All Commuter News stories gathered from Washington, D.C. area sources over the past two weeks are listed below. Stories can be sorted by topic using the links immediately below. For older stories, see the Commuter News archives.
Metro to delay SmartBenefits changes a year
Metro will delay for a year the proposed changes to its SmartBenefits program after riders protested that they were unfair -- particularly one that would have had unused money reverting from their pretax payroll allocation to their employers.
By Lena H. Sun, November 20, 2009, Washington Post
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Metro expands credit card pilot program
Customers who commute and park their vehicles at any of the three Huntington Metrorail station garages can now use a major credit card to pay for their parking fees.
November 20, 2009, WMATA
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Pedestrian fatally struck by own vehicle in Annandale
Fairfax County's Accident Recontruction Team are on the scene trying to determine exactly how the accident occurred.
November 20, 2009, WUSA9.com
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Light rail vote gives heavy boost to Science City
Advocates for the so-called "Science City" project have been given a big boost by the Montgomery County Council's decision to build a light rail system along Interstate 270.
By Bill Myers, November 20, 2009, Examiner
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Metro board backs safety monitors
The Metro board of directors ordered all agency employees Thursday to cooperate fully with the transit system's safety oversight body and executives to notify the board before denying a request from the group after recent revelations about Metrorail safety lapses.
By Lena H. Sun and Joe Stephens
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FBI links ex-chief of taxi panel to bribes
The former head of the D.C. taxi commission participated in a long-running bribery scheme that sought his influence to obtain lucrative taxi licenses, federal authorities allege in recently unsealed court papers.
By Del Quentin Wilber, November 20, 2009, Washington Post
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Ribbon cut on 15th St. bike lane
The District had a ceremony yesterday morning to cut the ribbon on the 15th Street contraflow bike lane.
November 20, 2009, WashCycle
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Metro to postpone SmartBenefit changes
The changes that would have affected transit benefits for many thousands of riders will be delayed for a year, according to Metro officials.
By Robert Thomson, November 19, 2009, Washington Post
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Metro's weekend service changes Nov. 20-22
Weekend track maintenance on the Orange, Red, Blue and Yellow lines 11 Metrobus routes detoured for weekend activities
November 19, 2009, WMATA
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D.C. Council proposes transit stop 'safety zone'
Citing rising crime in and around District transit stops, D.C. Council members have proposed a new 50-foot "safety zone" where virtually any crime committed would carry extra jail time and civil penalties.
By Michael Neibauer, November 19, 2009, Examiner
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Metro seeks OK for trip already under way
The board is required to approve all international travel -- though such approval is supposed to happen in advance.
By Kytja Weir, November 19, 2009, Examiner
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Md. lobbyist with seven DUIs ordered freed
A Maryland lobbyist with seven drunken-driving convictions who has represented the Prince George's County Council and Sheriff's Department was ordered released Wednesday after 36 days in jail.
By Maria Glod and Jonathan Mummolo, November 19, 2009, Washington Post
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Pedestrian, 63, fatally struck by car
A 63-year-old man was fatally struck by a car late Wednesday as he tried to cross a Silver Spring street, Montgomery County police said.
By Clarence Williams, November 18, 2009, Washington Post
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Group wants to steer Alexandria toward streetcars
An old method of getting around is becoming hot again: Streetcars.
By Michelle Basch, November 18, 2009, WTOP
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Va. shifts scarce road funds to priority projects
Virginia transportation officials are moving hundreds of millions of dollars from secondary and urban road projects to higher priority Interstate and primary highways.
November 18, 2009, WTOP
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Why is I-66 so congested? It's a matter of supply and demand
The choices are transportation choices: an express bus that picks up passengers in Centreville and heads straight to Tysons Corner, the Silver Line Metrorail extension to Dulles Airport and car and vanpools.
By Adam Tuss, November 19, 2009, WTOP
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Montgomery Council asks for lower ICC tolls
The Montgomery County Council is asking state officials to lower the proposed toll rates for the InterCounty Connector, saying that tolls costing $6 or more per one-way trip would discourage drivers from using the highway currently under construction.
By Kytja Weir, November 18, 2009, Examiner
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Students may face an uphill climb
With nothing but grim budgets ahead, some members of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors want the county's schools to save money on buses by encouraging more kids to walk to school, perhaps by moving back the boundaries for bus-riding eligibility.
