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Metro to start ventilation system upgrades

Four years after Carol Glover died and dozens were sickened when a train filled with smoke inside a Metro tunnel near L’Enfant Plaza, Metro is set to take initial significant steps to upgrade its tunnel ventilation systems to meet current fire safety standards.
Max Smith, April 24, 2019, WTOP

Fatal pedestrian crashes exceed murder rate in Fairfax County

Officials in Fairfax County, Virginia, where the death rate for pedestrians exceeds the murder rate, are asking people to not be distracted while on the road.
Kristi King, April 22, 2019, WTOP

D.C. lawmakers push road safety bills after fatal crashes

D.C. lawmakers introduced emergency legislation Tuesday that would expedite pedestrian and bike improvements on a long-troubled road where a cycling activist was struck and killed last week, allegedly by a man driving a stolen van at more than twice the posted speed limit.
Luz Lazo, April 23, 2019, Washington Post

Drone company gets FAA 'air carrier' approval, allowing deliveries

Wing, a delivery venture that is part of Google parent Alphabet, has become the first drone company to be certified as an “air carrier” by the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing it to launch a package-delivery service within months in Blacksburg, Va.
Michael Laris, April 23, 2019, Washington Post

Exhibit explores sexual harassment on public transit

Since beginning the project in October 2017, Wroblewski has taken portraits of roughly 30 people. Most of them tell stories of commuters in the District, but others span the East Coast.
Carmel Delshad, April 22, 2019, WAMU

New vision for bicycle transportation in Arlington

The County Board today approved a plan that provides a new vision, goals, policies and project concepts to encourage greater use of bicycles for transportation throughout Arlington.
April 23, 2019, Arlington County

Metro train strikes man at Wheaton station

Metro said in a Twitter message that the man was rescued from the track and was being taken to a hospital.
Dana Hedgpeth, April 23, 2019, Washington Post

Fairfax County awards contract for Fairfax Connector operations

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation has awarded a 5-year contract, plus 10 optional years, to Transdev North America for the operations of Fairfax Connector fixed-route bus service effective July 1, 2019.
April 23, 2019, Fairfax County

Metro rolls out plan to cut energy use

Metro revealed its first-ever energy action plan on Monday, coinciding with Earth Day. The goal is to reduce the transit agency's energy use, contain operating costs and guide sustainable growth.
Adam Tuss, April 22, 2019, NBC Washington

Arlington bicycle rodeo in the works

The Woman’s Club of Arlington will play host to a bicycle rodeo for preschool age and older on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
April 23, 2019, Inside NoVa

Fatal motorcycle crash in Arlington

A fatal accident in Arlington, Virginia on the northbound Interstate 395 ramp to Washington Boulevard/Va. 27 is under investigation by the Virginia State Police.
Colleen Kelleher, April 23, 2019, WTOP

Driver involved in crash that killed pedestrian in DC faces murder charge

The driver of a vehicle involved in a collision that left a pedestrian dead and several others injured has been arrested and charged with murder, police say.
April 22, 2019, Fox5

Toll collections soar after Dulles Toll Road increase

More drivers are sticking with the Dulles Toll Road this year than the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority expected following a toll increase meant to cover Silver Line construction costs.
Max Smith, April 23, 2019, WTOP

Ride-hailing company Via deactivates private rides for Earth Day

The move is meant to encourage fewer total rides, reducing emissions and congestion, according to Via.
Andrew Giambrone, April 22, 2019, Curbed

UMD DOTS plans to sell unwanted bikes to students next fall

In a two-year pilot of the program, DOTS will ask campus community members to hand over unwanted bikes, which the Department of Recreation and Wellness will refurbish during the summer. The bikes will be sold in the fall for $75 each at the DOTS Transportation Fair.
Sarah D'Souza, April 23, 2019, Diamondback

