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Md. lawmaker proposes tax credit for those with long commutes, no access to transit

A Maryland lawmaker has introduced a plan aimed at appeasing commuters forced to drive to work because they lack access to public transit.
John Domen, January 23, 2020, WTOP

Capital Bikeshare trips slide as rides on dockless scooters, bikes grow

Thousands of people appear to be using shared dockless scooters or bikes in place of Capital Bikeshare, posing a challenge to the publicly-owned system that remains popular with regular users.
Max Smith, January 23, 2020, WTOP

D.C. has some of the longest commutes in the country

While the average American commutes about 27 minutes (a record high), the average D.C.-area worker spends 43 minutes getting to and from work.
Eliza Berkon, January 24, 2020, WAMU

House committee members decry FCC plans to open vehicle safety-restricted radio frequency for general use

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure recently denounced a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plan to open more than half of the 5.9 GHz spectrum band to unlicensed operations.
Chris Galford, January 24, 2020, Transportation Today

Metro used outdated D.C. emergency number for years

Metro was consistently calling an outdated number for 911 in D.C., and at peak times, emergency calls from the transit agency were put on hold.
Megan Cloherty, January 23, 2020, WTOP

On-time delivery of new Acela train sets at risk, Amtrak inspector general says

Amtrak’s plan to roll out new high-speed trains on its Acela line in early 2021 may be derailed, according to an audit by the railroad’s inspector general, citing delays in the delivery of the trains, testing and training.
Luz Lazo, January 23, 2020, Washington Post

Fairfax County to get first zero-emission electric school buses

Fairfax County Public Schools will receive its first electric school buses by the end of the year after successfully bidding to be part of Dominion Energy’s ambitious, statewide electric school bus program.
January 24, 2020, Fairfax County Times

Alexandria receives grant for five electric school buses

Alexandria City Public Schools will be purchasing five electric school buses thanks to a recent grant from Dominion Energy, ACPS announced on Jan. 17.
January 23, 2020, Alexandria Times

MCPS reviewing bus stops after serious crashes involving students

Following two pedestrian crashes at or near school bus stops in December, Montgomery County Public Schools officials are reviewing the locations of all stops.
Caitlynn Peetz, January 23, 2020, Bethesda Magazine

Transportation Commission endorses bus overhaul, worries reforms lack teeth

While Alexandria’s Transportation Commission endorsed a WMATA-backed plan to overhaul the region’s bus system, that approval was accompanied by concerns that the project won’t be able to achieve its lofty goals.
Vernon Miles, January 23, 2020, ALX Now

Arlington County Board to consider contract for Pershing Dr. safety upgrades

The project calls for “Complete Streets” safety upgrades at four intersections -- three in Lyon Park, near the Lyon Park Community Center, and one in Ashton Heights.
January 23, 2020, ARLnow

Arlington to advance Vision Zero Action Plan with open house

The open house is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 28, from 5-8 p.m. at Washington-Liberty High School (1301 N. Stafford Street).
Vernon Miles, January 23, 2020, ARLnow

Workshops set on future of Lee Hwy. in Arlington

The events will detail progress made during the first phase of the effort to design a plan for the corridor’s future.
January 24, 2020, Inside NoVa

Self-driving Ubers arrive in DC, but they won't pick up rides

Uber is bringing self-driving cars to the streets of D.C. starting Friday, but the vehicles won’t be driving themselves, and they won’t be picking up passengers either.
Michelle Basch, January 23, 2020, WTOP

Traffic safety group ranks D.C., Md., Va. efforts to prevent deadly crashes

At a news conference Thursday, the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety released its annual report evaluating progress being made by 50 states and D.C. in implementing 16 laws related to child passenger safety, teen drivers, impaired and distracted drivers, motorcycle helmet requirements, and primary enforcement of front and rear seat belt laws.
Kristi King, January 23, 2020, WTOP

