The region's extensive highway and road network forms the backbone of its transportation system. Every day, millions of people travel by car or truck to access jobs, schools, and medical care, as well as shopping, entertainment, and recreational opportunities. Roads also carry the majority of goods deliveries to homes, schools, businesses, and stores in the region.
The region also boasts one of the premier public transit systems in the country. Metro moves hundreds of thousands of people—commuters, students, and tourists—each work day. Commuter railroads in Maryland and Virginia and dozens of local bus and other transit providers move many thousands more. Together, these transit services play a critical role in sustaining economic vitality, serving the needs of low-income and other disadvantaged populations, providing high-quality alternatives to driving, building communities, and reducing environmental impacts.
COG and the TPB lead numerous efforts to monitor and manage traffic on area roadways, promote highway and traffic safety, forecast future travel demands, and coordinate long-term planning of roadway improvements. In addition, COG and the TPB analyze regional ridership trends and forecasts, coordinate long-term planning of major transit improvements, and organize programs to promote greater use of transit as a commute alternative. COG and the TPB also bring transit operators together from around the region to share best practices for improving short-term operations and to highlight long-term funding needs.
News & Multimedia
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News
June 27, 2011
There have been so many interesting pieces on urbanism land-use and transportation over the past few days and it’s too difficult to choose just one or two to...
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News
June 7, 2011
The iconic Metro map is being redesigned more than thirty years after it was first unveiled. The original designer Lance Wyman has been chosen to update...
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News
May 25, 2011
This Streetsfilms project (video below) demonstrates how recent Complete Streets projects in New York City have been able to increase the safety modal diversity...
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News
May 11, 2011
Earlier this week we noted the dilemma environmentalists often find themselves in when they contemplate putting the effects of environmental degradation into...
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News
May 6, 2011
We’ve got a short but fun Global Fridays piece today on the little heard of topic of personal rapid transit or PRT (a topic which is likely little heard of...