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How Metro became D.C.'s favorite brand

Metro turns 50 this year, and it's suddenly D.C.'s underdog du jour — rebounding from its pandemic slump, cleaner and more reliable, with a surprisingly sassy online personality and undeniably cool swag.
Anna Spiegel, January 14, 2026, Axios

Contest deadline approaches for poems to be displayed in DASH buses

“DASHing Words in Motion” is accepting poetry submissions until 5 p.m. Friday from writers age 16 and older who live, work or study in the city. Contest winners’ poems will be displayed for thousands of city transit riders to see during National Poetry Month in April.
Katie Taranto, January 13, 2026, ALXNow

Analysis: What it would take for America to be first on transit again

Considering that it would mean tripling the national transit budget, spending $4.7 trillion in 20 years might sound like a big ask — except that America is already on track to spend an additional $6.3 trillion on highways over the next two decades.
Kea Wilson, January 14, 2026, Streetsblog USA

Transit Scheduling 101 — What is transit scheduling?

This simple adage applies equally to transit service. An expertly laid service plan, married to an expertly designed transit route is next to useless if the route can’t be operated reliably. 
Joshua Woods, January 13, 2026, Planetizen

Rail traffic delays over the Potomac: What to know about construction through 2030

A second span of Long Bridge will cross over the Potomac between D.C. and Arlington. The work will separate passenger trains from freight trains and turn two tracks into four. The work is expected to last through 2030.
Adam Tuss, January 12, 2026, NBC4 Washington

Series of weekend Metro closures coming to Crystal City and Reagan National

Blue and Yellow Line trains won’t run in affected areas during the closures, which are for passenger and crew safety during the construction of a second entrance to the Crystal City station.
Dan Egitto, January 12, 2026, ARLNow

Study: Induced demand works for bikes and transit, too

‘Induced demand’ is a common trope among planners, usually signifying the futility of building more vehicle lanes in an effort to reduce congestion. “If you build it, they will come,” lament multimodal transportation advocates.
Diana Ionescu, January 11, 2026, Planetizen

What December ridership shows — and doesn't — about OmniRide commuter demand

OmniRide reported higher commuter bus ridership in December, even as local routes declined, offering a mixed picture of transit demand in Prince William County heading into winter.
Uriah Kiser, January 11, 2026, Potomac Local News

WMATA's Green Line construction ends, Yellow Line extends to Greenbelt

Crews worked to restore lighting and repair leaks as well as renew communications and signal equipment. Workers removed graffiti and cleaned 4,700 linear feet of track bed. Elsewhere, crews replaced 2,646 studs, 171 insulators, and 205 square feet of concrete.
Jennifer McLawhorn, January 6, 2026, RT&S

Metro installing modernized bus shelters across multiple stations

According to Metro, nearly 200 new bus shelters will be installed at Metro-owned locations as part of the project. Construction began at Twinbrook station last month and is continuing at Shady Grove, where shelters will be replaced two at a time over the coming months.
January 8, 2026, The MoCo Show

Confirmed: Non-driving infrastructure creates 'induced demand,' too

Widening a highway to cure congestion is like losing weight by buying bigger pants — but thanks to the same principle of "induced demand," adding bike paths and train lines to cure climate actually works.
Kea Wilson, January 9, 2026, Streetsblog USA

USDOT formally moves to ban DC traffic cameras

Critics of speed cameras like Representative Scott Perry (R-Pa.), who introduced a measure to remove D.C.’s ability to deploy traffic cameras, say the program is “being used to generate revenue, not enhance safety.” 
Diana Ionescu, January 9, 2026, Planetizen

Next phase of Metro's Bus Shelter Replacement Project underway

Over the next several months, bus shelters at Shady Grove will be replaced two at a time with either single or double shelter designs, based on the number of people each stop serves per day. All bus routes will continue to service Shady Grove; however, bus stops will be temporarily reassigned within the bus loop area to accommodate this work. 
January 8, 2026, WMATA

Metro launches annual Fill-A-Bus campaign to combat hunger

Each January, Metro partners with the Capital Area Food Bank to help combat hunger by providing meals across Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Through the Fill-A-Bus campaign, Metro honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by turning service into action.
January 8, 2026, WMATA

Can Washington, D.C., keep its transit comeback rolling?

