By Tom Bridge
‘Hazardous Materials by Threaded Thoughts’
courtesy of ‘ThreadedThoughts’
Metro announced this evening that they’re going to rewrite their safety guide to include prohibitions against texting and use of cellphones. The last update to the guide was in 1989. That’s right, 20 years since Metro last updated their bus safety manual. Anti-lock brakes may not have even been on buses yet when the manual was last updated…
By shannon
‘metro’
courtesy of ‘spiggycat’
The Metro employee who was struck by a train between the Braddock Road and National Airport stations last week has died, according to this WMATA press release. The employee, John Moore of Arlington, had opened a door that led to the track right-of-way and was struck by a train on Thursday. Metro and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating this incident. The family of the victim already hired a lawyer from Evansville, IN to help them seek monetary damages to pay for losses and expenses.
It’s been a terrible year for Metro, as this is the third Metro employee who has died while working this year. The first was the driver of the train involved in the June 22 Metro crash, Jeanice McMillan, and the second was a track repairman, Michael Nash, who was struck by equipment on August 9th. A Metro subcontractor also died earlier this summer when he was electrocuted at a Metro bus garage.
The Washington Post calls this death “the most recent fatality in a series of tragic events afflicting the system’s operations in recent months.” Do you think this is just a tragic coincidence, or is there something seriously wrong with Metro’s safety regulations?Evansville, IN
By shannon
‘joy.’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’
It’s just not been a good summer for Metro. Exactly a month ago, a Metro employee was killed while performing maintenance on the Orange line, and today, word comes that another Metro employee was struck by a train between Braddock Road and National Airport stations this morning.
If you’re travelling on the yellow or blue lines, prepare for major delays for the rest of the day: service has been suspended between Braddock Road and National Airport. The blue and yellow lines are both split into two segments, with free shuttle bus service between King Street, Braddock Road, and National Airport stations.
Update: As of 12:43 PM, normal service has resumed on the yellow and blue lines. No updates on the injured Metro employee except that he was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
By Karl Johnson
‘The 10B’
courtesy of ‘Aaron Webb’
The Metro board is expected to approve the sale of the Ballston bus garage property for $25 million at their 9/24 meeting. At just over 4 acres, it will become part of the property that will be home to the new DARPA building. Check out the past WLDC article about the building here. Talk about a way to make some quick cash! Does this mean no fare increases for a few years? Hah. Right.
By Ben H. Rome
‘Shuttle Bus ->’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’
Get ready, more major Metrorail track work and station closures ahead.
Metro will be closing Archives/Navy Memorial and Waterfront-SEU stations over the Columbus Day weekend. Additionally, the Yellow and Green lines won’t be operating at L’Enfant Plaza, as Metro will be replacing four track switches.
This despite the fact that Columbus Day isn’t exactly a holiday for many in the area, unlike Labor Day. Last year saw over 410,000 rail trips on the quasi-holiday. Yesterday only saw 116,000.
At least Metro learned a lesson from this past week; they’re announcing the closures a full month in advance this time. Wonder if they notified the board yet?
By Ben H. Rome
‘WMATA’
courtesy of ‘sofafort’
And the Metro angst continues.
Kudos to James Hohmann over at WaPo for his breakdown of yesterday’s absurd circus between WMATA and its board members. What’s utterly appalling is Metro’s insistence that their August 5 press release was enough notice.
While the notice does mention “major track maintenance rehabilitation program during the three-day Labor Day holiday weekend,” it does not list September 4 – 7 as dates that particular stations will be closed. Only the weekday evenings particular stations would be shut in the evening. Nowhere in the release does it state anything about three stations being closed for three days. Continue reading
By Ben H. Rome
‘*bounce*’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’
Just as Karl and I were saying in the comments thread on the Labor Day closings, Metro needs to seriously fix their communications department. WaPo just broke the story that several Metro board members weren’t even notified or consulted about the closings and they’re (rightly) ticked off.
