NewsWPLG Local 10October 24, 2026Miami-Dade County
Transit officials in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles advance plans for driverless subways
Photo: WPLG Local 10
Officials in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles are advancing plans to implement fully automated, driverless subway systems, joining Honolulu in exploring or operating unattended transit. The proposals face debate over safety risks, labor costs, and substantial upfront expenses following historical setbacks like a fatal 2009 crash in D.C.
Read the full story at WPLG Local 10Why It Matters
Residents in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles could see driverless subways implemented over the next decade under plans involving a nearly $1 billion upgrade in D.C. and a new underground line beneath the Santa Monica Mountains in L.A., affecting daily commutes, labor structures, and transit safety protocols.
Key Facts
- Washington, D.C., advanced a nearly $1 billion plan backed by Metro's Board of Directors in April to upgrade the Red Line with safety features and potential driverless train control as early as 2033.
- Los Angeles is undergoing an environmental review and voted to recommend an automated track for a new underground heavy-rail line beneath the Santa Monica Mountains.
- Honolulu operates the Skyline system, an elevated driverless light metro transit system that opened three years ago and expanded last year.
- A fatal 2009 train collision near the Fort Totten station in D.C., which killed nine people, was blamed by the NTSB on a maintenance problem in an automated signaling system.
- Transit unions, including the Transport Workers Union, oppose automation efforts, citing safety hazards during self-evacuations along electrified third rails.
- Detroit and Miami previously opened automated trains as pilot projects in the 1980s, and Las Vegas operates a monorail connecting hotels.
- The driverless Jacksonville Skyway is scheduled to indefinitely halt operations soon due to budget cuts.
- D.C. Metro CEO Randy Clarke stated that workers will still be required to maintain tracks and respond to emergencies even if operators are not inside the cab.
Who's Mentioned
OrganizationTransport Workers Union“Union that has fought off automation efforts.”PersonRandy Clarke“CEO of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.”locationHonolulu“City already operating an elevated driverless line called Skyline.”OrganizationSpaceX“Private space company cited for blowing up rockets.”OrganizationTesla“Company taking the automation lead in on-road vehicles.”PersonElon Musk“Founder of SpaceX.”OrganizationArizona State University“University where David King works.”OrganizationZoox“Company taking the automation lead in on-road vehicles.”locationLos Angeles“City seeking to build a new, completely automated subway line.”OrganizationNASA“Public space agency.”PersonJohn Samuelsen“International president of the Transport Workers Union.”locationWashington, D.C.“City advancing a plan to let computers fully control its subway.”OrganizationWaymo“Company taking the automation lead in on-road vehicles.”PersonDavid King“Associate professor of urban planning at Arizona State University.”OrganizationReason Foundation“Libertarian think tank that has advocated for transit automation.”PersonBaruch Feigenbaum“Senior managing director of transportation policy at the Reason Foundation.”PersonVance Tsuda“Project director for Honolulu's Skyline system.”OrganizationNational Transportation Safety Board“Board that blamed the 2009 train collision on a maintenance problem.”PersonCecily Way“Oversees planning for the Sepulveda Project for LA Metro.”OrganizationWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority“Agency operating D.C. Metro.”