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.
Savings for SmarTrip card users part of upcoming fare adjustments
Usually a fare increase doesn't include positive images for people but starting Sunday, August 1, phase 2 of Metrorail fare adjustments will take effect that include some beneficial changes.
- New 20-cent surcharge during peak-of-the-peak weekday travel periods.
- An increase in the cost of three Metrorail passes.
- A 25-cent discount per trip for customers who use a SmarTrip® card instead of a paper fare card.
- Reducing the cost of a SmarTrip® card by 50 percent to $2.50 starting on August 29 to make it easier for customers to take advantage of the SmarTrip® discount.
For more details see WMATA's press release.
Please contact ATP to find out how this will affect your employees and how we can help with the communications process. 703-247-9299 solutions@transpartners.com
July 27, 2010, ATP
Drivers and trail users find themselves at cross-purposes over signs
As the online commenter pointed out, many trail crossings differ from the typical crosswalk in that they have a red stop sign for trail users.
By Robert Thomson, July 29, 2010, Washington Post
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Weekend track work on Red, Blue, Yellow, Orange lines
This weekend (July 30-August 1) Metro will make upgrades to its track, platforms and bridges on the Red, Blue, Yellow and Orange lines to improve reliability and service.
July 29, 2010, WMATA
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Second phase of Metrorail fare adjustments begins August 1
The second phase of Metrorail fare adjustments will take effect on August 1, with the implementation of a new 20-cent peak-of-the-peak fee during afternoon weekday travel periods, an increase in the cost of three Metrorail passes and a 25-cent increase in cost for Metrorail customers who use a paper fare card instead of a SmarTrip® card.
July 29, 2010, WMATA
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Metrorail delays morning surcharge
Metrorail will impose only the afternoon portion of its new peak of the peak fare surcharge on Monday. Commuters will get a few weeks' reprieve on paying the extra 20 cents during the morning peak, as the transit authority struggles to adjust its fare programming.
By Robert Thomson, July 29, 2010, Washington Post
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Second round of Metro fare hikes arriving Sunday
Metro riders will pay more to take the rail system starting Sunday, just as they were getting used to coughing up more under fare increases enacted five weeks ago.
By Kytja Weir, July 29, 2010, Examiner
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NTSB animation reconstructs 2009 Metro Red Line crash
This narrated animation displays the sequence of operation of Metro trains 112 and 214, before they collided near the Ft. Totten Metro Station on June 22, 2010. (video)
July 27, 2010, Washington Post
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Montgomery's Purple Line plan includes more access to Georgetown Branch trail
A state proposal to build a 16-mile Purple Line is now officially part of Montgomery County's master plan.
By Katherine Shaver, July 28, 2010, Washington Post
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Where crash report leaves Metro riders
Deborah A.P. Hersman, the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the panel's recommendations regarding the Red Line crash are not an indictment of any individual, but they come pretty close to saying it was everybody's fault.
By Robert Thomson, July 27, 2010, Washington Post
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Distracted driving summit planned
A second national summit on distracted driving will be held Sept. 21 to highlight the problem and find ways to combat it, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Tuesday.
By Katherine Shaver, July 27, 2010, Washington Post
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Feds: Fatal rail crash came from lax oversight
A faulty electronic circuit that caused a deadly Metro crash last summer was symptomatic of an "anemic safety culture" at the D.C. area's transit agency, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.
By Sarah Brumfield, July 28, 2010, WTOP
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Metro rolling out new safety upgrades
The interim general manager of the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority says the organization has already started implementing some of the recommended safety upgrades that have been deemed necessary by the National Transportation Safety Board.
July 27, 2010, WTOP
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Capital Bikeshare wheels unveiled
The Capital Bikeshare program has wheeled out the prototype of its new wheels: red frame with gold lettering and black trim.
By Kytja Weir, July 26, 2010, Examiner
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Metro clears 'Buy America' hurdle for new rail cars
Metro cleared a key obstacle on Monday to replace its oldest rail cars, receiving clearance from federal officials just a day before safety investigators are expected to target the cars in a report on last summer's deadly Red Line crash.
By Kytja Weir, July 27, 2010, Examiner
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Police seek identity of man killed by train in Kensington
Montgomery County police are asking for assistance in indentifying a man killed by a MARC train near Kensington on Sunday afternoon.
By Alex Ruoff, July 26, 2010, Gazette.Net
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National Transportation Safety Board report on Metro crash may reach nationwide
The announcement by the National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday on the likely cause of the June 2009 Metro crash might have major safety and financial implications for transit systems nationwide.
By Ann Scott Tyson, July 27, 2010, Washington Post
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Western Md. bike trail will spare bat refuge
In an effort to protect the largest known bat refuge in Maryland, state officials planning a 4.7-mile extension of the Western Maryland Rail Trail have decided to detour cyclists around an abandoned railroad tunnel where hundreds of bats winter.
