
A bill that would prohibit drivers from reading text messages is advancing through the Maryland legislature.
By Ashley Halsey III, March 11, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Md. bill could remove "gross negligence" standard for drivers who kill
Too many drivers at fault for deadly car crashes are walking away with nothing more than a fine. That's the argument in support of a bill in Annapolis to toughen the state's vehicular manslaughter laws.
March 11, 2010, WJZ News
read more...
Metro weekend service changes
Track maintenance on the Red and Blue lines this weekend (March 12-14) will cause inbound and outbound trains to take turns sharing one track. Additionally, 15 Metrobus lines will be detoured for weekend activities.
March 11, 2010, WMATA
read more...
Police advisory board looks to keep Montgomery bikers safe
A shoulder on some of the winding roads through the rural upcounty is all Tim Guilford and fellow cycling enthusiasts want.
By Andre L. Taylor, March 10, 2010, Gazette.Net
read more...
Details of Metro's new line in works
Where will the eastern terminus of the Silver Line be? As I understand it, the western terminus will be at Dulles International Airport; it will run from there to West Falls Church, where it will join the Orange Line tracks and continue east to . . . where?
By Robert Thomson, March 11, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
8-car trains an endangered species?
The Washington region's travelers are about to engage in a complex and consequential debate over how to preserve the Metro transit system. A focal point will be the round of budget hearings set to begin March 22.
By Robert Thomson, March 10, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Chain Bridge closed for next two weekends
The Chain Bridge will be closed the next two weekends so the D.C. Department of Transportation can complete reconstruction work that has been postponed for months.
March 11, 2010, WTOP
read more...
Alexandria DASH fares to rise July 1
Alexandria DASH fares will go up 25 cents July 1, and Arlington ART bus fares might not be far behind.
By Christy Goodman, March 11, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Pennsylvania Ave. to have dedicated bike lanes
The center of Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the Capitol soon may be reserved for just two things: the president's inauguration and people riding bicycles.
By Ashley Halsey III, March 11, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Google Maps loves bicyclists
In a partnership with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Google Maps added more than 12,000 miles of trails, bike lanes, and recommended routes for more than 150 cities (and counties, like ours truly) across the U.S., according to The Official Google Blog.
By Paul DeMaio, March 10, 2010, CommuterPageBlog
read more...
Bike directions added to Google Maps
Google on Wednesday launched bicycle directions for Google Maps making it easier for cyclists to plan routes in 150 U.S. cities including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Portland and Washington, DC.
By Ian Paul, March 10, 2010, PC World
read more...
Report: Dozens of speed restrictions slow Metro trains
Metro's trains are running slower, but dozens of track problems are adding to the delays caused by the jerky, manually operated trains.
By Kytja Weir, March 10, 2010, Examiner
read more...
Delay choosing Loudoun Metro site
Taxpayers could be footing the bill for construction delays if Loudoun supervisors can't soon decide whether they want to leave the planned Metrorail station where it is or move it to a location a few hundred feet away.
By Crystal Owens, March 10, 2010, Loudoun Times
read more...
More Metro funding demanded by coalition to avoid service cuts
A coalition of activists launched a petition this week to press governments in Virginia, Maryland and the District to increase funding for Metro by $74 million to help stave off service cuts and fare increases.
By Ann Scott Tyson, March 10, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Metrorail's on-time decline
Metrorail's on-time performance dropped sharply after the trains went on manual control following the June 22 Red Line crash, according to a Metro staff report.
By Robert Thomson, March 9, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Metro: Red Line crash cost $25.5 million
Metro's deadly June 22 Red Line crash cost the transit agency $25.5 million by destroying rail cars and damaging track, according to a Metro memo.
By Kytja Weir, March 9, 2010, Examiner
read more...
Bike the Blossoms 2010
WABA will again have its bike valet, and Bike and Roll and NPS will again do tours of the blossoms, via the going out gurus.
March 9, 2010, WashCycle
read more...
Penn Line faces disruption
An Amtrak maintenance project between New Carrollton and Baltimore will disrupt the schedule for riders on MARC's Penn Line for the next six months, the Maryland Transit Administration says.
By Robert Thomson, March 8, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Fairfax plans Metro development around wetlands
A wetlands area near the expected Herndon-Monroe Metro station is complicating plans for an urban, walkable community around the transit center.
By Brian Hughes, March 8, 2010, Examiner
read more...
Fairfax's affordable housing plan might not change Tysons
The county's ambitious 40-year plan to remake the work-oriented area into an urban, transit-focused downtown includes sweeping guidelines to boost the affordable housing stock.
By Kafia A. Hosh, March 7, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Bill allows foreign companies access to Va. car registrations
A bill passed by the Virginia's General Assembly would give the companies operating red light cameras access to information within the Department of Motor Vehicles.
March 8, 2010, WTOP
read more...
Dulles Rail project on track, Wolf says
Despite wrangling over funding that put the brakes on the Dulles Rail Project for years, one Virginia congressman says the project is now moving ahead at a good pace.
March 8, 2010, WTOP
read more...
Pentagon Metrorail station, Pentagon Transit Center resume full service
Regular Metrobus and regional bus pick-up and drop-off areas are back in use at the Transit Center.
March 6, 2010, WMATA
read more...
Can interim chief return Metro to peak of safety, civility?
Although riders are rightly concerned about the safety of Metro, events such as the recent National Transportation Safety Board hearing and reports to Congress tend to overshadow and obscure many of the day-to-day experiences grinding down Washington's transit users.