Free parking planned at some Metro stations closing for whole summer

When the Blue and Yellow lines shut down south of Reagan National Airport next month, Metro plans to offer free parking at the Franconia-Springfield, Huntington and Van Dorn Street stations, hoping to entice riders to take Virginia Railway Express or shuttle buses rather than adding to traffic on the Beltway, U.S. Route 1 and I-395. The Metro Board is expected to approve the proposal Thursday.
Max Smith, April 22, 2019, WTOP

Kids ride for free on VRE Thursday

Virginia Railway Express will allow school-age children between the ages of 11 and 18 who are accompanied by a paying adult to ride the commuter train for free on Thursday, April 25, for Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.
April 22, 2019, Prince William Times

Pedestrian hit in crash in Anacostia Sunday has died

Abdul Seck, who was visiting from New York City, died Sunday after he was struck by a driver while walking on the sidewalk in Anacostia.
Julie Strupp, April 22, 2019, GGWash

Cycle of bike thefts ends with officers on bicycles arresting suspect

Again and again, surveillance footage and photos showed a man walking into downtown parking garages and leaving with bicycles that weren’t his.
Clarence Williams, April 21, 2019, Washington Post

Half of D.C. Uber drivers live below poverty line

In a study released by Georgetown University, researchers found that half of the drivers they interviewed had monthly incomes below the federal poverty line.
Jacob Wallace, Mark Segraves, April 20, 2019, NBC Washington

Woman raped walking from Ride On bus stop

Police are searching for a man who followed a female victim from a Montgomery Village bus stop and then raped her.
Sophia Barnes, April 21, 2019, NBC Washington

SoberRide initiative to ramp up for Cinco de Mayo

The Washington Regional Alcohol Program’s “SoberRide” initiative will offer free rides home to would-be impaired drivers for Cinco de Mayo.
April 19, 2019, Inside NoVa

Talking about Earth Day

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, Rep. John Sarbanes will join Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley at City Dock Monday to talk about policy and legislation creating a network of Chesapeake Bay trails.
Naomi Harris, April 22, 2019, Capital Gazette

D.C. plans to step up enforcement of bike lane regulations

The District plans to crack down on drivers who park in or block bike lanes and put cyclists at risk by creating a team of bike-lane enforcement officers with the power to issue tickets on the scene and by mail.
Luz Lazo, April 20, 2019, Washington Post

Fatal crash in D.C. Saturday

D.C. fire and police officials are investigating after a man was found dead in a burning vehicle in Northeast.
April 20, 2019, Fox5

Weekend track work returns after Cherry Blossom hiatus

Expect some delays from single-tracking if you plan to ride the Metro this weekend. Weekend track work returns after a hiatus to accommodate the Cherry Blossom Festival crowds.
Max Smith, April 20, 2019, WTOP

WMATA files eminent domain suit for Potomac Yard Metro

After years of negotiations, the transit agency offered $50,000 for 6,200 square feet.
April 20, 2019, Zebra

Is Alexandria's dockless mobility program a godsend or scourge?

“We have certainly heard quite a bit of input from residents,” said Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson, who has yet to try out a scooter.
James Cullum, April 20, 2019, Zebra

At Union Station, a daily struggle to help the homeless

Little noticed amid the daily buzz of travelers and commuters are the handful of outreach workers like Angell who roam Union Station doing what they can to help the homeless.
Kery Murakami, April 18, 2019, Washington Post

Pentagon City drainage pond may be removed after Metro tunnel leak

Arlington County wants to demolish part of a multi-million dollar Pentagon City project after officials say it caused a leak in a Metro tunnel.
Airey, April 19, 2019, ARLnow

W&OD Trail closure starts April 19, will last until late 2020

Detours start today along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail to allow for construction of a bridge over Lee Highway.
Vernon Miles, April 19, 2019, ARLnow

Earth Day specials in the D.C. area

Going green and getting around the District will be easy on Earth Day (April 22, 2019) with these deals and specials.
Christian Paz, April 19, 2019, NBC Washington

