…and Dulles’s Aerotrain would be expanded.

Under the new plan, the iconic – or infamous, depending on your point of view – people movers would go away…

New renderings of what Dulles Airport would look like under a $20+ billion Trump administration supported plan. Dulles has expanded its terminal before, but this would be the biggest change to architect Eero Saarinen’s original design in Dulles’s 64 year history.

Montgomery Co. officials & the owner of White’s Ferry outside Poolesville announce MoCo will pay $1.5 million in tax money to buy it. The ferry closed in 2020 & they hope this will lead to restored service. However, there are still hurdles on the Virginia side to reopening it.

The #wmata board is hearing from representatives of the London & Copenhagen transit systems. Copenhagen told Metro’s board outdoor platform doors have more potential issues than indoor ones - they had problems with customers falling after ice formed near them.

The Metro Board of Directors is discussing a plan to put platform doors at Red Line stations. Metro officials have previously said they want to install the doors at 20 of 27 Red Line stations, but now they say they’ll study the costs/benefits of putting them at all 27. #wmata

The doors are part of a $913 million Red Line modernization plan that includes fully automating trains so they can run without an operator. For the doors to work, trains have to stop in the exact right spot where the trains doors match up with the doors on the platform. #wmata

NEW: Metro just released renderings of platform doors they want to put in Red Line stations as part of a huge modernization project. They hope to install the automated doors as early as a couple years from now - they say they'll be safer & prevent falls onto the tracks. #wmata

Travelers at Dulles Airport are dealing with some cancellations and delays. An employee for United told me the smoke is affecting some flights.

It’s an easy day to fly in most of the US…but not at DCA! We’re working to get more info, but there was a ground stop for a “VIP” per FAA that’s causing a mess. FlightAware shows Reagan National is the worst airport in the country for departing flights and it’s not even close!

The Great American State Fair on the National Mall closes at 11 PM - I’m here working & in the final hour I took a last look at Metro‘s past and future, the original 1000 series train and a mock up of the future 8000 series train. #wmata

I really can’t stress enough how important it is to know enough to question GPS. My friend is going from Arlington to Leesburg & it told him to take the Key Bridge and go through DC & Maryland even though traffic on 66 & other roads is fine. Sometimes GPS is completely wrong!

The @wmatagm.bsky.social Randy Clarke & other Metro leaders are at Smithsonian station checking on things. Although Metro is scheduled to close stations at 2 AM tonight, they tell me if necessary they will stay open later to make sure everyone seeing the fireworks gets back. #wmata

With the later than normal fireworks and other changes I wasn’t sure what to expect, but right now America 250 is drawing MASSIVE crowds to the Smithsonian Metro station, far more than I’ve seen here at this time on previous July 4ths. #wmata

BREAKING: Metro is now free to ride for the rest of the July 4 night. The gates opened a few minutes early at Smithsonian. You don’t need to tap at stations, just walk through! #wmata

There are a dwindling number of flights waiting to take off at DCA tonight, most of them delayed. On July 4, the airport has an unprecedented 12 hours without commercial flights scheduled due to all the military flyovers for America 250. It’ll last from noon to midnight.

This will be a blast from the past for many people. You can also tour the restored original 1000 series train car from when Metrorail began in 1976, complete with retro advertisements similar to what you would’ve seen in the 1970s. And carpet! #wmata

If you are interested in touring the rail cars, which will be used for testing, they are located just west of 4th Street & Madison at the Great American State Fair that is going on on the National Mall through July 10. #wmata

We’re getting our first detailed look at what the future Metro 8000 series trains will look like! New features include open gangways connecting pairs of trains, lights on the floor, more electronic signs, & more seats against the wall like on the New York City subway. #wmata

Adrian Boafo is giving his victory speech after being declared the winner of the Democratic primary for Maryland House District 5.

Excitement at the Adrian Boafo election night party. He was just projected to be the winner of the Democratic primary for House District 5 in Maryland.

We are at the primary election night party for Democrat Adrian Boafo, who was endorsed by retiring longtime Congressman Steny Hoyer in Maryland House District 5. Boafo is ahead in early voting results with Quincy Bareebe in second.

I'm covering the Maryland 5th District race for Congress tonight. It's a seat Democrat Steny Hoyer has held for 45 years! But he's retiring, and TWENTY FOUR Democrats and three Republicans are competing in the primary tonight.

Crews vacuumed up algae from the newly repainted reflecting pool on the National Mall today. ABC News says the budget for the repainting project has gone up to $14.65 million, more than $4 million over the original estimate.

BREAKING: Nearly 3 hours after the polls closed, the DC Board of Elections just released the first round results from ranked choice voting. They show Janeese Lewis George with a significant lead over Kenyan McDuffie for mayor.

Democratic mayoral candidate Kenyan McDuffie is speaking at his election night party in DC. There are still no results in as he talks to the crowd at The Park at 14th.

This afternoon the Airports Authority announced major changes to flights at Reagan National, including no flights whatsoever scheduled after noon on July 4. Also there are no flights scheduled at DCA for several hours in the early afternoon of July 3.

Metro is starting a press conference in Bethesda about this summer’s Red Line shutdown. Three stations will be closed for two months starting July 6. #wmata

Interestingly the Dulles Aerotrain already has a stop directly under the new Concourse E. The Aerotrain opened in 2010 & was built with E in mind. If you’ve ever made the walk from the train to the C/D gates, you’re walking from the stop for E. Pics are of future escalators/elevators above the stop.

United tells me this will be the second biggest United Club in the world for their airline.