By Fredrick Kunkle, November 18, 2009, Washington Post
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First impressions from our man in America: cars are everywhere
AFTER settling down in Arlington, Virginia, we decided to explore our environment a little on foot.
By Wan Lixin, November 17, 2009, ShanhaiDaily.com
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Amtrak prepares for Thanksgiving rush
Amtrak said Monday that it believes the Wednesday before Thanksgiving -- Nov. 25 -- will be its busiest travel day.
November 18, 2009, myfoxdc.com
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P.G. cab drivers protest lack of action by council
The protest marks the start of a two-day strike by some cab drivers, who say the county has not responded to their calls for industry changes in the last year. About 30 drivers took part in the protest today.
By Daniel Valentine, November 17, 2009, Gazette.Net
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D.C. streetcars coming home
The three 66-foot streetcars that D.C. purchased in 2005 are finally coming to the city.
By Jonathan O'Connell, November 17, 2009, Washington Business Journal
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Pedestrian dies after accident near cathedral
A man struck by a car near Washington National Cathedral died Monday, one of two pedestrians fatally injured at prominent Washington sites in recent days.
By Martin Weil, November 18, 2009, Washington Post
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Setback for ICC toll plan
The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend against toll rates proposed for the Intercounty Connector, saying the tolls would be too expensive for many motorists and would leave the highway with too few users to justify its costs.
By Katherine Shaver, November 18, 2009, Washington Post
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Metro developing guidelines to improve bus stops
Metro planners are in the process of developing guidelines for Metrobus stop design and placement in an effort to improve the overall customer experience and make sure that common elements like accessibility, customer information and physical design are incorporated into all new or relocated bus stops.
November 17, 2009, WMATA
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Metrorail to open at 6 a.m Saturday
This Saturday, Nov. 21, the Metrorail system will open one hour early, at 6 a.m., to accommodate the crowds expected to attend the 22nd Annual Help the Homeless Walkathon, which begins at 9 a.m.
November 17, 2009, WMATA
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Firefighter hit by car at fire scene
A Montgomery County firefighter was hit by a car while fighting a fire at an apartment building on Monday night, and he's been hospitalized with serious injuries.
November 16, 2009, myfoxdc.com
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A half-century later, Montgomery County to get updated roads plan
The first comprehensive update of Montgomery County's road and transit plan in more than 50 years is about to begin.
By Margie Hyslop, November 16, 2009, Gazette.Net
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Man struck by car on Mall dies
A 76-year-old Northwest Washington man died Monday after being struck by a car Sunday on the Mall, U.S. Park Police said.
November 17, 2009, Washington Post
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U.S. teens report 'frightening' levels of texting while driving
A graphic British public service video that portrays a fatal accident caused by a texting teenage driver has been the talk of Facebook and other places where young Americans congregate, but a study suggests that it hasn't done much to change their habits.
By Ashley Halsey III, November 17, 2009, Washington Post
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Watch for bikers at 15th Street intersections
The reviews I've heard so far have been mixed, but I think experiments like this are worthwhile and should be encouraged. Across the region, we've dug ourselves a deep hole by failing to advance our transportation systems into the 21st century.
By Robert Thomson, November 16, 2009, Washington Post
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Man struck and killed by Metro train
McPherson Square Station reopened Tuesday morning after being closed for several hours Monday night because a man was struck and killed by a Metro train, authorities said.
By Martin Weil, November 17, 2009, Washington Post
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Montgomery Council favors rail for transitway
The Montgomery County Council appears poised to recommend a light-rail transit system for its Corridor Cities Transitway over a less costly Bus Rapid Transit system.
By Erin Cunningham, November 16, 2009, Gazette.Net
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Metro, union dispute racks up legal bills
The contract dispute between Metro and its largest union is costing both sides tens of thousands of dollars.
By Kytja Weir, November 16, 2009, Examiner
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Jump in Md. tolls likely after 2010
As the Maryland Transportation Authority's revenues have declined this year, its costs for construction of the Intercounty Connector have risen to the point where the project now accounts for 53 percent of the agency's budget - forcing delays in other road maintenance projects and making a substantial increase in tolls at some facilities a near certainty after the 2010 gubernatorial election.
By By Michael Dresser, November 16, 2009, Baltimore Sun
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Gas tax hike dead in Va.
House speaker Bill Howell says the election of Bob McDonnell as governor pretty much killed the issue.
By Hank Silverberg, November 16, 2009, WTOP
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I feel the need for tweed
If you missed yesterday's Tweed Ride, you missed a good time.