Metrorail weekend service adjustments, Jan. 25-26

Vienna and Dunn Loring stations will be closed.
January 24, 2020, WMATA

New Acela fleet to enter service in 2021

New Amtrak state-of-the-art, high-speed trainsets are scheduled to enter service on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in 2021, as Amtrak and Alstom have partnered to introduce the new Acela fleet.
Andrew Corselli, January 23, 2020, Railway Age

In Montgomery County, students are taking advantage of free public buses

Kids are riding public buses more in Montgomery County after officials made Ride On and Metrobus service free at all times of the day for people under 18.
Margaret Barthel, January 23, 2020, WAMU

Caucus of 48 Md. legislators will push transit funding, pedestrian safety, more

A new caucus of legislators plans to work together this year to advance priorities around funding more and better transit, ensuring oversight of highway widening projects, and much more.
Alex Holt, January 23, 2020, GGWash

Woman trapped under Metro train after being hit at Court House station

WMATA said initial video review shows the woman may have had a medical emergency before falling from the platform.
Laura Wainman, January 23, 2020, WUSA9

Fairfax to kick in funding for Route 7 bus initiative

The Fairfax County government will toss in $140,000 in support of the next phase of a plan to develop high-quality bus service in the Route 7 corridor.
January 23, 2020, Inside NoVa

Silver Spring will get a bunch of bike projects

Silver Spring has seen a big expansion of bike lanes in recent years, but it may only be the beginning.
Dan Reed, January 23, 2020, GGWash

Prince George's Co. lawmakers want more speed camera exceptions

This year, the county delegation has put forth bills that would allow for speed cameras along Church Road between Old Stage Road and Dunwood Valley Drive in Bowie.
John Domen, January 23, 2020, WTOP

Why the streetcar from Union Station to Georgetown died (mostly)

The once-proposed DC Streetcar extension in dedicated lanes from Union Station to Georgetown didn’t just die. It basically died years ago.
David Alpert, January 23, 2020, GGWash

Air bag woes force Honda, Toyota to recall 6M vehicles

Two different air bag glitches have forced Toyota and Honda to recall over 6 million vehicles worldwide, and both problems present different dangers to motorists.
Tom Kriser, January 23, 2020, Frederick News-Post

Alexandria eyeing roads for complete streets transformation

Even while the debate still rages on over the Seminary Road diet, the City of Alexandria is looking at other locations that could be altered to be more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly.
Vernon Miles, January 22, 2020, ALX Now

Smithsonian Metro station closed Friday

The Smithsonian Metrorail station will be temporarily closed on January 24 from opening hours through the early afternoon due to National Mall security considerations for the March For Life.
January 22, 2020, WJLA

Man killed after he was hit by train in Germantown

A man was struck and killed by a CSX freight train in Germantown Wednesday evening, according to Montgomery County Fire & Rescue.
Dan Schere, January 22, 2020, Bethesda Magazine

Electric buses in Md. could make Va., D.C. go green, too

Montgomery County says electric RideOn buses will start running routes in Takoma Park and Silver Spring in March.
Pete Muntean, January 22, 2020, WUSA9

Metrobus crash causes damage to multiple parked vehicles in Northwest D.C.

A Metrobus driver caused damage to at least a half-dozen vehicles parked along a street in D.C.’s Cleveland Park neighborhood early Tuesday.
Teta Alim, Michelle Basch, January 22, 2020, WTOP

DC Streetcar to Georgetown is dead

Plans to extend the DC Streetcar to Georgetown have been effectively scrapped.
Max Smith, January 22, 2020, WTOP

Md. Transit Caucus unveils package of bills designed to offer transportation options

“Our state functions better for every single person — drivers included — when people have safe, reliable and efficient transit options” said Del. Brooke Lierman, whose district is in Baltimore City, and who is one of the leaders of the Maryland Transit Caucus.
Kate Ryan, January 22, 2020, WTOP

Bill aims to make Md. roads safer for pedestrians

One of the bills getting support from a group of Maryland lawmakers in Annapolis would increase minimum fines for traffic offenses involving pedestrians, but it’s not enough for proponents who want a broader approach to making roads safer.
Kate Ryan, January 23, 2020, WTOP