D.C. cab driver recovering after being shot

A D.C. taxi cab driver is recovering in the hospital after he was repeatedly shot in the face by a passenger, police say.
Paul Wagner, April 19, 2019, Fox5

Tornado touched down in Reston

At around 10:20 p.m, the National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado touched down in Reston Friday night, FOX 5's Caitlin Roth reports.
April 19, 2019, Fox5

Capital Bikeshare offering free rides for Earth Day

Much like it did on Election Day, Capital Bikeshare is offering riders a free 24-hour pass on Earth Day.
Rachel Sadon, April 19, 2019, dcist

Area National Parks offering free admission Saturday

Saturday marks the start of National Park Week, and to kick it off, the National Park Service is waiving admissions fees on April 20 for parks that generally charge one.
Carmel Delshad, April 19, 2019, dcist

Driver of stolen van fatally hits cyclist on Florida Ave.

Police have charged a man with second-degree murder after he struck a cyclist with a stolen van Friday morning at 12th St. and Florida Avenue NE.
Jordan Pascale, April 19, 2019, WAMU

Will Arlington go all in for safety in its new bicycle plan?

The Arlington County Board will consider updating its bike plan on Tuesday, April 23, which in Arlington-speak is called the “Bicycle Element of the Master Transportation Plan.”
Gillian Burgess, April 19, 2019, GGWash

Person fatally struck by MARC train

According to the Prince George's County Fire Department spokesman, firefighters and paramedics were called just after 4 p.m. to a report of a pedestrian struck by a train at Baltimore and Garrett avenues in Beltsville.
April 19, 2019, WBAL

Uber gets $1 billion investment for self-driving unit

Uber announced Thursday night that its self-driving car unit received a $1 billion investment ahead of the tech giant’s upcoming debut on the stock market.
Tal Axelrod, April 19, 2019, The Hill

Woman dies after being hit by car in Rockville

An 83-year-old woman died almost one week after she was hit by a car in Rockville, Md.
Lynh Bui, April 19, 2019, Washington Post

Arlington preps upgrade to Oakland Park

Arlington County Board members are slated to approve a contract to upgrade Oakland Park. The low bid of $624,264 is part of an overall budget of $800,000 that will augment current landscaping, tree canopy and pedestrian circulation at the largely pedestrian park, located in the 3700 block of Wilson Boulevard.
April 19, 2019, Inside NoVa

Fairfax dedicates new trail between Vienna, Tysons

Fairfax County and Vienna officials on April 16 cut the ribbon for the new Vesper Trail, which stretches 0.4 miles between the Spring Hill Metro Station and Vesper Street just northeast of the Vienna town line.
Brian Trompeter, April 19, 2019, Inside NoVa

Arlington, Montgomery County formalize deal on airport-noise study

Arlington government officials plan to formalize their agreement with leaders in Montgomery County, Md., to fund a study on the northerly aircraft departure route out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Scott McCaffrey, April 19, 2019, Inside NoVa

Man accused of stealing more than 25 bikes in D.C.

Police arrested a man accused of stealing more than 25 bikes from different locations across Washington D.C.
Lorenzo Hall, April 18, 2019, WUSA9

Four killed in violent crash in Capitol Heights

Officer Nicholas Clayton, spokesman for the Prince George's County Police Department, says they're trying to figure out what caused an SUV carrying two men and two women to inexplicably cross the center line in the 5800 block of Sheriff Rd. around 10:30 p.m., sending the vehicle on a collision course with a utility pole.
Susan Phillips, April 19, 2019, WUSA9

Detours on W&OD, Custis Trails

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced today that detours will begin Friday (April 19) on the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail for construction of a new trail bridge over Route 29 (Lee Highway) near the Arlington-Falls Church line. Additionally, the Custis Trail will be detoured beginning in May where it passes under I-66 near Bon Air Park in Arlington due to I-66 widening construction above the trail.
April 18, 2019, Falls Church News-Press

