Regional Transit News Service Alerts | ART News | Subscribe Latest News The importance of rural transit Rural areas can also be a primary beneficiary of on-demand microtransit, which can more flexibly serve areas with low populations and/or where fixed-route transit is impractical or too costly. Diana Ionescu, February 4, 2025, Planetizen Metro reaches record Monday rush hour ridership after Trump's executive order ends remote work for federal workers This comes after President Trump signed an executive order in January that forced hundreds and thousands of federal workers in the DMV to return to in-person work, full-time. Anna Chen, February 4,2025, DC News Now WMATA releases mid-year financial update; continues to focus on safety initiatives Last quarter, revenue was 16% above budgeted projections with increased paid rail ridership. WMATA says it has “aggressively pursued ways to reduce fare evasion in recent years,” including new modernized fare gates at rail stations, increased enforcement, and an enhanced bus fare evasion campaign that continues to underscore that fares pay for service. Carolina Worrell, February 4, 2025, Railway Age On Transit Equity Day 2025, the District's Olmstead Plan provides meaningful guidance From a rail system with elevators at every station to a bikeshare system that is the envy of the country, there are relatively abundant transportation options available here. Kai Hall, February 4, 2025, Greater Greater Washington Metro honors Rosa Parks on her birthday with a special reserved seat on every bus and train Metro has previously honored Parks’ legacy by reserving a seat with a special sign on all buses, and for the first time, a reserved seat will be saved on every train as well. February 4, 2025, WMATA Metro leads nation in key safety areas, crime and fare evasion rates down in 2024 Metro continues to place an emphasis on the safety and security of its customers. This focus contributed to a nearly 40% decline in the crime rate across the system in 2024. February 3, 2025, WMATA Research says walkable neighborhoods can help you stay active. Making them work requires delight The research, which looked at almost 11,000 twins, showed that every 1% increase in walkability was associated with a 0.42% increase in neighborhood walking. Rachel Sun, February 2, 2025, OPB What the US intercity rail system could look like The study was the result of a directive that was part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and was delivered to Congress this week. Public comments submitted as part of the study indicate strong public support for more intercity rail service. Diana Ionescu, January 30, 2025, Planetizen Celebrate Winter Bike to Work Day Co-hosted by the Fairfax County Department of Transportation and The Bike Lane in Reston, bike commuters that day will find a special winter pit stop from 7:30–9:30 AM at The Bike Lane store, 11150 Sunset Hills Road, Reston (right off the W&OD Trail). January 30, 2025, Fairfax Alliance of Better Bicycling Securing WMATA's future: The role of the DMVMoves Task Force The transit authority’s successful bid to stay afloat has also been due in part to a strong post-pandemic ridership recovery and cost-effective operational management under fresh leadership. Cynthea Wang, January 30, 2025, Greater Greater Washington Capital Bikeshare records over 6.1 million rides in 2024, fastest growing system in US After an unprecedented surge in ridership in 2024, CaBi is the fastest-growing bikesharing system in the country, and second-busiest service to New York City’s Citibike. December’s trips totaled 377,907 rides, a monthly increase of 36.4% from December 2023. Samuel Littauer, January 29, 2025, Greater Greater Washington For the first time, SoberRide offers free 'Lyfts' for Super Bowl Sunday Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program, the inaugural 2025 Super Bowl SoberRide program will be in operation beginning at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 9 and operate until 4 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 10 as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during a traditionally high-risk period. January 29, 2025, Inside NoVa What a federal funding freeze would actually mean for sustainable transportation How much do U.S. communities really rely on federal funding to keep their transportation networks running — and what would happen if the money stopped flowing? Kea Wilson, January 30, 2025, Streetsblog USA Sierra Club poll finds wide support for more transit, walking and biking investments Maryland voters would like to have better access to public transit and safer, more convenient walking and biking options — and they want to see the state investing more money in these kinds of infrastructure projects. Josh Kurtz, January 28, 2025, Maryland Matters Former Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy confirmed as next U.S. Transportation Secretary During his Senate confirmation hearing, Duffy made several other promises, from investing in public transit, to making electric vehicle owners pay into the Highway Trust Fund as owners of gas-powered vehicles do, to increasing oversight of airline manufacturers through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Aly Prouty/Charlotte Scott, January 28, 2025, Spectrum News Metro reports Red Line trains using automatic operations missed designated platform stop 133 times WMSC said it’s been looking into why the overruns keep happening. They believe the train stop and cancel button could be the reason for some of the hiccups. Leslie Moreno, January 28, 2025, WUSA9 Metro's Fill-a-Bus campaign feeds families in need -- here's how you can help For the seventh year in a row, Metro will bring a bus to Giant Food locations across the DMV. All in-person locations are conveniently located near grocery or retail stores. January 28, 2025, WMATA Scoop: Hopp is the newest D.C. scooter operator D.C. was a pioneer in micromobility, launching America's first bike-share program in 2008, and this new company aims to expand transportation access in historically underserved communities. Joann Muller/Anna Spiegel, January 28, 2025, Axios Virginia Breeze Bus Lines achieves record-breaking ridership This is the Virginia Breeze’s best year in its seven-year history and represents a 9.2% increase from 2023, highlighting the growing demand for sustainable, affordable, and reliable travel options that connect communities across the Commonwealth. January 27, 2025, Metro Magazine ParkZen app pilot program extended to improve commuting in Northern Virginia Initially launched in November 2024, the pilot program has been extended through May 2025 to further evaluate the app’s effectiveness in providing real-time parking availability at six commuter lots in Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg. Uriah Kiser, January 27, 2025, Potomac Local News Funding for Red Line study questioned with federal funding uncertainty In Gov. Moore’s current budget proposal, he’s calling for $58.9 million for a Red Line study; something Congressman Mfume wouldn’t really opine on, but said it’s time to look at other alternatives. Mikenzie Frost, January 24, 2025, Fox 45 News If the government funded these Amtrak routes, 39 million more people would have rail access A new map, as part of a recent Federal Railroad Administration study, shows what the country could look like if 15 additional long-distance routes were added. Kristin Toussaint, January 24, 2025, Fast Company More demolitions planned along Richmond Highway as Bus Rapid Transit project ramps up VDOT has agreed to construct some of the bus-only lanes, which is expected to save 16 months in construction time. James Jarvis, January 24, 2025, FFXNow A free-transit prescription for healthier communities The connection between transportation and health may not be obvious. But how people get around communities is interconnected with physical and mental wellbeing. Easy access to public transit is linked with direct health impacts, like increased levels of physical activity. Elizabeth Hewitt, January 24, 2025, Reasons to be Cheerful A big answer to that is transit: How to navigate the influx of federal workers who will soon be commuting “I think obviously, traffic’s an issue in this region,” said Clark Mercer, executive director of the Metropolitan Council of Governments, an organization of elected leaders in the D.C. area. “We’re back to pre-pandemic levels of traffic, even though we’re at 50% capacity in the offices.” Shayna Estulin, January 24, 2025, WTOP