News

Latest News

Work on pedestrian connection to Innovation Center Metro Station begins

In addition to a 10-foot-wide, 1,450-foot-long asphalt shared-use path, the project includes two 14-foot-wide pedestrian bridges over Horsepen Creek and the installation of trail lighting along both the path and bridges.
Fatimah Waseem, October 3, 2024, FFXNow

Council passes emergency legislation to protect DC Circulator workers

Councilmembers Charles Allen and Brianne Nadeau are calling on the DC Department of Transportation and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to require a better plan for the transition, and support for workers.
Matt Pusatory, October 12, 2024, WUSA9

Subway elevators are not just a nice lift, but a basic civil right

Unfortunately, the work of installing elevators in far more stations — and getting the elevators we already have working better — depends not only on surmounting legal obstacles but on getting over financial, logistical and bureaucratic hurdles that may be larger still.
Sasha Blair-Goldensohn, October 3, 2024, Streetsblog

Micromobility on the rebound in 2024

2023 also set the stage for industry growth. Ridership of shared bikes and scooters grew last year; Lime’s global ridership set a new record for the company.
Dan Zukowski, October 2, 2024, Smart Cities Dive

Time to reset the transportation funding equation

Transportation funding in the U.S. is facing an ever-growing imbalance between the needs of the nation’s road and bridge network and the funds available to satisfy them. 
Evan Burgstahler, October 2, 2024, Route Fifty

Arts Focus: Moving Words Student Contest — ten winners' poems on Arlington Transit Buses

Out of 415 submissions from 266 students, these standout poems will soon be seen by thousands of Arlington commuters as they grace ART buses across the county from October 2024 through March 2025.  
October 2, 2024, ARLNow

You might be able to tap your credit card to pay for Metro next year

Tapping in to ride Metro may get even easier next year. Metro may roll out the option to tap digital credit cards to pay fare, rather than tapping a SmarTrip card.
Helen Carefoot, October 1, 2024, TimeOut

Circulator operators' union demands better transition

As of Tuesday, Oct. 1, the Rosslyn-Dupont Circle service route (RS-DP) has been terminated, and roughly 90 Circulator employees have lost their jobs.
Liberty Simmons, October 1, 2024, DC News Now

USDOT issues $2.97 million in research funding to develop Mobility Equity Research Center

“Mobility and accessibility are at the core of good transportation—and the Biden-Harris Administration is making sure that’s true for people of every age, ability and location,” said USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
October 1, 2024, Mass Transit Magazine

Public transit agencies eye service cuts as pandemic aid runs out

Among the trillions of dollars approved by Congress to keep the economy afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic were about $70 billion for the country’s public transit systems.
Henry Epp, September 30, 2024, Marketplace

With the end of the Circulator, Georgetown has even fewer public transit options

While students can still use Metrobus lines and the Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle, the Circulator has been one of the more convenient options to access downtown D.C. and other parts of the District.
Katie Doran/Samantha Monteiro, September 30, 2024, The Georgetown Voice

OmniRide plans new Front Royal commuter service on I-66 corridor, eliminating Gainesville-Reston route

This decision comes after thorough studies identified the need for expanded services and better resource utilization.

 
Uriah Kiser, September 30, 2024, Potomac Local News

Union fights for DC Circulator staff as system phase out begins Tuesday

This is part of the city’s phase-out process to a bus system that has been around for two decades. Since 2005, it has had an attractive, popular bus system. The DC Circulator bus system had 1.9 million riders last year and nearly 300 employees.
John Gonzalez, October 1, 2024, ABC7 News

Overdue Old Town bridge replacements could come with pedestrian improvements

At a City Council meeting last week, City Council member Sarah Bagley said the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is moving forward with the replacement of a pair of bridges that passes over King Street and Commonwealth Avenue.
Vernon Miles, September 30, 2024, ALXNow

Can 'transit-oriented entertainment' help end the national ridership decline?