Few cities have seen a post-pandemic ridership bounce-back as successful as Washington, D.C.'s. But the area's transit system is looking for more help from officials in the district, Maryland and Virginia.
Jared Brey, January 6, 2025, Governing

Change coming to Capitol Heights Metro could be mirrored in other parts of Maryland

During the announcement, Moore also touted his support for three bills that lawmakers will consider when they return to Annapolis next week. One would see over 300 acres of state-owned land that sits adjacent to transit stations in Maryland be made available for further redevelopment. 
John Domen, January 7, 2026, WTOP

DOT wants to put the brakes on DC traffic cameras

It seeks to outlaw speed, red light and stop sign cameras throughout the city as part of the upcoming surface transportation bill, which Congress is hoping to pass this year.
Chris Marquette, January 7, 2026, Politico

The 'affordability crisis' conversation can't leave out the cost of cars

Time and again, the conversation about affordability omits transportation cost burden, despite transportation being the second-largest expense for the average American household and gobbling up 17 percent of the average paycheck. 
Kea Wilson, January 7, 2026, Streetsblog USA

Capitol Heights Metro station set to be redeveloped

A major transformation is coming to one of Prince George’s County’s key Metro stations. Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Metro General Manager Randy Clarke unveiled a sweeping redevelopment plan Tuesday at the Capitol Heights Metro Station, aimed at bringing new housing, retail, and long-term investment to the Blue Line corridor.
January 6, 2026, FOX5 DC

Metro ridership soars in 2025 with 265.7 million trips

Metro announced Monday that in 2025, 146.8 million trips were completed on the Metrorail, and 118.8 million trips were taken on Metrobus. Combined, Metro completed a total of 265.7 million trips, according to officials. This is a 5.8% increase from 2024.
Odyssey Fields, January 5, 2026, DC News Now

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has begun bus shelter replacement work at Shady Grove East Metrorail Station in Rockville

Clear signs will be posted throughout the station to direct riders to the correct boarding locations, and buses will continue to serve all routes.
January 5, 2026, MCDOT

VDOT plans open house to discuss proposed upgrades to South Van Dorn Street

The study provides Fairfax County with VDOT-recommended choices for roadway improvements for the S. Van Dorn Street area between Telegraph Road and the Alexandria City border, as well as three-quarters of a mile of Franconia Road between Grovedale Drive and S. Van Dorn Street.
James Cullum, January 5, 2026, FFXNow

Reston Parkway lane temporarily closes for ongoing bridge repairs

Starting at 9 a.m. today (Monday), the parkway’s right northbound lane will be closed along the bridge, shifting the other northbound lanes to the left, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced on Friday (Jan. 2).
Angela Woolsey, January 5, 2026, FFXNow

Celebrate MLK Day with action

In the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy of service and civic engagement, FCDOT is inviting residents across the county to help make Fairfax a cleaner, more beautiful place to bike, walk, and roll.
January 4, 2026, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling

Man travels from Washington D.C. to New York City using only public transit

Adam’s route included various buses and trains as he traversed through Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), and New Jersey (Trenton, Newark, Jersey City) before taking a ferry to Midtown Manhattan.
Lori Dorn, January 2, 2026, Laughing Squid

N. Va. officials prepare to make statewide appeal for dedicated transit funding in 2026

“Northern Virginia transit riders are starting to take pride once again in how we get around,” said Cristol, who served as the keynote speaker during a legislative forum held in Arlington on Dec. 15 by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) and Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC).
Scott McCaffrey, January 2, 2026, FFXNow

What was trending for public transit in 2025?

From predictions for this past year to bus and rail trends, Mass Transit magazine’s special reports depicted how the transit industry responded to the ups and downs throughout the year.
Megan Perrero, December 31, 2025, Mass Transit Magazine

VRE board backs funding agreement for Woodbridge station platform extension

The action authorizes VRE to seek approval from its governing commissions to execute a Capital Project Funding Addendum with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, thereby enabling the project to proceed to planning, environmental review, and design.
Uriah Kiser, December 31, 2025, Potomac Local News

Yellow Line extends service further into D.C. and Maryland

Metro riders in Alexandria can now take “one-seat, no-transfer rides to places like Columbia Heights, U Street, Shaw, Hyattsville, College Park, and more,” WMATA wrote in a press release. 
Katie Taranto, December 31, 2025, ALXNow

Proposed sales tax could help fund public transit in Northern Virginia

Metro is going to need some more funding, and now in Northern Virginia, there’s talk about a sales tax going to the transit agency to help the trains and buses run.
Adam Tuss, January 1, 2026, NBC4 Washington

VDOT open house to discuss proposed upgrades to S. Van Dorn Street at Alexandria border

The study provides Fairfax County with VDOT-endorsed choices for roadway improvements for the area of S. Van Dorn Street between Telegraph Road and the Alexandria city limits, as well as three-quarters of a mile of Franconia Road between Grovedale Drive and S. Van Dorn Street.
James Cullum, December 30, 2025, ALXNow