Newsroom

Sep 22, 2020

At its September meeting the TPB approved an amendment to the Transportation Improvement Program for the District of Columbia. The meeting also included briefings covering the process to set Transit Safety Targets as part of Performance Based Planning and Programming, and updates on the Participation Plan, Visualize 2045, and an employer survey on telework during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sep 22, 2020

The TPB is working on preliminary regional Transit Safety Targets as part of the federally required Performance Based Planning and Programming. This is the first time the TPB will be setting regional targets regarding safety on transit in the region. One goal of this target setting process is that it will lead to a greater focus on and understanding of the factors that affect safety on transit.

Sep 8, 2020

TPB staff is currently updating its Participation Plan. This plan guides staff interactions with the public so the public knows and understands how it can participate in transportation planning in the region. The Participation Plan has always emphasized equity and inclusivity, but for the 2020 update staff have added a greater emphasis on equity, inclusivity, and accessibility.

Jul 28, 2020

The TPB approved funding for bike and pedestrian projects in Maryland to promote biking and walking and make roadways safer. At its July meeting, the TPB approved more than $1.5 million in funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects in Maryland through the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). ​

Jul 28, 2020

At its July meeting, the TPB took a series of actions focused on equity, safety, and making it easier for people to get around the region by foot or by bike. At the meeting the board adopted a policy statement affirming that the TPB take equity into account for every decision and work activity. The board also included this equity statement in its approval of a set of safety recommendations for the region.

Jul 14, 2020

Better paths for walking and biking are important everywhere. But we also know that certain places need greater focus to do the greatest good. The TPB’s Transit Within Reach project has developed a list of 49 Transit Access Focus Areas (TAFAs) as a way to prioritize those places with the greatest need for improvements to make it easier for people to walk and bike to transit. The TPB will be taking up this list for approval at its July meeting.

Jun 22, 2020

At its June meeting, the TPB held a robust discussion focused on equity and safety regarding a raft of recommendations from the Regional Safety Study. The recommendations themselves encompass a range of interventions that would address the most common factors that contribute to serious injuries or deaths on our roadways and they range from strategies to encourage safer behavior to infrastructure improvements to regional policy programs.

May 26, 2020

The May TPB meeting was held completely virtually due to the COVID-19 precautions. While there were no action items on the agenda, the board heard briefings on a deeper dive into the results of its Regional Roadway Safety Study, which analyzed the factors contributing to fatal and serious injury crashes. The briefing included an in-depth look at crashes involving pedestrians, and at certain intersections and arterials.

May 26, 2020

What if Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) service continued beyond Washington Union Station? In 2019, the Transportation Planning Board (TPB) commissioned an independent study to evaluate the market potential for VRE and MARC run-through service. The study was designed to be a first step at answering: What stations would attract riders for run-through trips? How many riders could such a service attract?

May 12, 2020

The initial results of the Regional Safety Study are in. People not wearing seat belts was the number one contributing factor in fatal crashes between 2013 and 2017. In fact, 30 percent of fatal crashes in our region involved someone not wearing their seat belt.