November 16, 2009, WashCycle
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The cycles of fashion
A thicket of tweed chokes the alley near Eighth and H streets NE. Men in newsboy caps and knickers crunch over shards of glass in their leather hunting boots, looking like they're on an urban fox hunt.
By Dan Zak, November 16, 2009, Washington Post
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Arlington approves parking overhaul
Arlington County may eventually see parking meter hours extended to nights and weekends and variable meter pricing, under a 20-year parking plan passed Saturday.
By David Sherfinski, November 15, 2009, Examiner
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Metro needs adult supervision
Washington's Metro subway system used to be the envy of other cities and a source of pride for local residents. No longer.
Examiner Editorial, November 15, 2009, Examiner
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No doubt about it -- this lane is for bike traffic
"Dooring" is the usually painful and sometimes expensive experience that occurs when someone in a parked car opens the door in the path of a bike.
By Ashley Halsey III, November 14, 2009, Washington Post
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Federal oversight of subways proposed
The Obama administration will propose that the federal government take over safety regulation of the nation's subway and light-rail systems, responding to what it says is haphazard and ineffective oversight by state agencies.
By Joe Stephens and Lena H. Sun, November 15, 2009, Washington Post
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The Dulles Metrorail project
The Metrorail project is marching west through Tysons Corner and swinging north onto Route 7, where construction will probably have the greatest effect on drivers.
By Robert Thompson, November 15, 2009, Washington Post
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D.C. bike lane worth pursuing but could stand some tweaking
A bicycle commuter tried the District's new contra-flow bike lane on 15th Street NW but gave it a mixed review.
By Robert Thomson, November 15, 2009, Washington Post
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Arlington not dissuaded on HOT lanes lawsuit
County Board Chairman Barbara Favola says it is possible that the county government could find middle ground with state and federal officials over proposed high-occupancy-toll (HOT) lanes on Interstates 95 and 395, before the matter ends up in front of a judge.
By Scott McCaffrey, November 14, 2009, Sun Gazette
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DC bike lane beats the traffic
The District's transportation department has blocked off the left-hand lane and turned it into an innovative bike lane that's separated from the cars by bright yellow posts that clearly mark the area.
By Tom Sherwood, November 13, 2009, NBC Washington
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The weekend and beyond
We have the usual weekend delays on Metrorail and some sporting events that may slow your travels.
By Robert Thomson, November 13, 2009, Washington Post
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Metro charged with crime over runoff
Federal authorities have criminally charged Metro with releasing hazardous chemicals into the sewer system over a six-day period in 2003, according to documents unsealed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.
By Maria Glod and Meg Smith, November 13, 2009, Washington Post
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Two federal hearings set to examine transit safety
Federal officials are honing their focus on Metro's safety and the oversight over all transit systems with two sets of public hearings announced Thursday.
By Kytja Weir, November 13, 2009, Examiner
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Wheelchair-accessible taxis to roll out on D.C. streets
People who use wheelchairs will be able to take taxicabs in the District as early as next month under a $1.2 million pilot program to expand access for people with disabilities in the city.
By Kytja Weir, November 13, 2009, Examiner
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DC innovates on 15th Street bike lane
During my online chat Monday, I got a comment about the new bike lane the District Department of Transportation is installing along 15th Street NW.
By Robert Thomson, November 12, 2009, Washington Post
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Officials: P.G. transportation cuts will be noticeable
Do not expect much in new roads or maintenance in the fiscal 2011 budget, state transportation officials told a group of Prince George's County leaders.
By Daniel Valentine, November 12, 2009, Gazette.Net
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Dr. Gridlock: Drivers looking for exit on I-95
Travelers responding to my suggestions [Dr. Gridlock, Nov. 1] about long-term solutions to Interstate 95's traffic congestion had their own practices and policies to propose.
By Robert Thomson, November 12, 2009, Washington Post
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Man gunned down while boarding Metrobus
Witnesses said the victim's feet were hanging out of the bus as the driver fled. A paramedic who witnessed the incident got ahead of the bus and stopped it, witnesses said, Some of the bus passengers jumped over the victim to get off the bus, the witnesses added.
November 11, 2009, ABC 7 News
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NTSB calls for hearings on Metro crash
The National Transportation Safety Board has called for a public hearing into the summer's deadly Metro crash, according to an e-mail obtained by The Examiner.