Alexandria changing HOV restrictions for summer Metro shutdown

The city announced Wednesday it will expand HOV lane modifications in Old Town and is unleashing new technology to keep shuttle buses running smoothly.
April 18, 2019, WTOP

DASH bus drivers call for wage increase

DASH is currently negotiating a new contract with ATU Local 689, and their drivers are some of the lowest paid in the region.
James Cullum, April 17, 2019, Zebra

Transformation of Union Station begins

Union Station is in need of serious help. Fixing it will be a long journey.
Katishi Maake, April 18, 2019, Washington Business Journal

Rock Creek Parkway, Trail to close this weekend near Kennedy Center

The closure is needed to prepare for the installation of a pedestrian bridge that will connect the Kennedy Center’s new expansion to the National Mall and the Roosevelt Bridge, according to a press release.
Lara McCoy, April 18, 2019, WAMU

Metro extends platform project by six days

Station closures now expected to continue through Sunday, September 8
April 18, 2019, WMATA

Amtrak Acela train strikes a person north of Baltimore

A person was struck by a Boston-bound Acela train Thursday morning, causing delays along the busy Northeast rail corridor, officials said.
Lori Aratani, April 18, 2019, Washington Post

Train technology that could have saved over 300 lives inches toward completion

“In the course of 50 years we have investigated 150 PTC preventable accidents that have caused 303 fatalities and 6,800 injuries,” said Jennifer Homendy, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Ashley Halsey III, April 17, 2019, Washington Post

New bus service to Quantico VRE

Beginning Wednesday, May 1, 2019, FREDericksburg Regional Transit (FRED) will start early morning and late afternoon feeder bus service between Aquia Towne Center, the north VDOT commuter lot on Route 610/Garrisonville Road and the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) station in Quantico, VA.
April 18, 2019, VRE

Purple Line project gets new CEO amid schedule, cost disputes

The team of companies designing and building Maryland’s Purple Line has replaced its CEO, hoping a new leader will resolve disputes with the state over construction delays and potential cost overruns in the $5.6 billion public-private partnership, a project spokesman said Wednesday.
Katherine Shaver, April 17, 2019, Washington Post

Md. chief of toll operations resigns abruptly

The head of the Maryland Transportation Authority, Kevin C. Reigrut, who oversaw the state’s eight toll facilities, abruptly tendered his resignation Tuesday.
Luz Lazo, April 17, 2019, Washington Post

Metro to shut down several Blue, Yellow line stations for the summer

Heads up: if you live or work in Northern Virginia, a massive Metro shutdown is right around the corner -- and it's going to last all summer.
Adam Tuss, Gina Cook, April 17, 2019, NBC Washington

Bicycle-collection effort slated for Arlington recycling event

Bikes for the World will be collecting unneeded bicycles, bike parts and accessories on Saturday, May 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. as part of the Arlington E-CARE (Environmental Collection and Recycling Event) at 1425 North Quincy St.
April 18, 2019, Inside NoVa

Bike to Work Day planned for May 17

On May 17, thousands of riders are anticipated to pedal to work as part of the free, annual event -- now in its nineteenth year.
Andrew Giambrone, April 17, 2019, Curbed

U.S. public transportation growth outpaces population growth

Riders in the United States took 9.9 billion trips on public transportation last year according to a report from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), with ridership increases seen throughout the country.
Chris Galford, April 17, 2019, Transportation Today

VRE fully compliant with positive train control

VRE, a transportation partnership between the Northern Virginia and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation commissions, became fully compliant last week.
Melina Druga, April 17, 2019, Transportation Today

D.C. may be overpaying for transportation projects due to few bidders

Paving roads and laying the groundwork for infrastructure projects in the District could be costing taxpayers more than is necessary, according to a recent audit by the D.C. inspector general’s office.
Andrew Giambrone, April 16, 2019, Curbed