Metro board Chairman Jim Graham said the board plans to discuss the closures and WMATA’s communications “procedures” on a conference call tomorrow morning.
In addition, WMATA announced – today! – that General Manager John Catoe, Jr will take questions during an online chat on Friday. Riders can also vent make their views known tonight at 6:30 during a regularly scheduled Riders’ Advisory Council Meeting at Metro HQ.
The quote of the day that proves our point deliciously is by Fairfax County Supervisor Jeff McKay, a Metro board member: “We get an F in communications but an A in strategy for [setting the date for] the least-disruptive work,” he said. “I can defend the decision; I can’t defend the way we explained it to people. . . . That’s just a complete breakdown in strategic communication.”
DUH.
By Ben H. Rome
‘joy.’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’
ZOMG METRO CLOZING 3 STATIONS DURING TEH HOLIDAY!!!1!one11!
I’m sure that’s the most common reaction by Blue and Yellow line riders who read Metro’s press release yesterday; it certainly seemed to be the tone set by commenters and blogs around the area.
Now, normally I’m one of the first detractors of Metro’s policies of late and yes, that was close to my initial reaction as well. It put a crimp into my own weekend plans, including a beloved relative flying in/out of DCA. But then I stopped to think about it.
It’s actually a good thing.
No, really! Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
‘middle track’
courtesy of ‘katmere’
Metro’s closing three stations this weekend starting Friday night at 9:30 and won’t be re-opening them until Tuesday morning at 5am. Those three stations are National Airport, Pentagon City and Crystal City, which means that a significant branch of the Metro will be traded for buses this weekend while WMATA refurbishes them. They’ll be stripping out 2,000 feet of Rail, 735 ties, and will be working on the concrete platform structures at National amongst other places. It’s a pretty big deal, so service is going to be drastically affected. The line between Pentagon and Braddock Road will not be operated at all. Metro has detailed the shuttle service via their website, and the appropriate section is below, for those who’ll need to transfer around the problems. Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
‘BART in San Francico’
courtesy of ‘Nick Bastian Tempe, AZ’
They say that no two subways are alike. Wait, that’s snowflakes, but it’s mostly true for transit systems as well. If you look at the Metro and BART on scaled maps, for comparison, they’re fairly similar in size. More so, due to the concurrent construction dates, they use similar cars and similar farecards and fare structures. But, BART’s got it over WMATA in a few ways: Continue reading
By Don
‘Metro: Don’t Panic’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’
This story reminds me of an exchange I had in the workplace long ago. I told a co-worker I was surprised he knew about some company goings-ons and he said “I know more than you think.” I replied “you’d have to.”
WMATA has announced that they’re raising their standards for employment, though I think it’s more accurate to say they’re adding to the list of recent offenses that disqualify a person from being hired. Perhaps it’s a pointless distinction, but I don’t think we’d say that refusing to date someone who had been recently convicted of murder would qualify you as “having standards.”
I’d call them a worthwhile step, though. Applicants for front line positions can not have received a citation for moving violations related to carelessness within the last three years. Previously they were only disqualified if their license has been suspended during that period. More than two points on their license in the last three years also now disqualifies a candidate, as does a DUI during that period.
I’m less thrilled with the increased criteria on criminal offenses – if Michael Vick can be written a free pass by so many people because he has “served his time” I’m not sure why we don’t apply the same forgiveness to the less famous. However this WMATA limit only applied to customer-interacting folks, so the reformed aren’t completely cut off from opportunities with metro.
By Ben H. Rome
‘IMG_0115’
courtesy of ‘bankbryan’
Mish-mash of transit for your morning perusal.
HOT Lanes Delayed: While the Beltway HOT Lane construction continues forward, Virigina has decided to delay building additional HOT lanes on I-395 and I-95. The economy is the answer that’s been trotted out; state leaders fear that they won’t be able to get money from the bond market and the state has no more money to spend. The Beltway project is expected to be completed by 2012, with the outer lanes opening as early as next year.