Amtrak ends policy resulting in $25,000 bill for activists

Amtrak announced Wednesday the suspension of a pricing policy that resulted in a $25,000 travel bill for a group of wheelchair-bound activists heading to Bloomington-Normal, Illinois from Chicago for a conference and rally on disability rights.
January 22, 2020, WTOP

Va. bills would ban holding phone while driving, prevent racial targeting

Unlike previous failed attempts to tighten the law, this year’s bills would take steps to attempt to ensure that people of color aren’t disproportionately targeted.
Neal Augenstein, January 22, 2020, WTOP

New bill would repeal Montgomery's mandatory bike registration

After a viral video and a social media campaign by state Del. David Moon, five Montgomery County council members proposed changes to a mandatory bike registration law.
Kate Masters, January 21, 2020, Bethesda Magazine

Eisenhower roadway improvements face $2 million budget gap

The project also includes benefits for pedestrians and bicyclists, like various streetscape improvements and new bike facilities on adjacent roads.
Vernon Miles, January 21, 2020, ALX Now

Arlington puts in its request for new transportation funding

Arlington County Board members plan to request $11 million in funding from the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission as part of the Interstate 66 “commuter choice” revenue stream funded by toll revenue.
January 21, 2020, Inside NoVa

Small business owners along Purple Line worry they won't reap light rail's benefits

“There’s a general anxiety that this will be the project that forces them to shut down,” says Javier Rivas, manager of the Resilient Commercial Corridors program at the Latino Economic Development Center.
Sasha-Ann Simons, January 21, 2020, dcist

Metro issues service updates for bus routes affected by Cinder Bed Road strike

Metro issued a service advisory Tuesday evening for bus routes previously affected by the Cinder Bed Road strike, ending confusion for some riders unsure of when their buses would go back to normal service.
Margaret Barthel, January 21, 2020, WAMU

This app pays you for commuting. Here's what happened when I used it.

For the last few months, I’ve been getting paid to commute to work.
Jon Steingart, January 21, 2020, GGWash

Arlington to kick in funding for Route 7 BRT study

The Arlington government will toss in just under $40,000 in support of the next phase of a plan to develop high-quality bus service in the Route 7 corridor.
January 20, 2020, Inside NoVa

Va. General Assembly considers bike-related bills

The outlook for transportation legislation is looking good.
January 21, 2020, FABB

Much higher fines could be coming for speeding on some Arlington streets

Those with the need for speed could end up ponying more -- much more -- if they get caught exceeding speed limits on some Arlington neighborhood streets.
January 21, 2020, Inside NoVa

County Manager: ART-bus changes a step in right direction

So far, so good, as the Arlington Transit (ART) system has a new contractor settling in.
Scott McCaffrey, January 21, 2020, Inside NoVa

Potential Metrobus route cuts concern D.C. communities (video)

People living in parts of Northwest D.C. say they feel blindsided by Metro because some of their bus lines may be cut to save money.
January 20, 2020, NBC Washington

Under new bill, more Md. counties would gain veto power over toll roads, bridges

A new bill introduced in Maryland’s General Assembly would require the state to get the “express consent” from any county where it wants to build a toll road or bridge, which has been the case in the nine counties on the Eastern Shore since the late 1970s.
Martin Austermuhle, January 20, 2020, WAMU

Criticism mounts over proposed parking in Union Station's $8 billion overhaul

It may be years, if not a decade, before construction begins on a proposed multibillion-dollar redevelopment of Union Station. But debate has already been heating up over a parking garage planned as part of the overhaul.
Luz Lazo, January 18, 2020, Washington Post

Provide feedback on Alexandria street improvements

Does your street need better curb ramps? Is it hard to see oncoming traffic? Is it hard to cross the street? Let us know! This feedback is one form of input the City will consider for roadway improvements.
Debby Critchley, January 17, 2020, Zebra