Falls Church woman killed by car she had been riding in

Fairfax County police are reporting that 74-year-old Amolia Lozano of Falls Church died due to injuries sustained in an accident along Peyton Randolph Drive during the afternoon on April 12.
April 16, 2019, Falls Church News-Press

Fake rideshare driver takes woman home, then allegedly robs her in Bethesda

Montgomery County Police are hoping new video will help people identify a fake rideshare driver who drove a woman to her home in Bethesda and then forced his way inside before allegedly robbing her last month.
Marina Marraco, April 16, 2019, Fox5

Woman dead after gas station pump fire in Northeast

Officials say a woman is dead after being found near a gas station pump that was on fire early Wednesday morning in Northeast, D.C.
April 17, 2019, Fox5

App-based transit coming to Md.

Montgomery County plans to test an app-based system that will allow riders to request a ride through the Via app on an 11-passenger shuttle.
Max Smith, April 17, 2019, WTOP

Purple Line construction endangers 66-inch water main in Prince George's

The Purple Line light rail project is being asked to “cease and desist” construction near a major water main in Maryland’s Prince George’s County.
Dick Uliano, April 16, 2019, WTOP

Little Paint Branch Trail expected to be finished soon

Work on an extension to the Little Paint Branch Trail from Beltsville to North College Park is expected to wrap up within the next few weeks.
Alexander Dacy, April 17, 2019, Diamondback

Amtrak expands weekend Acela Service

Amtrak is increasing weekend service along the popular Northeast Corridor, adding additional Saturday departures starting next month.
Lori Aratani, April 17, 2019, Washington Post

Officials investigating reports that two Metro cars came apart Monday night

Officials from Metro’s newly minted safety oversight board said they are looking into an incident in which two Metrorail cars came apart as they were being moved to a storage track behind the Wiehle-Reston East station late Monday.
Lori Aratani, April 16, 2019, Washington Post

Uber introduces Jump scooters, changes price structure for e-bikes

Riders now can unlock the bikes and scooters for free and pay 15 cents per minute.
Luz Lazo, April 16, 2019, Washington Post

Silver Spring gets a train-iguana mural

Work on the mural started last week on a blank wall the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Bonifant Street, where Purple Line trains will run once the light rail opens in 2023.
Dan Reed, April 16, 2019, GGWash

Md., Va. to study extending commuter rail

Could a future Amazon.com Inc. employee living deep in the Old Line State catch a MARC train straight to Crystal City? Or how about a Manassas resident riding VRE to Baltimore? Maryland and Virginia are setting out to answer those questions in the next year.
April 15, 2019, Washington Business Journal

I-270, Beltway expansion plans bring fears of noise, property loss

The potential for increased traffic noise, declines in property values and not enough consideration for public transportation options were among the concerns that surfaced at a weekend public meeting on plans to add toll lanes to Interstate 270 and the Beltway.
Dan Schere, April 15, 2019, Bethesda Magazine

Prince George's County leaders confront distracted driving crisis

County leaders went on ride-along patrols with police officers to appeal to distracted drivers first-hand.
Scott Broom, April 15, 2019, WUSA9

Metro to begin escalator canopy installation at Dupont Circle

Later this month, Metro will begin work to install a specially designed canopy over the north entrance of Dupont Circle station, the transit authority announced today.
April 15, 2019, WMATA

Lots of ways to celebrate Earth Day

With Earth Day right around the corner, you've got more than one way to get into that environmental spirit.
Jeb Stenhouse, April 15, 2019, GGWash

Catching a Metro train in Alexandria this summer will be impossible

Metro and Alexandria are planning an extensive network of free express and local shuttle bus services to help customers get around the region during construction.
April 15, 2019, Zebra

Pedestrian dies after being struck by SUV in Fairfax County

A 74-year-old woman who was hit by an SUV Friday afternoon died overnight, Fairfax County police said.
Marissa J. Lang, April 13, 2019, Washington Post