By Robert Thomson, March 7, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
More information key to overhaul of DDOT's Web site
Transportation departments are slowly evolving from construction agencies into mobility services. They still will build and repair roads, but they also will work with communities to create new ways of moving by car, bus, streetcar, bicycle or foot power.
By Robert Thomson, March 7, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
3 pedestrians struck in separate incidents; 2 dead
Three pedestrians were killed or critically injured by vehicles in three separate incidents within an hour of one another across the D.C. region Saturday morning, police said. In two of the cases, police said, the drivers did not stop.
By Matt Zapotosky, March 7, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
DDOT launches Potholepalooza
Potholepalooza is a month long campaign to proactively and aggressively repair thousands of potholes throughout the city.
March 5, 2010, DDOT
read more...
Chain Bridge fix to take longer
The District Department of Transportation announced Friday that it will take almost three more months to get all lanes reopened on the Chain Bridge.
By Robert Thomson, March 5, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
$12.7M awarded for transit improvements in Va.
A dozen transit improvement projects in Virginia will share $12.7 million in stimulus funding.
March 5, 2010, WTOP
read more...
The weekend and beyond
The Capital Weather Gang forecasts a sunny weekend with temperatures in the 50s, but as you get out to enjoy it, watch for these traffic and transit delays.
By Robert Thomson, March 5, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
U.S. announces transit grants for Md.
Maryland willl receive an additional $26.3 milllion in federal stimulus money for transit improvements ranging from buses in rural areas to better speakers at MARC sttations, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Friday.
By Michael Dresser, March 5, 2010, Baltimore Sun
read more...
FTA delivers scathing report on safety of D.C. Metro
A federal investigation has identified pervasive flaws in rail safety at Metro and severe inadequacies in the agency responsible for oversight.
By Lena H. Sun and Joe Stephens, March 5, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Metro board hires interim manager
Metro's board of directors has appointed former New Jersey Transit chief Richard Sarles the interim head of the agency.
March 4, 2010, WTOP
read more...
Metro board asks for help
The Metro board this afternoon turned over all of its budget-balancing proposals for fare increases and service cuts for public comment.
By Robert Thomson, March 4, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
In first meeting, new Metro chairman stresses safety
Citing a series of deadly crashes, the new chairman of Metro's board of directors emphasized Thursday the need to move passengers safely across the region.
By C. Benjamin Ford, March 3, 2010, Gazette.Net
read more...
VDOT's plowing strategy gets icy reception
Today, we have complaints about the Virginia Department of Transportation's neighborhood plan. The complaints reflect those I received about snow-clearing across the region.
By Robert Thomson, March 4, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
PRTC fares expected to rise as strike looms
OmniRide bus drivers will not strike for at least another 30 days, as company and union officials continue to work out the details of a new operator's contract.
By Uriah A. Kiser, March 3, 2010, InsideNoVA.com
read more...
U.S. Postal Service to test electric vehicle fleet
Starting this summer, the Postal Service, which operates the world's largest civilian vehicle fleet, will begin a year-long pilot program of electric mail trucks in the Washington area, using vehicles converted by five manufacturers.
By Nicole Norfleet, March 4, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Metrorail highlights car numbers
Metro is in the midst of making the four-digit rail car numbers more prominent. That's a good safety move to help emergency responders and Metro personnel, but it also has several uses for riders.
By Robert Thomson, March 3, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
DDOT to remove reversible lanes on 15th Street
"It will improve the flow of traffic, make the businesses more accessible, and make 15th Street safer for everyone: motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians."
March 4, 2010, WTOP
read more...
Major cuts planned for Fairfax Connector
Fairfax Connector would chop seven routes and slash a series of night and weekend trips under a budget proposal for the bus line.
By Brian Hughes, March 3, 2010, Examiner
read more...
MoCo approves new mixed-use zones
The Montgomery County Council has unanimously approved the establishment of a new group of zones in the county that will be written into its future master plans and aims to promote mixed-use, transit-oriented development.
By Sarah Krouse, March 2, 2010, Washington Business Journal
read more...
Md., Va. consider ignition breathalyzers for first offense
The movement to rid the roads of drunk drivers is nearing a watershed as states increasingly mandate the use of ignition breathalyzers for first-time offenders.
By Ashley Halsey III, March 2, 2010, Washington Post
read more...
Metro board to name temporary GM
Sources tell WTOP that Metro will appoint former New Jersey Transit Chairman Richard Sarles as interim general manager for the next six to 12 months.
March 2, 2010, WTOP
read more...
Swaim-Staley confirmed as Md. transportation chief
After about a week's delay, the Maryland Senate has confirmed the nomination of Beverly Swaim-Staley as secretary of transportation.
By Michael Dresser, March 2, 2010, Baltimore Sun
read more...
Metro March track maintenance schedules
Metro has set its weekend and weeknight track maintenance schedules for March.
read more...
Long-term lane closure on Arlington Blvd.
From March 1 until July, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will permanently close the left travel lane of westbound Arlington Boulevard from Courthouse Road to 10th Street for a utility relocation project. Additional temporary lane closures are anticipated to occur throughout the project as needed.
February 26, 2010, Arlington, Virginia
read more...
Draft VA route of East Coast Greenway
The preliminary East Coast Greenway has been mapped through Virginia.
February 24, 2010, WashCycle
read more...
How to report a pothole
Potholes! They are popping up everywhere. Tons of snow, ice and water on the roads combined with fluctuating temperatures = pothole heaven.
By Sommer Mathis, February 18, 2010, dcist
read more...
Chain Bridge closing this weekend and next
No drivers, walkers or cyclists will be allowed on the bridge. The project is expected to be complete by May 31.
By Tracee Wilkins, March 12, 2010, NBC Washington
read more...
