The TPB’s key action item in September was adoption of DMVMoves service guidelines, setting a regional framework for Metrobus and local operator service levels and frequency.
Also at the September meeting, TPB planners provided briefings on performance measure targets for travel time reliability and a new extreme heat resilience toolkit that supports local transit decision-making.
Action Item
DMVMoves Service Guidelines
TPB Transportation Engineer Eric Randall presented an update on DMVMoves implementation ahead of the board’s adoption of Resolution R3-2027 to approve regional service guidelines. The guidelines will serve as a framework that Metrobus and local operators (for example, Ride On and Fairfax Connector) will use to plan for service hours and service frequency.
As background, in January 2026, the TPB began its role as lead regional coordinator for implementation of the DMVMoves plan, including developing a set of regional bus service guidelines.
The guidelines set clear, consistent expectations for customers across the DC, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia, with flexibility to meet local needs by supporting:
- Coordinated service planning
- Enhancing customer understanding and confidence in the bus system
- Encouraging increased ridership
- Enhancing transparency and accountability around bus transit service
How the guidelines will affect bus service:
Transit providers will have a framework to set predictable service hours and frequency based on activity tiers. It’s anticipated that higher density areas, such as the urban core of the District, will have more frequent service and longer service hours. In lower density areas, service will differ depending on route type (core, coverage, peak, and other).
Another factor affecting service tier and level of operation is the population and employment units per acre. As noted in the chart below, route type informs how many hours a day service is provided and how often the bus arrives.
For more information, listen to the September 16 meeting live stream or view Item 7 materials.
Information Items
Draft Performance Measure Targets for Travel Time Reliability
TPB Transportation Planner Ian Newman provided a briefing on the proposed two- and four-year FY 2027 and FY 2029 targets for three measures: Travel Time Reliability on Interstates, Travel Time Reliability on Non-Interstate National Highway System (NHS) roadways Non-Interstates, and Truck Travel Time Reliability. Each of these targets is part of the TPB’s federally required Performance-Based Planning and Programming (PBPP) measurement and target setting program.
As mentioned in the September meeting, the basic description of Travel Time Reliability (TTR) is “If time taken to travel over a segment of the roadway for 80 percent of the vehicular trips is less than 1.5 times the travel time for half of all trips on the same segment – travel is said to be reliable.” Truck Travel Time Reliability (TTTR) has a slightly different definition: “If time taken to travel over a segment of the interstate roadway, during the worst travel conditions, for 95 percent of the trucks is close to the travel time for half of trucks on the same segment under the same conditions – travel is said to be reliable.”
The three metrics have witnessed reliability, overall, decreasing over the course of the last four years. However, both TTTR and TTR-Non-Interstates did achieve both of their two previous targets set in 2023 and 2025. The following slide is an example of how the measures—in this case, TTTR--are illustrated for board review. The proposed targets will be reviewed for approval at the board’s October 21 meeting.
Regional Extreme Heat Analysis for Resilience Planning and new Toolkit
Pierre Gaunaurd, TPB Transportation Planner, provided a briefing on the recent TPB extreme heat analysis and the impact extended periods of 95-degree Fahrenheit or higher temperatures have on rail and bus transit infrastructure. Heat affects not only facilities but also operating frequencies when Metro, MARC, and VRE must decrease speed. Another aspect affected by heat is bus riders’ health, ability to wait for buses or trains without shade or benches, or the willingness of commuters to take transit during extreme heat. The analysis examines the financial costs of service delays and fluctuations in ridership.
TPB’s newest resource, the National Capital Region Extreme Heat Toolkit for Transportation Planning, takes the analysis a step further—offering tools that transit systems, city and county planners, and transportation agencies across the DMV can use to improve the resilience of streetscapes and bus or rail waiting areas through strategic landscaping, tree canopies, shelters, and water features. An example from the toolkit is the Design Guidance illustrated below.
For an in-depth look at the analysis and toolkit, read the “Beating the Heat” TPB News highlight.
Upcoming Events
TPB Community Advisory Committee 2027-2028 application period opens October 5
The TPB will begin accepting applications for the 2027-2028 Community Advisory Committee (CAC) on October 5, 2026, through November 15, 2026. The CAC consists of 24 total members, with at least five members each from the District, Maryland, and Virginia. The TPB welcomes applications from community members in all TPB member jurisdictions, including member jurisdictions who have not recently participated in the process, including Wards 7 and 8 in DC, the cities of Bowie, Greenbelt, Laurel, and Takoma Park, and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church. Current CAC members are welcome to re-apply. More information will be posted at mwcog.org/CAC.
Maryland Department of Transportation Fall Tour meetings
Maryland DOT is hosting public meetings in each county to share the FY 2027-2032 Six-Year Consolidated Transportation Program. The meeting schedule is available online. Dates and times for the TPB region:
Montgomery County, September 22 at 7:00 P.M. (past meeting)
Prince George's County, September 28 at 10:30 A.M.
Charles County, September 29 at 3:00 P.M.
Frederick County, September 30 at 6:00 P.M.
Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board Fall Meeting
October 8, 2026
The CTB will host nine meetings across Virginia this fall, inviting the public to share feedback on transportation projects and programs related to highway, rail, and public transportation. Community members may participate by attending a meeting or submitting comments by email or mail. Full schedule and more information. The Northern Virginia District meeting will be held on October 8 at 2:00 P.M. in Fairfax, VA.
Save the Date:
The Virginia Department of Transportation Annual Joint Meeting will be held December 2, 2026, at the Northern Virginia District office in Fairfax. More information will be shared in the coming weeks.
Other Agenda Items
The full Director's Report, Steering Committee Report, Transportation Improvement Program Amendments, and letters of support are included in Item 5 on the TPB meeting page.
Stay Connected
View all September agenda items on the meeting page. The TPB board next meets on October 21. Look for future announcements in TPB News, and read highlights in the COG Newsroom. Subscribe to COG’s Regional Roundup for daily briefs on transportation in the DMV.
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