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Biden-Harris Administration announces more than $4.2 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for transformational, national infrastructure projects

A total of 44 projects were selected in this round of funding, including projects that improve safety, mobility, and economic competitiveness, constructing major bridges, expanding port capacity, redesigning interchanges, and more.
October 21, 2024, Transportation.gov

FTA updates rules regarding safety oversight of rail transit

“Today, we are making rail transit even safer for both transit workers and riders,” FTA Deputy Administrator Veronica Vanterpool said in a press release. 
Transit Staff, October 21, 2024, Trains.com

The Greater Washington Partnership refreshes its transportation blueprint

“It lays out an agenda to transform our transportation system into an asset that boosts our global competitiveness,” said Bob Blue, CEO of Dominion Energy and co-chair of the Partnership’s regional mobility and infrastructure initiative.
October 16, 2024, WTOP

APTA Seeks Information on Unmet Public Transit Emergency Relief Needs

This fall, Congress is expected to consider an Emergency Relief Appropriations package to address the widespread damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) said in an Oct. 17 release.
Carolina Worrell, October 18, 2024, Railway Age

Catch a bus from Warrenton, Front Royal to DC? Transit agency considering new routes

Two new OmniRide commuter bus routes serving Warrenton and Front Royal and traveling into Washington, D.C., will be considered in a series of upcoming public hearings that will also involve discussion around the proposed elimination of the Gainesville-to-Reston route. 
Sebastien Kraft, October 17, 2024, Rappahannock News

Is cracking down on fare evasion the answer to lagging transit ridership?

Transit agencies hope to reassure riders concerned about crime by boosting security at transit stations.
Diana Ionescu, October 17, 2024, Planetizen

Maryland DOT plans transit-oriented development along commuter rail line

The plan offers recommendations on developing 170 acres of undeveloped state-owned land around these train stations, creating at least 2,600 new housing units to help address the state’s housing shortage.
Dan Zukowski, October 17, 2024, Smart Cities Dive

Nearly one million tickets issued to drivers over six month period in DC

According to the report, 973,431 tickets were mailed out to drivers between Oct. 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. A majority of those tickets – 739,876 – were for speeding.
Mariel Carbone, October 17, 2024, DC News Now

OmniRide weighing commuter routes for Warrenton, Front Royal to DC; Gainesville-to-Reston route nixed

A proposal to cut the bus route that runs from Gainesville to Reston is also on the table due to low ridership, though OmniRide is considering alternatives such as carpools or van rides to accommodate riders along that route.
October 17, 2024, WTOP

Virginia goes all in on passenger rail

The $2.3 billion project would double the number of train tracks crossing the Potomac River from two to four, alleviating a major chokepoint for freight and passenger rail traveling along the East Coast.
Daniel C. Vock, October 16, 2024, Route Fifty

How Arlington's major Long Bridge project will improve travel to D.C.

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Virginia and local officials in Arlington on Tuesday to break ground on the $2 billion project, which will create more rail bridges connecting D.C. and Virginia and update the Long Bridge.
Mimi Montgomery, October 16, 2024, Axios

E-bikes fueling record-setting local ridership numbers for Capital Bikeshare

The e-bike ridership spike comes even though it is more expensive to rent e-bikes, which cost 10 cents to 15 cents per minute of use compared to 5 cents per minute for pedal bikes — with some riders getting the first 45 minutes free for those pedal bikes.
Scott McCaffrey, October 15, 2024, ARLNow

Scorching bus stops, underwater roads, buckling pavement, and slow trains – the region's transportation future?

As the region contemplates major rehabilitation and expansions of rail, buses, streets, trails and highways, we need to ensure that those decisions account for and prioritize resilience needs.
Bill Pugh, October 16, 2024, Greater Greater Washington

Proposed concept for future Wiehle Avenue has fewer travel lanes

The study takes a more holistic look at the roadway from Sunrise Valley Drive to the Washington and Old Dominion Trail, aiming to make it less auto-centric and more accommodating for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Fatimah Waseem, October 15, 2024, FFXNow

FRA awards more than $108M for rural rail safety projects

The funding, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, would support nine projects in three states through the Special Transportation Circumstances (STC) Grant Program. 
Liz Carey, October 15, 2024, Transportation Today

Maryland eyes large-scale transit-oriented developments on MARC line

A plan to add large-scale developments to state-owned properties near MARC stations could bring thousands of new residents to Maryland's suburbs and add up to $800 million in tax revenue over the next three decades.
Melody Simmons, October 14, 2024, Washington Business Journal

OmniRide considers adding new bus to D.C. from Warrenton, dropping Gainesville-to-Reston route

There is a separate plan to drop service from Gainesville to Reston due to low ridership, but OmniRide is exploring carpool or van rides to try to serve frustrated riders who ride that bus.
Kate Seltzer, October 14, 2024, Prince William Times

Transit systems update security gates to win back riders

As transportation hubs across the country attempt to win back riders who haven’t returned since the pandemic — 26% as of September 2023 — one major obstacle is the sometimes inaccurate perception that transit crime is on the rise. 
The Associate Press, October 14, 2024, Finance & Commerce

MDOT, Maryland Economic Development Corporation work to develop TOD areas along MARC Penn Line through new strategy

