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Navigating the summer shutdown: Metro's Red Line bus shuttle plan

The work will be executed in two phases. From June 1 through June 29, Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring, and Takoma stations will be closed. 
April 23, 2024, Source of the Spring

Metro ready for Red Line summer work, partners with MDOT, Montgomery County, DDOT to prioritize shuttle buses WHAT:

Free, Local, and Limited-Stop Shuttle buses will be provided between Glenmont and Fort Totten, and free Express Shuttle buses will run directly between Silver Spring and downtown DC.
April 22, 2024, WMATA

What could the region do to ensure WMATA not only survives but thrives?

After Virginia’s General Assembly included $149.5 million for Metro in its recently released biennium budget, the three jurisdictions WMATA serves appear ready to close the agency’s $750 million budget gap that could have cut 67% of transit service in the nation’s capital. 
Wyatt Gordon, April 22, 2024, Greater Greater Washington

MTA riders raise concerns about proposed cuts to DC-bound bus routes

One of the chief concerns for riders who spoke to WTOP are that remaining lines will only serve the Capitol Hill and Pennsylvania Avenue areas without stops for those who work along North Capitol Street, Massachusetts Avenue and the K Street corridor.
Mike Murillo, April 23, 2024, WTOP

Senators introduce bill to make public transit more accessible

Nearly 20% of all transit stations in the U.S. aren't accessible to people with disabilities and don't fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities act, according to the Federal Transit Administration. 
Kris Van Cleave, April 22, 2024, CBS News

Pedal into spring with 2nd annual Pedal with Petals bike ride!

Pedal with Petals is returning for its vibrant second year in Tysons on Saturday, May 11. 
April 21, 2024, Fairfax Alliance of Better Bicycling

Google Maps introduces new transit, EV features

For electric car drivers, Google Maps will collect user-generated data to find the nearest EV charging locations, and, in some cases, real-time port availability.
Diana Ionescu, April 19, 2024, Planetizen

OmniRide offers free rides for children April 25

OmniRide Local and Metro Express are already currently free and will be until at least June. Children can ride any OmniRide Express commuter bus for free on this day, which currently costs $9.00 one way, when accompanied by a paying adult.
Amelia Breeden, April 19, 2024, Potomac Local News

The state of e-scooters in the US

Eight years after shared e-scooters were first introduced in US cities, the industry still teeters on the edge of success, hindered in part by limited infrastructure.
Diana Ionescu, April 18, 2024, Planetizen

All aboard! Amtrak to possibly add new stops in Christiansburg and Roanoke

The Virginia Rail Authority said these routes would be an extension process down from Roanoke to the New River Valley and a new stop in Christiansburg.
Rachel Tillapaugh, April 18, 2024, ABC7 News

Fairfax supervisors urge General Assembly to reject Youngkin's proposed metro funding cuts

The General Assembly passed the FY 2024-2026 biennium budget in March which included $149.5 million from the state to address WMATA’s funding shortage in FY 2025 and FY 2026, according to the letter.
Acacia James, April 18, 2024, FFXNow

Prince William County board agrees to partially fund OmniRide budget shortfall

The agency – the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission – previously warned it will be forced to cut service if it can’t secure enough local funding to offset its rising costs, although it’s not immediately clear what those service cuts might look like.
Ben Peters, April 18, 2024, Inside NoVa

How transit agencies can get more people 'on board' with transit tech

Increasing usage of public transit has an important role to play in our fight against climate change, along with contributing to the vitality and resilience of cities. 
Konstantin Spasov, April 16, 2024, Metro Magazine

Capital Bikeshare offering new users free rides for limited time

Curious about trying a bikeshare service in the District? Capital Bikeshare says now is the perfect time — it’s offering new users a code to unlock a bike for free for a limited time.
Makea Luzader, April 17, 2024, DC News Now

Alexandria Transit Company Board approves FY 2025 Alexandria Transit Strategic Plan

Proposed service changes have been made by the Alexandria Transit Company, which operates DASH bus service and the King Street Trolley, as part of the Alexandria Transit Strategic Plan (ATSP) for Fiscal Year 2025. 
April 17, 2024, Mass Transit Magazine

New Fairfax County ordinance requires drivers to stop, rather than yield, for pedestrians

The new ordinance aligns Fairfax County with a 2023 Code of Virginia change requiring drivers to stop — rather than yield — for pedestrians crossing in the driver’s lane, in an adjacent lane, or approaching the driver’s lane.
Vernon Miles, April 17, 2024, FFXNow

Metro to resume repairs at Stadium-Armory after 5-week pause

Efforts will continue on Metro’s Aerial Structures Rehabilitation Project on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines. Crews at the station will work to reinforce its structural integrity, closing a section of the track where the three lines intersect, WMATA said in a press release.
Gabby Allen, April 17, 2024, DC News Now

Do you ride the Circulator in D.C.? We want to hear about your experience.