Officials were pretty specific in stating the project has been delayed, not abandoned, though there is still a lot of concern with local officials, who feel the proposed project will adversely affect their communities and neighborhood traffic patterns.
Construction was supposed to begin next summer.
ICC & I-95: This week began a traffic pattern shift along I-95 as construction continues on the Intercounty Connector in Prince George’s County. Several lanes are being closed or shifted in both northbound and southbound directions from Route 198 to Route 212. Closures begin as early as 8 p.m. and re-open before morning rush. The closures will be in effect until Sept. 29.
VRE Gets Stimulated: The federal government has awarded $9.8 million to the Virginia Railway Express, money needed to purchase 12 more locomotives. The funds fall under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will be administered by the Federal Transit Administration.
The current locomotive fleet consists of 20 engines that can pull an average of six cars; the new engines the VRE is purchasing are more powerful and efficient, capable of pulling 10 cars each (at 144 passengers a car) and will help the service expand its current capacity.
By shannon
‘Berry’
courtesy of ‘lorigoldberg’
Oh happy day! News comes from Metro today that they have begun installing wireless service in 20 Metro stations that will allow customers to access the internet and make calls with Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile services as of October 16. This has been a long time coming, and while it’s not the full, system-wide service that has been promised (that won’t be complete until 2012), it is certainly a good start.
This will be the end of Verizon-only service in Metro, with the four providers joining together to build, operate, and maintain the new wireless network. The firms will also build a second wireless network that will eventually support The Metro Channel, a planned service of system information, news, and advertising in stations, trains, and buses.
So, the good news: more opportunities to check e-mail or make a call if you’re stuck waiting in one of the 20 lucky stations. The bad news: now the rest of us have to listen to more inane conversations while we’re waiting. Luckily, with three years until the network is complete with service in tunnels, we’ll still have relative quiet on trains (except for those pesky Verizon customers).
By Katie
‘Almost Never is Always Good Enough’
courtesy of ‘Bogotron’
You guys. I just can’t hold it in any longer. I know we’ve talked about this before. But ya’ll, YA’LL, I’m going nuts over here. I just CANNOT TAKE IT and need to issue a PSA.
Dear Metro Rider: Here we are, happily co-existing, two lucky seated people on a morning train. I’m reading my Express and doing my best to drown out the world with my ipod. You’re doing your crossword puzzle. We’re two peas in a pod. As we sail from station to station, we’re fine. You’re cool. I’m not thinking anything of you. Until halfway through the journey from our previous station to our next station, you decide it is time to stand up and move towards the door. The tunnel is still dark. The train is still moving. We’re at least a good solid three minutes from the time we’ll even be gliding into the next station, but now! YOUR TIME IS NOW! Something goes “click” inside your bird brain and you just Cannot Sit There Any Longer. So you ask me to move. Now you’ve done it. Here I have to interrupt my happy Express reading, gather my lunchbox, put away my blackberry, stand up, scoot over, make the six people standing next to our seats move, awkwardly grab the pole to keep balanced because I’m not very good at Metro Surfing, drop my lunchbox, pick it back up, apologize to the five people I’ve bumped into, and then at the most inopportune moment the driver slams on the breaks and we all go flying. Then you’re all up on me, stepping on my toes, rubbing your stranger germs on me, and then the Metro driver accelerates and we all fly forward. IT ALWAYS HAPPENS. And we did this whole dance while in motion, in the DARK TUNNEL, FAR AWAY FROM YOUR STOP, just so you can shuffle awkwardly towards the door and hover for the next two minutes.
IF YOU HAD JUST WAITED TIL WE STOPPED ALL OF THIS DRAMZ COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. This? THIS IS MY NEW METRO PET PEEVE. I used to hate Pole Hogs (I still kind of do) but I’ve gotten better about them since I learned some defensive knuckling skills and decided that my new signature style is large cocktail rings (aka weapons of back destruction) and have gotten good at using them. But you? You random-stander-upper-er? I HATE YOU. YOU ARE THE WORST.