By Kytja Weir, November 12, 2009, Examiner
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Man fatally hit by 2 Secret Service vehicles
Two armored U.S. Secret Service vehicles, including a limousine sometimes used by Vice President Biden, struck and killed a man hours before dawn Wednesday as he was crossing rain-slicked Suitland Parkway near the District-Maryland border, authorities said.
By Paul Duggan and Debbi Wilgoren, November 12, 2009, Washington Post
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School bus hits, kills woman in Bethesda
A school bus struck and killed a 60-year-old woman in front of Bethesda Elementary School on Wednesday, Montgomery County officials said.
By Dan Morse, November 11, 2009, Washington Post
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Pessimism abounds that McDonnell can fix transportation
Bob McDonnell won election as governor on the promise of digging Virginia out of its transportation mess, without raising a cent of new taxes. But the Republican governor-elect's plan to fund a languishing road and rail network has done little to spark optimism that his administration will succeed where others have failed.
By William C. Flook, November 12, 2009, Examiner
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Update on Anacostia streetcar construction
Construction continues on the first of the new D.C. streetcar lines, the one in Anacostia scheduled to open late in 2012.
By Robert Thomson, November 11, 2009, Washington Post
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Arlington pressured to settle HOT lanes suit
Arlington County is getting pressure from Fairfax County to settle a lawsuit that has stalled the High Occupancy Toll lanes project for Interstate 95/395.
By Hank Silverberg, November 11, 2009, WTOP
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Montgomery gives green light to traffic signal upgrade
Montgomery County plans to speed up a $35 million project to replace the county's aging traffic signal system after last week's computer problems caused rush-hour delays.
By C. Benjamin Ford, November 11, 2009, Gazette.Net
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Timing of Tysons road needs and development outlined
Fairfax County planners are inching closer to making pivotal decisions about the transformation of Tysons Corner: How much development will be allowed, and when?
By Kali Schumitz, November 10, 2009, FairfaxTimes.com
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Red Top Cab honored in fight against impaired driving
Red Top Cab of Arlington recently was honored with the 2009 "WRAPPY" Award from the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, for its support of the SoberRide initiative.
November 8, 2009, Sun Gazette
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Metro agrees to allow monitors on live tracks
Metro board Chairman Jim Graham said Tuesday that the transit agency has lifted a long-standing ban and will allow independent safety monitors access to live subway tracks.
By Lena H. Sun and Joe Stephens, November 11, 2009, Washington Post
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Montgomery draws a car-free blueprint for growth
Montgomery County redefined the way it will grow in the next two decades when lawmakers endorsed a plan Tuesday that encourages development where residents can easily live a car-free lifestyle.
By Miranda S. Spivack, November 11, 2009, Washington Post
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Montgomery officials back I-270 HOT lanes
The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday unanimously endorsed a plan to add reversible rush-hour lanes on parts of Interstate 270 and make solo commuters pay to use them.
By Miranda S. Spivack, November 11, 2009, Washington Post
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Bus or rail? Montgomery debates I-270 gridlock solution
Easing gridlock along Interstate 270 has been a goal of the Montgomery County Council for some time. However, the method in which to solve the congestion is still up for debate.
By Kate Ryan, November 10, 2009, WTOP
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Program will allow drivers new way to pay to park
The D.C. Department of Transportation tells WTOP it is getting a pilot program ready that will allow drivers to pay to park using a cell phone.
By Adam Tuss, November 10, 2009, WTOP
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Fenty uses police escort, clogs traffic on bike rides
Over the past several months, WTOP videotaped the mayor and his team on multiple dates as the team - escorted by D.C. Police motorcycle officers - rode on parkways where bikes aren't permitted, ran red lights and stop signs and created traffic backups wherever they went.
By Mark Segraves, November 9, 2009, WTOP
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Local officials press for increase in gas tax
Maryland is long overdue for an increase in the gas tax to help build new roads and ease congestion, Montgomery County Council President Phil Andrews said Monday.
By Alan Suderman, November 10, 2009, Examiner
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Pedestrian safety study ranks D.C. in middle
Danger is worse in cities that boomed after WWII, coalition says
By Ashley Halsey III, November 10, 2009, Washington Post
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Pedestrian killed on Route 5 near Suitland
A District man was killed early Monday when he was struck by a car on Route 5 in the Suitland area, police said.