D.C. has proposed ending the Circulator bus service next year. The Washington Post wants to hear about your experiences with the Circulator and how you use it.
April 17, 2024, The Washington Post

Youngkin proposes using NoVa investment fund to support Metro

In a state budget amendment, Gov. Glenn Youngkin pledged to support Metro with an additional $133.7 million amid a projected shortfall for the transit agency. The pledge came with a caveat: It would strip funding from a transit investment fund used by Northern Virginia jurisdictions.
Nathaniel Cline, April 17, 2024, Virginia Mercury

Amtrak releases RFI for next phase of zero-emissions

All qualified parties are encouraged to respond to the RFI, which supports the US National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization by 2050. Aiming to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2045 sits at the heart of Amtrak’s Climate Commitment.
Metro Magazine Staff, April 16, 2024, Metro Magazine

DC cyclists aren't giving up on Connecticut Avenue bike lanes

Adding protected bike lanes to the busy avenue has been a major initiative of the cycling advocacy group for years, which says that the six-lane, 30-mph roadway posed dangers for pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists alike. 
Omega Ilijevich, April 15, 2024, Washingtonian

This weekend: Aerial structure repairs to close section of Blue, Orange, and Silver lines outside Stadium-Armory

During the weekend, free shuttle buses will replace trains between Stadium-Armory and Benning Road on the Blue and Silver lines, and between Stadium-Armory and Minnesota Ave on the Orange Line. Additional work is also planned in this same area the following weekend, April 27-28.   
April 16, 2024, WMATA

Offer to donate land to Montgomery Co. sparks optimism that White's Ferry service connecting Md. and Va. will resume

The current owners of White’s Ferry, Chuck and Stacy Kuhn, have made a formal offer to donate the ferry landing property to Montgomery County. They hope this could help bring back ferry services between Poolesville, Maryland, and Leesburg, Virginia.
Kate Ryan, April 16, 2024, WTOP

DC bikeshare system breaks ridership record

In a proposed budget revealed on April 3, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser pledged $3 million to support Capital Bikeshare operations, maintenance, and growth.
Diana Ionescu, April 16, 2024, Planetizen

Transit worker safety the focus of FTA plan updates

The National Safety Plan also looks to address the hundreds of bus-to-person collisions that occur every year. 
Dan Zukowski, April 15, 2024, Smart Cities Dive

8 years into America's e-scooter experiment, what have we learned?

Ultimately, researchers see two factors that determine the overall climate impact of e-scooters: how users ride them, and how operators manage them from manufacturing to disposal.
Syris Valentine, April 15, 2024, Route Fifty

Metro begins auto doors function on select trains for 'safer and more reliable' commuting

This is the second stage of rollout for the system. The Red Line started this last December and WMATA said there have been more than 750,000 successful, safe, and faster door openings since.
Joy Wang, April 16, 2024, ABC7 News

Youngkin would slash extra Metro funds, shift burden to Northern Virginia localities

Amendments from the governor received in the House of Delegates April 8 eliminate that extra funding entirely in the first year and reduce it in the second year to less than $36 million — a roughly $113.5 million delta.
Dan Brendel, April 15, 2024, Washington Business Journal

Biden-Harris Administration awards $23.6 million to help 112 communities deliver transformative infrastructure improvements

The program provides two years of no-cost, intensive technical assistance to under-resourced and disadvantaged communities to help them identify, develop, and deliver transportation projects to achieve locally-driven economic development, health, environment, mobility, and access goals. 
April 15, 2024, Transportation.gov

OmniRide driver places 4th in 'Virginia Bus Roadeo'

OmniRide hosted the 2024 Virginia State Bus Roadeo April 5 – April 7 at the organization’s Western Facility near Manassas. Thirty-four bus operators and seven maintenance teams from across the state took part in this safety and operations competition
Uriah Kiser, April 14, 2024, Potomac Local News

Metro to begin Auto Doors certifications for operators on Blue, Orange, Silver, Green, and Yellow Lines

On Monday, customers may notice doors opening faster on some Blue, Orange, Silver, Green and Yellow line trains as Metro begins certifying operators who have been trained to use the Auto Doors function. The certifications will happen over the next few weeks. 
April 12, 2024, WMATA

The D.C. Circulator's days are numbered. Could Metro step in and fill the void?

Funding for the six D.C. Circulator bus routes that loop around some of the District's most popular tourist destinations is slated to expire in a little less than a year, but city officials are hoping Metro will step in to fill the void.
Nate Doughty, April 12, 2024, Washington Business Journal

Planning Commission chair says Alexandria needs to step up its federal grants game to make transit corridors a reality

Transitway corridors are areas where the city is hoping to implement “enhanced transit services” like bus rapid transit, a streetcar, dedicated bus lanes and more. 
Vernon Miles, April 12, 2024, ALXNow

'Significant' MARC Penn Line schedule changes to begin

The changes will mean that some trains may arrive early, and some will be delayed between Baltimore and Union Station in D.C.
Anna-Lysa Gayle, April 11, 2024, DC News Now