By Frank D. Roylance, July 26, 2010, Baltimore Sun
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Md. proposes ICC bus service
Readers have asked Dr. Gridlock about mass transit on the Inter-County Connector, the controversial highway in the works for more than half a century, and Maryland officials have weighed in with an answer.
By Luke Rosiak, July 26, 2010, Washington Post
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Metro sets August weekend track maintenance schedule
In August, Metro will repair a rail switch outside the Farragut North Metrorail station on the Red Line and conduct major track work on all five of Metro's rail lines to keep and maintain the rail system in a state of good repair.
July 26, 2010, WMATA
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Metro sets August weeknight track maintenance schedule
On most weeknights in August, Metro employees will replace rail, cross ties, weld new rail on the tracks, repair concrete slabs underneath the rails, repair station platforms and install communications cables.
July 26, 2010, WMATA
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Montgomery's urban residents spend far less on transportation
In some cases, households fork over twice as much cash annually for transportation than those in more urbanized areas -- mitigating any savings from cheaper housing -- according to a report released by the Montgomery County Planning Board.
By Brian Hughes, July 26, 2010, Examiner
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Cities tackle traffic head-on with commuter options
The congestion-easing efforts have helped make the Twin Cities, along with Seattle, a national leader among cities working to keep traffic moving, says Tim Lomax, a congestion specialist at the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University.
By Larry Copeland, July 26, 2010, USA Today
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Montgomery momentum building around Bus Rapid Transit
At least three private firms are interested in helping to fund Bus Rapid Transit lines in Montgomery County.
By Erin Cunningham, July 21, 2010, Gazette.Net
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Paramedics: heat likely factor In death of bicyclist
A 20-year-old man died after falling from his bicycle Saturday, and heat and humidity likely were factors, according to Prince George's County Fire and Rescue.
George VanDaniker, July 24, 2010, WUSA 9
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One-fourth of Washingtonians find commute more sluggish
A quarter of commuters in the Washington area say their daily treks have become even worse in the last year, a survey released Wednesday shows.
By Brian Hughes, July 22, 2010, Examiner
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Note to Metro: Find a fix for faulty escalators and air conditioning
Is it not reasonable to expect that these smart people would be well on their way to solving the problems they inherited?
By Robert Thomson, July 25, 2010, Washington Post
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Immigration agents arrest truck driver who killed bicyclist
We asked Immigration and Customs Enforcement how Marco Fuentes Flores, who had been convicted of smuggling drugs, done time in federal prison, been kicked out of the country, could be back in the country driving a garbage truck. A truck he was still driving two years after he ran over and killed Alice Swanson.
By Bruce Leshan, July 23, 2010, WUSA 9
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First photos of Capital Bikeshare
The first photos of Capital Bikeshare are in! The prototype bikes look great.
By Paul DeMaio, July 23, 2010, CommuterPageBlog
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The weekend and beyond
If you're sticking around D.C. to hear Anne Waldman read "Howl" at Busboys and Poets, or just trying to escape the stickiness by heading for an Eastern Shore beach, you'll want to know about these potential delays in your path.
By Robert Thomson, July 23, 2010, Washington Post
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Child injured at L'Enfant Metro
A 4-year-old girl severely injured her left hand after falling on an escalator at L'Enfant Plaza Metro station Thursday, according to transit officials.
By Michael Bolden, July 22, 2010, Washington Post
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New parking zones in D.C.
Back in January, when the District was raising the prices at meters, drivers said that what they really hated about the higher fees was lugging around all those quarters. Since then, the city has been working on a variety of payment methods: pay-by-space, pay-by-license plate and pay-by-phone.
By Robert Thomson, July 22, 2010, Washington Post
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Police nab hundreds in HOV sting
Local and state police in Maryland and Virginia cited hundreds of drivers for violating HOV rules on Wednesday, authorities said.
By Michael Bolden, July 22, 2010, Washington Post
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Congressional panels OK Metro cash
Two Congressional panels this week passed bills that include $150 million for Washington's aging Metro bus and rail network.
By Michael Bolden, July 22, 2010, Washington Post
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Metro: new Dupont station escalators in 2011
Metro riders should expect Dupont Circle station escalators to be repaired at the 19th and Q St. entrances this month, and three brand-new escalators to be installed at the station next year.
July 22, 2010, WTOP
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Metrorail riders lose their cool over broken air conditioners, escalators
This Metrorail rider expresses the themes of summer transit 2010: Too many air conditioners and escalators don't work.