By Matt Zapotosky, November 9, 2009, Washington Post
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Bicyclist struck, killed by Bladensburg police vehicle
A bicyclist coming out of a shopping center died Saturday morning after he was struck by a Bladensburg police cruiser, authorities said Monday.
By Matt Zapotosky, November 9, 2009, Washington Post
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Area suffers housing shortage near job centers
The Washington region has a shortage of housing close to where jobs are located. Housing that is there is unaffordable to people making 60 percent to 100 percent of the area's median income of $102,700 for a family of four.
By Hank Silverberg, November 9, 2009, WTOP
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Metro's union files suit to 'enforce' wage increase
A dispute is brewing between Metro and the union that represents the transit agency's front line employees after Amalgamated Transit Local 689 filed a suit to "confirm and enforce" the contract arbitration award issued to the union earlier this month.
By Adam Tuss, November 10, 2009, WTOP
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Pedestrian safety: D.C. ranks No. 32
In its Dangerous by Design report, Transportation For America finds that many of the nation's pedestrians deaths could have been prevented.
November 10, 2009, WTOP
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Study: Maryland ranks 49th in spending to keep walkers, bicyclists safe
Maryland, with a pedestrian death rate that is significantly higher than the national average, ranks second from the bottom nationally in its spending of federal transportation funds on resources for walkers and bicyclists, according to a study released Monday.
By Michael Dresser, November 9, 2009, Baltimore Sun
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Smart growth: 12 years later, a work in progress
Faced with a study that found a major piece of the state's smart growth policy is not working, Parris N. Glendening this week defended the landmark land-use legislation that he pushed into practice as governor a dozen years ago.
By Sean R. Sedam, November 6, 2009, Gazette.Net
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Pedestrian struck and killed in Marlow Heights
Police in Prince George's County are investigating an accident that has killed a pedestrian in Marlow Heights.
November 9, 2009, WUSA9.com
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More construction necessary to accommodate BRAC traffic
Direct access from Interstate 395 to Alexandria's Mark Center will be needed to accommodate an anticipated crush of traffic when the complex is finished, according to a new report.
By David Sherfinski, November 9, 2009, Examiner
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Va. man killed in hit-and-run
A 41-year-old Annandale man has died after being hit by two cars in quick succession, one of which drove away.
November 8, 2009, Washington Post
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Montgomery, Metro outages suggest more lapses coming
Two relics from an earlier century broke down last week, causing vast new frustration for commuters who normally rank among the nation's most frustrated and delays that any good economist could translate into millions of dollars in work hours lost.
By Ashley Halsey III, November 9, 2009, Washington Post
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Metro barred safety checks on tracks, data show
Since the spring, Metro officials have barred independent monitors from walking along subway tracks to observe safety procedures while trains are in normal service, even if escorted by Metro employees, newly obtained records show.
By Joe Stephens and Lena H. Sun
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Rockville adopts complete streets program
For those wondering how Rockville got an honorable mention from the League of American Bicyclists, this may be a part of it.
November 9, 2009, WashCycle
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Mess in Montgomery highlights value of rush-hour coordination
As soon as it is known that traffic will be jammed because of a computer glitch, or an ice storm has caused many accidents, or anything else that lasts more than an hour, the counties surrounding the problem, and the state, need to step in soon.
By Robert Thomson, November 8, 2009, Washington Post
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Metro pledges to fix meltdown of 37-year-old equipment
Metro plans to spend $14 million to replace 37-year-old equipment and install backup systems after a failure on Wednesday knocked out the transit system's communications for much of the day, including its Web site, public address system and customer service complaint line.
by Kytja Weir, November 6, 2009, Examiner
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Catoe comments on SmartBenefit changes
Catoe says he's heard plenty of rider questions about the changes, and "we need to rethink the changes that we are making."
By Robert Thomson, November 7, 2009, Washington Post
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Metro's November weeknight track maintenance schedule set
During November, Metro will replace fasteners, make tunnel repairs and make repairs to concrete slabs underneath the rails.
November 2, 2009, WMATA
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Car-Free Diet: Shed Traffic, Fatten Wallet
County officials spread the word last week to about 150 business people and residents at its Car-Free Diet Expo, aimed at publicizing the county's Car-Free Diet initiative, a marketing campaign as well as a quality-of-life program.
By Mark Berman, February 7, 2008, Washington Post
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Arlington Promotes Mass Transit
The government in Arlington County, Virginia wants residents and visitors to go green and lose weight at the same time -- by giving up their cars.
Rosiland Jordan reports, WAMU
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