Cities across the U.S. continue experimenting with a variety of strategies to boost transit ridership. While these efforts are commendable and have achieved some modest successes, getting a meaningful number of Americans to try transit in the first place has proven a very thorny problem.
Terenig Topjian, October 1, 2024, Streetsblog USA

Lime may get a lift from Lyft's DC departure

Lime is also vowing to rein in reckless riders and haphazard parking of its scooters and bikes, both communicating more frequently about the rules of the road with riders and dedicating more time and staff to rebalancing vehicles and replacing mis-parked ones throughout the District.
Jeff Clabaugh, September 30, 2024, WTOP

Metro might finally get tap-and-pay next year

Metro general manager Randy Clarke wants an "open payment" fare system ahead of next year's World Pride 2025 event, he told the WMATA board during a meeting last week.
Mimi Mongtomery, September 30, 2024, Axios

FMCSA's grant award season: Millions allocated to improve highway safety

Just as movies captivate audiences with gripping narratives and top-notch performances, FMCSA grants are awarded to projects that play a role in making our roads safer and our commercial drivers more prepared.
September 30, 2024, Smart Cities Dive

Transit agencies, state DOT's come together to participate in See Tracks? Think Train® Week

The week was launched by OLI in 2017 to focus attention on the importance of making safe choices when driving or walking near railroad tracks and trains.
Brandon Lewis, September 27, 2024, Mass Transit Magazine

Ninety Circulator workers to be laid off Tuesday as service winds down

The service will be completely phased out by the end of the year, and the rest of its 270 workers would lose their jobs as part of a wide swath of cuts to D.C.'s budget.
Rachel Weiner, September 28. 2024, The Washington Post

'He's like an old friend': DC Metro station manager uplifts countless passengers

If you are at the red line Metro stop at Union Station in D.C., it’s hard to miss Yarber. He makes his presence known through the countless pairs of headphones passengers use to mute out the rest of the world.  
Sean Martinelli, September 26, 2024, WUSA9

College Park seeking to expand bike lanes

College Park resident Max Degregorio said it would make the community more bikeable for families and students.
Tim Reid, September 26, 2024, DC News Now

Amtrak launches new integration with Google to support more sustainable transportation choices

As part of this integration, Google will also show train suggestions when travelers look for flights on Google Search or Google Flights, helping people consider more sustainable options when deciding how to get from A to B.  
September 26, 2024, Mass Transit Magazine

Metro plans to implement credit card tap-to-ride system by 2025

Open payment systems are in use in other cities such as New York City. But in D.C., Metro riders need to use either a physical SmarTrip card or put SmarTrip on their phone in order to tap in and ride.
Tom Roussey, September 26, 2024, ABC7 News

FTA issues final directive requiring transit agencies to address worker assaults

The agency’s General Directive 24-1, issued Wednesday, covers more than 700 of the nation’s largest agencies, those subject to the FTA’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans. 
September 26, 2024, Trains.com

Lyft to discontinue scooter service in DC this October

Lyft said that any riders in D.C. can still use the app to rent a bike or scooter from Capital Bikeshare or to call a Lyft ride.
Makea Luzader, September 25, 2024, DC News Now

Virginia weighs in as Metro area task force considers solutions to support region's transit network

Under a proposed funding plan known as Scenario 1, the advisory groups said the region would have to generate an additional $645 million to cover all the transit agencies in fiscal year 2028, with 70% of the funds for capital investments.
Nathaniel Cline, September 25, 2024, FFXNow

Report shows — again — why cities must build safe bike lanes

In D.C., a major metro with a population just shy of 700,000 residents, new and especially protected bike lanes led to a huge boost in riding compared to existing infrastructure or streets with no bike lanes, according to Lime.
George Kevin Jordan, September 25, 2024, Streetsblog USA

Metro to begin transition to self-driving trains in December

Metro said that the safety concerns after the 2009 crash have all been addressed, including the faulty track circuits that failed to show a stopped train on the tracks ahead before a second train slammed into it going nearly full speed.
Thomas Robertson, September 24, 2024, WTOP

DC micromobility use keeps growing

According to system data, members took 63.2 percent of trips, while 58.6 percent of rides were on e-bikes. The District saw the most rides (86.1 percent) in the region, but Fairfax County plans to expand its bike share service with 16 new stations.
Diana Ionescu, September 25, 2024, Planetizen