By Robert Thomson, July 22, 2010, Washington Post
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Capital Bikeshare Roundup
A lot of news outlets picked up the CaBi Map release news. It turns out that DDOT wasn't quite finished tweaking it yesterday morning and so GGW was covering the story in realtime. This post shows what changed during the day.
July 21, 2010, WashCycle
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U.S. transit agencies need billions
Metro has identified $11 billion in capital upgrades the bus and rail system needs over the next 10 years. But it is not alone as it looks for ways to replace deteriorating infrastructure and equipment.
By Michael Bolden, July 21, 2010, Washington Post
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Region needs to prepare roads for influx of people
Bob Chase, president of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, says more needs to be done now to prepare the transportation network to handle the influx.
July 22, 2010, WTOP
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Second phase of Metrorail fare adjustments to take effect August 1
The second phase of Metrorail fare adjustments will take effect on Sunday, August 1, with the implementation of a new 20-cent surcharge during peak-of-the-peak weekday travel periods, an increase in the cost of three Metrorail passes and a 25-cent discount per trip for customers who use a SmarTrip® card instead of a paper fare card.
July 21, 2010, WMATA
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Region braces for traffic 'chaos'
A traffic disaster is coming to Northern Virginia in just over a year when an additional 18,000 commuters added by military job shifts jam area roads, say officials who are scrambling to mitigate the gridlock.
By Bill Myers, July 21, 2010, Examiner
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As escalator outages mount, Metro struggles with budget, workforce shortages
"Some of our escalators are down more frequently than they've been in the past, but this is by design," said Watson, an escalator superintendent and 20-year mechanic. It's a necessary precaution, Metro officials say, given the dangers of the heavy machinery, with its powerful motors and gnashing metal teeth.
By Ann Scott Tyson, July 21, 2010, Washington Post
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Metrorail cars return to service
The transit authority says it has fixed the door problems on all 100 of its 4000 Series rail cars and returned them to service.
By Robert Thomson, July 20, 2010, Washington Post
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Metro set to start massive escalator repair program
The work will mean some escalators will be taken out of service for several months.
By Mark Segraves, July 20, 2010, WTOP
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Run that Arlington light and you'll get a ticket
Watch your driving through Arlington. Arlington starts issuing tickets Wednesday for red light runners at four major intersections.
July 21, 2010, WTOP
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DC bikesharing locations unveiled
The city-funded Capital Bikeshare program today announced 100 anticipated locations where members will be able to pick up and drop off bicycles.
Dr. Gridlock, July 20, 2010, Washington Post
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All of Metro's 4000 series rail cars are cleared for service
Metro has completed the inspection and repair of the door motors on its Series 4000 rail cars, 18 days after the cars were removed from service as a safety precaution. The fleet of 100 cars was temporarily removed from service on Friday, July 2, as a precautionary measure to ensure safety after a concern about the rail car door motors was identified.
July 20, 2010, WMATA
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NTSB releases photos of November Metro collision
The photographs show the damage caused to trains at the West Falls Church rail yard Nov. 29 when one six-car train crashed into another that was parked.
July 19, 2010, NBC Washington
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Metro upgrades SmarTrip website
Metro is upgrading its SmarTrip website to allow customers to see account balances and other information.
July 19, 2010, WTOP
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Express VRE train proves popular
VRE suspected that its new express train from Fredericksburg, Va., to Union Station would be popular, but officials didn't expect the overflow crowd that turned out for the maiden trip on Monday.
By Megan McGrath, July 19, 2010, NBC Washington
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Second Metro fare increase coming Aug. 1
Metrorail riders who hop on the subway at the height of the morning and afternoon commutes will see their fares jump 20 cents starting Aug. 1.
July 20, 2010, WTOP
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Capital Bikeshare - D.C. stations announced
Washington's D.C.'s stations were announced today, thereby fleshing out the initial 114 stations of the Capital Bikeshare network.
By Paul DeMaio, July 19, 2010, CommuterPageBlog
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What is TDM and why is it important?
That's what the folks at the Coalition for Smarter Growth hope to help answer at a Transportation Demand Management Forum on Wednesday, July 21; 6-8 pm.
By Chris Hamilton, July 19, 2010, CommuterPageBlog
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Third fatal shooting in 2 weeks near Capitol Heights Metro
The three murders were all within a quarter mile of the Capitol Heights Metro stop, where East Capitol Street intersects with Southern Avenue at the DC-Maryland border.
By Don Parker, July 18, 2010, ABC 7 News
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Development near Herndon's future Metro station topic of public forum Monday
Today, the entrance to a future rail stop in Herndon has little to greet riders except for a parking lot and the view of the backs of several office buildings. On Monday, the town will hold a public workshop about how to enliven the area in time for the Herndon-Monroe Metro station.