DC Department of Transportation director: Connecticut Avenue won't get bike lanes

Initial plans from DDOT had a protected bike lane on Connecticut Avenue as part of safety improvements but Director Sharon Kershbaum told the Council Thursday they weren’t moving forward with that plan.
Daniel Hamburg, April 11, 2024, DC News Now

Transit ridership continues its slow recovery

Transit riders took 7.1 billion trips in 2023, down from 9.9 billion in 2019, in large part due to shifting work patterns and low office occupancy. 
Diana Ionescu, April 11, 2024, Planetizen

How transit agencies can succeed at outsourcing operations

Transit agencies often contract with private companies to operate part or all of their rail, bus or other services. Done right, it can improve service and even lower costs. 
Dan Zukowski, April 11, 2024, Smart Cities Dive

Biden-Harris Administration announces nearly $830 million in grants to make transportation infrastructure more resilient to climate change

To strengthen America’s climate resilience, President Biden has secured more than $50 billion for climate resilience and adaptation through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
April 11, 2024, Transportation.gov

6th Annual Mount Vernon District Environment Expo

Organized by Supervisor Dan Storck, in collaboration with the National Park Service, this event promises an educational and engaging day for the whole family. 
April 11, 2024, Fairfax Alliance of Better Bicycling

Circulator bus service could end by March 2025, officials say

The Circulator would require an infusion of more than $100 million to sustain itself next fiscal year, said DDOT director Sharon Kershbaum in a hearing with the D.C. Council transportation committee on Thursday.
Danny Nguyen, April 11, 2024, The Washington Post

WMATA and MWCOG announce new joint transit initiative

In a news release sent out Wednesday, officials said that the organizations’ Boards of Directors will meet on May 1 to start “months-long discussions about how to efficiently provide, fund, and govern public transit.”
Makea Luzader, April 10, 2024, DC News Now

CaBi continues to break records through March

CaBi members consistently make up the majority of trips each month, representing 63.7% of all rides in March. E-bikes continue to account for nearly half of all rides, as 49.9% of riders chose the pedal-assisted option over the classic red bikes.
Samuel Littauer, April 11, 2024, Greater Greater Washington

FTA issues final rule on PTASP regulation, revises National Public Transportation Safety Plan

The major safety updates will make transit systems safer for transit workers and passengers across the U.S. while providing workers more input in safety-making decisions through enhanced safety committees.
April 10, 2024, Mass Transit Magazine

New NVTC report highlights importance of public transit to the environment

The report, "Climate Benefits of Transit in Northern Virginia,” finds the use of public transit in northern Virginia reduces up to 160,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year and that diesel-fueled buses provide greater benefits to the environment than people driving in cars, SUVs and light trucks.
April 10, 2024, Mass Transit Magazine

APTA releases ridership trends report

After falling to 20% of pre-pandemic levels in April 2020, public transit has recovered to 79% of pre-pandemic levels as of March 2024, according to the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) latest ridership trends report.
Marybeth Luczak, April 9, 2024, Railway Age

'All of their riders are listening to you' | Kids with autism voicing announcements on Metro buses, trains all month long

On Wednesday, around 40 children with autism gathered to tour a train, and bus and ask questions to Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke.
John Doran, April 10, 2024, WUSA9

Metro, Council of Governments officials plan to partner on developing unified vision for the region's transit

The planned partnership builds on recent coordination related to Metro's FY 2025 financial challenges. It also provides an opportunity for the region to act with urgency to fully address complex, long-term transit needs.
April 10, 2024, WMATA

Will DC put the brakes on Circulator buses?

Under the budget proposal from Mayor Muriel Bowser, Circulator buses would be phased out by early next year. The mayor said rising costs for something that people aren’t using, and is already duplicated by Metro, is too hard to justify when she has a budget to balance.
John Domen, April 10, 2024, WTOP

How DC's Metro lured riders back

WMATA’s strategy has been successful so far: In February, ridership across the system was at 83 percent of pre-pandemic levels, and DC has now seen a faster transit recovery than any other major metro area with a comparable public transportation network.
Abdallah Fayyad, April 10, 2024, Vox

Report confirms public transit is good for Northern Virginia's environment

The "Climate Benefits of Transit in Northern Virginia" report concludes that while personal vehicles are a major cause of pollution, riding trains and buses can mitigate these emissions.
April 9, 2024, Metro Magazine

Run MARC commuter trains into Virginia. It could draw thousands more riders

Nonetheless, the fact that over 10,000 people from the Maryland suburbs are employed near L’Enfant Plaza, Crystal City, and King Street means there is a strong opportunity for MARC to grow ridership. 
Ethan Finlan, April 9, 2024, Greater Greater Washington

Virginia governor strikes extra funding for Metro from budget

The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission says it has the funding for Metro for now, but it says sending the money will mean that reserve funds for other transportation projects down the line will dry up in about a year. Then taxpayers may be asked to pay more.
Adam Tuss, April 9, 2024, NBC4 Washington