VDOT: Widening of Richmond Highway won't be finished until 2032, delaying bus plan

“The timeline for the Richmond Highway Improvements Project has been extended to implement requests for design changes, including a reduction in the number of turn lanes, and an updated construction schedule,” VDOT spokesperson Alex Liggitt told FFXnow.
Jared Serre, September 24, 2024, FFXNow

Metro looking to reintroduce automated trains 15 years after deadly crash

There are several reasons Metro is considering this now. They think it’ll deliver better, more efficient, reliable service and that it’s safer: A next, modernizing step to have WMATA on par with something transit systems across the globe have.
David Kaplan, September 24, 2024, Fox 5 News

DC Week Without Driving: Join the movement for more accessible transportation

Whether or not residents have access to safe, convenient, and affordable transportation options has serious implications for our health, economic mobility, and happiness. 
Kai Hall, September 25, 2024, Greater Greater Washington

New crisis for inter-city customers as Megabus goes bust

Customers across the country were left in the lurch after Megabus, one of the nation’s most prominent low-cost bus carriers, canceled routes in multiple states two months after its parent company Coach USA filed for bankruptcy.
Aaron Short, September 24, 2024, Streetsblog USA

Expecting layoffs, transit workers protest outside DC council building

Workers are calling for a smooth transition from D.C.’s Circulator bus service to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) metro system.
Jacqueline Quynh, September 23, 2024, WUSA9

Repositioning bike and walking trails as essential infrastructure

Cities and states can access federal transportation funding by including trails in long-range transportation plans.
Diana Ionescu, September 23, 2024, Planetizen

Transit workers to rally against DC Circulator shutdown, calls for Metro to take over

ATU Local 689, the union representing transit workers is holding the rally to urge D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to transition the service to the Metro bus.
Ida Domingo, September 23, 2024, ABC7 News

'Doom Loop' alert: transit systems are suffering — and too many are cutting service

Since 2020, the Federal Transit Administration has paid out $70 billion across the country to struggling agencies, allowing them to cover operating expenses and labor costs during the height of the pandemic — something that had never been done before at the federal level.
Amal Ahmed, September 20, 2024, Streetsblog USA

Fairfax County to refocus how it analyzes transportation impacts

Previously, the county, like the Virginia Department of Transportation, has focused on collecting data centered around cars and other motor vehicles when evaluating the effectiveness of roadways and determining whether improvements are needed.
Acacia James, September 20, 2024, FFXNow

Backlog funding for rural transportation system totals $198B, according to report

The backlog includes $48 billion for rural roadway expansions and enhancements, $53 billion backlog for rural bridge rehabilitation, and $97 billion for rural road and highway rehabilitation.
Melina Druga, September 20, 2024, Transportation Today

One change to transform DC travel: Make the 90 bus truly awesome

Turning the 90 into a frequent rapid transit service would make it the best way to travel between the city’s many radial corridors. That would help people who live or work in all those corridors at once.
Dan Malouff, September 20, 2024, Greater Greater Washington

Traffic congestion is worse now than before the pandemic: Streetlight Data report

Despite hybrid and remote work trends, the number of vehicle miles traveled per capita was 12% higher in May 2024 than the same month in 2019.
Dan Zukowski, September 19, 2024, Smart Cities Dive

Metro finishes installing more-secure faregates at all 98 Metrorail stations, fareboxes on 1,500 buses

Metro has also recently completed the installation of new fareboxes across all 1,500 of its buses. Customers often could not pay on buses because of farebox malfunctions. Metro Transit Police regularly patrol bus loops and individual bus routes to enforce payment.
September 19, 2024, WMATA

'Week Without Driving' challenge: Are you up for it?

The Week Without Driving challenge, scheduled Sept. 30 to Oct. 6 this year, encourages motorists, particularly policy makers and planning practitioners, to experience the challenges facing nondrivers in automobile-dependent communities.
Todd Litman, September 18, 2024, Planetizen