One dead after car strikes pole in Prince George's

A man died after a his car struck a pole on Marlboro Pike Saturday morning.
Colleen Kelleher, January 18, 2020, WTOP

Metro moving forward with naming rights deals

Metro plans to reach a deal to sell naming rights or similar sponsorships, despite a false start in November that happened when the transit agency failed to communicate with key officials.
Max Smith, January 18, 2020, WTOP

New electric Capital Bikeshare bikes may be semi-dockless

Electric bikes are returning to Capital Bikeshare sometime early this year, and they will likely include the option to leave them anywhere riders choose rather than only at a dock.
Max Smith, January 19, 2020, WTOP

Alexandria mulls making proposed pedestrian-only King St. permanent

Alexandria officials are still working through the details, but there’s an unmistakable air of excitement from city staff and leadership when it comes to turning part of King Street into a pedestrian-only zone.
Vernon Miles, January 17, 2020, ALX Now

Arlington seeking funding to make one lane of Lee Hwy. near Rosslyn bus-only

The Transportation Commission unanimously approved staff’s request to seek $1 million in funding from the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission for pavement treatment, restriping, and signage for a new bus lane.
Vernon Miles, January 17, 2020, ARLnow

Bankrupt contractor blamed for delayed escalator canopy at Dupont Circle station

A spokesperson for Metro said the project encountered a "non-Metro delay" when the company contracted to provide glass panels declared bankruptcy.
Heather Graf, January 17, 2020, WJLA

Residents in Wards 7 and 8 urge for more safety following recent traffic deaths

Four people have died in traffic accidents this year, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Three of the four victims were killed east of the Anacostia.
John Henry, January 17, 2020, WUSA9

Metro puts 22 bus lines up for 'elimination.' Will your route be cut?

Metrobus riders are telling the transit agency not to cut or change dozens of bus lines in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia by this summer. But WMATA says it needs to save money by getting rid of routes it calls inefficient.
Pete Muntean, Jordan Fischer, January 17, 2020, WUSA9

D.C. rule overhaul could cut some regulations for taxis

The regulation changes set for public comment in coming months would take the taxi rules from about 400 pages to about 200 pages, and would lift requirements that cabdrivers get medical physicals, meet dress codes and get rid of cars that are over eight years old.
Max Smith, January 17, 2020, WTOP

Montgomery County leaders plan road safety town hall after recent pedestrian deaths

Despite Montgomery County, Maryland, being one of the first county governments in the U.S. to create a “Vision Zero” plan, a recent spate of pedestrian deaths involved two just this week on Rockville Pike.
Kristi King, January 17, 2020, WTOP

WMATA Inspector General finds $87,000 worth of lapel pins in storage closet

A new report from the WMATA Office of the Inspector General found $87,000 worth of unclaimed lapel pins in a Metro storeroom, marking the second unfavorable report on the transit agency this week.
Colleen Grablick, January 17, 2020, dcist

Metro signs digital ad contract it says will be worth hundreds of millions of dollars

Metro has signed a contract with a digital advertising network that the transit authority says will add hundreds of new LCD screens across the system and pay the agency at least $325 million over the next decade.
Justin George, January 17, 2020, Washington Post

Purple Line is chugging along

Now, an eastern portion of the 16-mile line, from New Carrollton to College Park, is expected to open in late 2022. The other section, from College Park to Bethesda, won’t be carrying riders until June 2023, according to state officials.
Margaret Barthel, January 17, 2020, WAMU

CDC to begin airport screenings for cases of new Chinese virus

Public health officials are implementing enhanced health screenings to detect ill travelers traveling to the United States from Wuhan, China, in response to an outbreak of a new type of coronavirus.
Nathaniel Weixel, January 17, 2020, The Hill

Which bills could improve transportation in Va.?