The plan provides a blueprint for unlocking economic opportunities at six train stops in the corridor with potential to create thousands of new jobs and yield more than $800 million in tax revenue for the state over three decades.  
October 14, 2024, Mass Transit Magazine

How transit fleets can navigate new emissions standards

While it’s unrealistic to transition all buses to zero-emission vehicles now, this means existing internal combustion engine (ICE) bus fleets must set realistic timelines and targets for reducing existing emissions and prepare for replacing diesel with electric vehicles.
Greg Colvin, October 11, 2024, Metro Magazine

Developing a common language for microtransit providers

Rural transit agencies could benefit from an emerging technology called  Transactional Data Specification (TDS), which “establishes a common language allowing transportation providers to share data related to customers, their destinations or scheduling,” according to a report from the Shared-Use Mobility Center with AARP.
Diana Ionescu, October 10, 2024, Planetizen

Metro moves forward with process to enable credit card tap-to-ride system

Although he couldn’t guarantee a date, GM Randy Clarke said Metro’s goal is to make fare gates accept credit cards and smartphones linked to credit cards before the big World Pride celebration next year. 
Tom Roussey, October 10, 2024, ABC7 News

WMATA takes fare evasion fight to Metrobus

While WMATA has implemented evasion safeguards on Metrorail through new faregates, more security officers and surveillance cameras, the scope of the problem is bigger for the bus network.
Matt Pusatory, October 10, 2024, WUSA9

Bike-friendly campuses can inspire the rest of car-centric America

When campuses get bike-friendliness right, though, they can serve as prototypes for what every city could be if we treated our places like true communities for people.
Kea Wilson, October 10, 2024, Streetsblog USA

Most Metrobus riders don't pay their fares. Will a local government incentive help?

Riders skipping out on fares has been a problem for Metro that surged after the pandemic. In September, Metro Transit Police reported writing more than 10,000 citations for fare evasion this year alone.
Mike Murillo, October 11, 2024, WTOP

DC launches pilot to charge e-bikes with solar power

The initiative, which started last week, aims to “really make a difference in terms of our charging operations,” said Aaron Goldbeck, who manages the sustainable transportation programs team at D.C.’s Department of Transportation.
Scott Gelman, October 10, 2024, WTOP

20 safest and most dangerous US cities for pedestrians

A new study by shoe company Kuru Footwear ranks 36 most populous U.S. cities according to how foot-friendly they are. The study used pedestrian death data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration combined with overall Walk Score to calculate its results. 
Mary Hammon, October 10, 2024, Planetizen

How the White House influences transportation grantmaking

Priorities vary among administrations, an Urban Institute report found. “The president actually has substantial discretion over a lot of these programs,” a researcher said.
Dan Zukowski, October 9, 2024, Smart Cities Dive

DC Circulator employees continue to push for answers amid layoffs by: Mariel Carbone

Employees were originally told they’d work through March of 2025, but the city decided to end the service earlier, pushing the date to the end of 2024. The first round of layoffs began on Sept. 30.
Mariel Carbone, October 9, 2024, DC News Now

Arlington County, Va., works to improve transit service

Arlington County notes it will take a holistic approach to addressing the needs of a multimodal network, including the many ways people get around within the physically constrained public right-of-way. 
October 9, 2024, Mass Transit Magazine

King Street Pedestrian Zone could move forward this fall

Hillary Orr, deputy director of Transportation Planning and Mobility, said the city worked with the fire department, police department, city attorney and traffic operations to review the proposal.
Vernon Miles, October 9, 2024, ALXNow

Alexandria City Council approves bus lane and new bike path near Bradlee Shopping Center

The changes will take the access two-way road parallel to the Bradlee Shopping Center and turn it into a one-way westbound street with a dedicated bus lane and a two-way bicycle trail.
Vernon Miles, October 9, 2024, ALXNow

Metro board to consider funding measure aimed at reducing fare evasion on bus, rail

It’s a proposal to make changes to what’s called the “funding formula” that Metro uses to determine how much tax money it requests from state and local governments in our area.
Tom Roussey, October 8, 2024, ABC7 News

DC-area traffic now is just as bad as it was pre-pandemic, report finds

Not only that, congestion has actually gotten slightly (1.1%) worse as well, and while the increase in congestion is relatively small, it translates to real hours lost over the year, “especially in places where congestion is already high,” according to the report.
Luke Lukert, October 9, 2024, WTOP

'Road map' for dedicated transit funding still work in progress, N. Va. officials say

Local leaders long have dreamed of the prospect of gaining a dedicated funding source — perhaps a sales, fuel or recording tax — to support the Metro system, local transit networks and Virginia Railway Express
Scott McCaffrey, October 8, 2024, FFXNow

Weekend track work and service information for Indigenous Peoples' Day and Columbus Day

This weekend crews will work to replace switches, remove vegetation, maintain gates, and perform cable insulation testing. The repairs will require station closures at four Red Line stations: Shady Grove, Rockville, Twinbrook, and North Bethesda.
October 8, 2024, WMATA

70% of bus riders in D.C. area don't pay. Here's what Metro is doing about it.

Research indicates that riders at all income levels are more interested in better service than eliminating fares, and that making buses free doesn’t reduce car use. 
Rachel Weiner, October 8, 2024, The Washington Post