By Kafia A. Hosh, July 19, 2010, Washington Post
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D.C. begins testing new parking payment systems
DDOT will test pay-by-space, pay-by-license plate and pay-by-phone parking systems over the next few months in order to determine which one will best improve parking.
July 19, 2010, WTOP
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As Metro congestion grows, so does anger at 'seat hogs'
As Washington's public transit network grows more congested, with Metro projecting "unmanageable" levels of saturation on its rail system by 2020, the phenomenon of people taking up more than their share of space is becoming increasingly touchy.
By Ann Scott Tyson, July 19, 2010, Washington Post
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Howard planners take to their bikes to test county roads
The officials said riding bikes themselves helps them plan for altering streets to make them safer for cyclists.
By Larry Carson, July 18, 2010, Baltimore Sun
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MARC service lapses don't excuse bad behavior
Abusing front-line workers doesn't help, puts others at risk
By Michael Dresser, July 18, 2010, Baltimore Sun
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Metro seeks to ease congestion on busy b
Some of the busiest Metrobus routes are also among the slowest. Thousands of riders who leave their cars at home wind up getting stuck in the same traffic as drivers, and the transit authority winds up throwing more and more buses onto those lines to normalize the schedule.
By Robert Thomson, July 18, 2010, Washington Post
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Man Fatally Shot At Lake Forest Transit Center
Police say that the preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was at the transit center when he was approached by a male subject.
By Raul Rivero, July 18, 2010, WUSA 9
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Riders are down on Metro's escalator repair problems
Two writers pose frequently asked questions about Metro's escalators.
By Robert Thomson, July 18, 2010, Washington Post
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Vast bikeshare network coming to DC and Arlington
Currently, D.C. offers a bike sharing service called SmartBike with nine locations. In early September, that system will be replaced with a program called Capital Bikeshare, which will offer bikes at 100 locations in D.C. and at 14 more locations in and around Crystal City in Arlington.
By John Henrehan, July 16, 2010, myfoxdc.com
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New bike path gets lukewarm response from planners
To create a more comprehensive riding network for cyclists around the National Institutes of Health and National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, the county's transportation department has proposed a 1.1-mile shared-use path for walkers and cyclists along the north side of Jones Bridge Road between Wisconsin and Connecticut avenues.
By Andrew Ujifusa, July 16, 2010, Gazette.Net
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SW residents want temporary shuttle to become permanent
Riders of a free shuttle bus that operated in a Southwest Washington neighborhood for 18 months as a way to offset the hardship that construction posed to pedestrians are asking District officials to find money to restore the service, which ended June 30.
By Ovetta Wiggins, July 17, 2010, Washington Post
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Fliers: We can fix Metro's escalators
The union whose members originally installed Metro's escalators are mounting a public campaign to convince the rail system that private contractors--its members--would do a better job than Metro's employees.
By Luke Rosiak, July 16, 2010, Washington Post
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Fewer Amtrak trains for VRE riders
Virginia Railway Express will implement a new schedule Monday that reduces the number of Amtrak trains available to VRE passengers but adds a morning express on the Fredericksburg Line.
By Jennifer Buske, July 17, 2010, Washington Post
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Path considered for highway would slice through retreat property
Most weekends, about 20 people gather at Dayspring Silent Retreat Center from Washington area churches, temples and other organizations to pray and meditate, hoping to connect with God by quieting their minds amid nature.
By Katherine Shaver, July 17, 2010, Washington Post
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The weekend and beyond
There's no one, big event that will dominate the traffic and transit scene, though you'll find plenty of activities, like Friday's Mars Day at the Air and Space Museum, or Saturday's Star Wars: In Concert at Verizon Center.
By Robert Thomson, July 16, 2010, Washington Post
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Metro looking for participants for
If you have a registered SmarTrip® card and use Metrorail and/or Metrobus, ART, CUE, DASH, DC Circulator, Fairfax Connector, Ride On or The Bus, you're eligible to take part in the pilot. As an incentive for volunteers, you pay for three weekly passes and the fourth week will be provided by Metro.
July 14, 2010, WMATA
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Metro sets July weekend track maintenance schedule
In July, Metro will replace rail switches at the Rosslyn Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines and conduct major track work to maintain a state of good repair on all five of Metro's rail lines.
June 29, 2010, WMATA
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Metro sets July weeknight track maintenance schedule
Maintenance will affect Red, Blue, Yellow, Green Lines.
June 29, 2010, WMATA
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Alcohol, texting factor into fatal car crashes at night
Fatal crashes at night are on the rise for drivers of all ages in all 50 states -- but for different reasons.
By Kate Ryan, June 18, 2010, WTOP
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Unplowed roads, covered sidewalks still a hot topic
The weather may be getting warmer, but local leaders were still talking snow Tuesday in Virginia.
By Adam Tuss, March 17, 2010, WTOP
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