Two of the more transformative bills before legislators may be HB1414 in the House and SB890 in the Senate, both of which encompass the Governor’s big plans to revolutionize mobility across the Commonwealth.
Wyatt Gordon, January 17, 2020, GGWash

Delayed vote on funding for Silver Line could push back its opening

Board member Michael Goldman said it is now unlikely the extension will open this year without “heroic circumstances.”
Justin George, January 16, 2020, Washington Post

Alexandria's new electric school buses will help feed power grid

The new “vehicle to grid” energy workhorses will not only carry children to and from the classroom. They will be feeding the power grid and reducing emissions as Dominion Energy moves forward with the nation’s largest electric school bus deployment.
Mary Wadland, January 16, 2020, Zebra

Arlington moving forward with pedestrian bridge near Shirlington

Arlington could finally make progress on a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Four Mile Run near Shirlington that’s been under discussion for nearly two decades, according to county staff.
Vernon Miles, January 16, 2020, ARLnow

Why an East Falls Church Metro bike rack under construction for five years isn't finished

Metro has been building a Bike & Ride facility at the East Falls Church Metro Station for nearly five years, and the project still is not finished.
Sam Sweeney, January 17, 2020, WJLA

AAA: Indian Head Highway deaths at lowest in years

According to a new report by AAA, traffic fatalities are at their lowest in at least six years.
Evan Lambert, January 17, 2020, Fox5

Pedestrian struck, killed in Fairfax County

A pedestrian was struck and killed in Fairfax County, Virginia, Thursday night, making this the third fatal crash involving a pedestrian in the D.C. area in 24 hours.
Zeke Hartner, January 16, 2020, WTOP

Second pedestrian struck and killed on Rockville Pike

Less than a day after a man died after being struck while crossing Rockville Pike in Montgomery County, Maryland, another pedestrian has been killed.
Zeke Hartner, January 16, 2020, WTOP

DC-area school districts will soon have electric school buses

Local school districts that will get some of the 50 electric buses in phase one include Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County and Prince William County.
Jeff Clabaugh, January 16, 2020, WTOP

New details on Silver Line issues that could contribute to opening delay

A quality control leader on Silver Line construction has provided new information to Metro’s inspector general about the thickness of concrete panels in stations, as the watchdog finalizes a report on one of the key issues that could further hold up the opening of the extension to Dulles International Airport and Ashburn.
Max Smith, January 17, 2020, WTOP

Funding to build trail tunnel at Bethesda Purple Line station dropped from county budget proposal

Montgomery Executive Marc Elrich (D) has included no money in his capital budget proposal for the county’s long-promised plan to build a tunnel to carry cyclists and runners on the Capital Crescent Trail beneath busy Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda.
Katherine Shaver, January 17, 2020, Washington Post

MLK Day of Service trail cleanups

Join in a Day of Service for Martin Luther King Jr Day on the Capital Trails Network.
Ursula Sandstrom, January 16, 2020, WABA

Union votes overwhelmingly for worker contract, ending strike at Metrobus garage

Members of a transit union have approved a worker contract at a Metrobus garage in Northern Virginia, formally ending an 82-day strike and setting the stage for the return of regular service on several bus routes that had been canceled by the work stoppage.
Justin George, January 16, 2020, Washington Post

Metro board weighs fare increases, service changes in proposed budget

The Metro Board met today to review the transit agency’s proposed 2021 budget, which includes possible fare hikes and bus and train service changes.
Margaret Barthel, January 16, 2020, WAMU

Safety Commission tells Metro to do its own work on Silver Line

The commission responsible for safety oversight of Metro is telling Metro that it will not do the transit agency’s own safety work and contract negotiations on Silver Line construction problems.
Max Smith, January 16, 2020, WTOP

Columbia Pike crews got a surprise after looking underground

Unexpected duct work will cost the county over $5 million.
Mike Salmon, January 15, 2020, Arlington Connection

Vienna pondering slate of transportation, pedestrian improvements

Vienna officials are reviewing a set of multi-modal transportation priorities that would improve mobility and enhance pedestrian safety.
Brian Trompeter, January 16, 2020, Inside NoVa