By Tom Bridge
‘tracks’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’
A person on the tracks at the West Falls Church station was hit and injured by a New Carrollton-bound train this morning just after 11am. Service is single-tracking through the area to allow the paramedics access to the scene.
It’s not clear just yet why the person was on the tracks.
Update: Metro is now reporting the man struck by the train has died.
By Kirk
‘Metro Train in Motion’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’
It seems that drugs are behind WMATA’s latest innovation: the 10 car train. During rush hour on July 31st, a Green Line train operator was alerted by a passenger that his train was trailing two extra cars. Metro platforms are only designed to accommodate 8 car trains, so the additional carriages were never made it into the stations and remained unused. The train made it from Greenbelt to Georgia Ave before being noticed, after which it was taken out of service. The support personnel responsible for staging the train were subjected to drug tests, and one individual tested positive. WMATA is still investigating and has yet to take any disciplinary action. Hooray, Metro!
By Ben H. Rome
‘Metro on the Move’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’
Everyone remember the uproar back on July 30 when UnsuckDCMetro posted the story and photo about the 63 bus with the driver who was chatting on her cell phone, even getting off the bus to do so?
Seems it may have been a legitimate call after all.
According to another blog – Maryland Politics Watch – the driver was actually on the phone with WMATA’s Central control, reporting a mechanical difficulty (malfunctioning destination sign) and minor injuries from falling up the bus stairs as she re-boarded. While the investigation isn’t final yet, it seems this time the operator was in the ‘right’ though she apparently was not very communicative with the riders as to what was going on.
While it’s nice to know what the truth is with the situation, it’s disheartening yet again to see Catoe mishandle yet another situation. I’m sure the stress sucks in the wake of the June 22 accident, but really – one would expect the “top public transportation manager” in the country to handle these things better.
By Ben H. Rome
‘New Carrolltn’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’
I give you the average day in the life of a Washington commuter (who happens to be a blogger and works downtown).*
7:06 a.m. Pulling into the parking garage at Franconia-Springfield a little early; traffic for once was cooperative so I am optimistic it’s a good sign for today. Until I nearly collide head-on with a driver coming up the ramp in the opposite direction who happens to be driving in the center of the lane, rather than sticking to one side or the other. Awkwardness ensues as I back into my selected space…and he parks next to me.
In situations like this, I put on my “Metro mask” and just avoid eye contact.
7:13 a.m. The electronic sign says the Blue Line train awaiting me on the platform below is departing in 3 minutes. I am amused as suddenly everyone’s pace picks up as we surge towards the turnstyles, only to be derailed by a gaggle of tourists attempting to figure out how they’re used. Two teenagers can’t seem to shove their paper farecard into the one clearly marked with the “do not enter” light; a mother wrestles with her stroller at the handicapped gate and suddenly, there’s only one lane for the rest of us regulars to use. And its not reading all the SmarTrip cards on first pass. I glance back at the electronic sign, noting that we’ve got two minutes…and hear the door chimes ring down below.
By jasmine
‘shelter’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Much like kids jumping on a just-made bed, vandals have been going around DC and smashing the shiny new glass in dozens of new bus shelters around the district. They’re guessing that someone is just driving around shooting the glass out for no real reason. I’m guessing it’s someone with an attraction to shiny things who enjoys the big noise it makes when the glass breaks all over the sidewalk. If anyone has information on the crimes, they should call the city’s non-emergency line at 311.
By Tom Bridge
‘IMG_7886’
courtesy of ‘Chas Redmond’
While it’s no Monorail, Governor Martin O’Malley says that the proposed 16-mile Purple Line should be light rail, calling it the “locally-preferred alternative”. The proposed line would run from New Carrolton metro to Bethesda metro, stopping at Silver Spring and College Park along the way. The line, as it stands, is still entirely unfunded, but now that a decision has been made regarding bus/rail, Governor O’Malley can put together a proposal for federal transit funding.
