Tag Archives: Metro

Talkin' Transit, The Features
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Talkin’ Transit: Metro Says “You Drive It”

Photo courtesy of
‘Concourse Teddy’, courtesy of ‘philliefan99’ Teddy driving your train? Maybe!

Word out of the WMATA office? Put your skills where you mouth is.

Starting April 31, regular commuters can become a Metro operator for a day. Selected daily from unregistered SmarTrip card users, a random rider will be selected and invited to drive their Metrobus or conduct their Metro train! After a quick training course, the winners will be ushered into the driver’s seat for a commuting experience they won’t forget!

Ever dreamed of piloting the Yellow Line train across the Potomac, pulling into L’Enfant with a full load of sleepy, cranky morning passengers? Or helming a prestigious Red Line train during rush hour, making sure commuters board the train respectfully and without pushing and shoving? What about steering a big Metrobus down Pennsylvania Avenue, stopping at every red light and heading up a five-bus convoy as you pack in the riders?

Now’s your chance. Continue reading →

Essential DC, Talkin' Transit, The Features, WMATA
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Talkin’ Transit: Stop-Gaps and Cuts

Photo courtesy of
‘CSC_1718’, courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’

By now, everyone has heard (or is aware) that WMATA has a $29M gap in their budget to fill. And soon. Early suggestions by some parties (coughGrahamcough) was to use part of the $200M bailout money to fill the gap. Which is a stupid idea. And most board members agreed; that idea got tossed last week. (I’m glad there’s some actual common sense being demonstrated now over in Metro’s HQ; use the stimulus money for the listed projects originally put forth. It’s not a magic piggy-bank to use for stop-gaps.)

So what does WMATA do? Michael Perkins over at GGW gave a great rundown of the four options that Metro really has at this point. Probably one of the most controversial to many is the option of cutting services. Yet Metro seems to be holding this one option at arm’s length. It’s very much a hot-button topic for commuters, because no matter what Metro decides to cut (if at all this year), some people will be unhappy.

So let’s pretend you’re Catoe & Co: What services, routes or other Metro minutia would you cut in order to help bridge that gap? We’ll assume that the most obvious and best option – jurisdictional subsidy increases – isn’t viable and that Metro’s only option now is to cut down services and / or increase fares. What do you do? What’s most fair to you? Continue reading →

Essential DC, The Daily Feed, WMATA
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Metro Tops Google

Photo courtesy of
‘camera bag on shoulder tripod’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Kudos to Michael Perkins over at Greater Greater Washington: from his efforts and many, many other Metro riders, WMATA is finally going to release schedule and routing info into the open Google Transit Feed Specification format by March 23. They announced this last night at the DC Council oversight hearing for WMATA.

According to WMATA’s Facebook page, we the public will be able to download bus and rail schedule and route info from Metro’s website. The data will be freely available to all who agree to their terms of use. The data released will be the exact same data that feeds Metro’s online Trip Planner…and Metro reserves the right to withdraw the data if necessary.

So in the end, this “punt” by Catoe and Co is actually better than the failed Google deal, as this allows anyone to use that data. Who knows, maybe we’ll see a Facebook application utilizing it in the future…

The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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I hate pole hogs!

Photo courtesy of
‘Metro Opens Doors’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’

My metro ride this morning was the exact opposite of the tranquility pictured above. I was one squishy sardine on the Orange line this morning (hey, at least it works today!) but the worst part of my metro ride was that a man on it was hogging the only accessible pole by leaning his body up against it. That, my friends, is my METRO PET PEEVE (all capital letters). It is rude and inconsiderate to hog an entire pole with your body. Even the crook-of-your-arm-hug annoys the crap out of me, cause I can’t fit my hand where it should comfortably go without hitting your private bits, lady! I used to hate it when people would stand on the left, but we all hate that, it’s an unoriginal Metro pet peeve that can usually be solved by saying “EXCUSE ME THAT IS MY TRAIN!”

My friend Rebecca hates it when people blackberry and walk at the same time. My boss hates it when someone sits on the outside seat blocking the empty window seat, or spreads out on one of the benches on the platform. My roommate hates it when someone stands in front of the door when she’s trying to get off the train instead of stepping out and waiting.

So I need a therapy session – let’s share, cause sharing is caring. And maybe you’ll learn a thing or two about which of your metro habits is annoying someone. What is YOUR metro pet peeve?

All Politics is Local, Business and Money, Crime & Punishment, Downtown, Essential DC, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors, WTF?!
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D.C. Parking Injustice – Tow Me… Blow Me…


Law enforcement scofflaws
Originally uploaded by philliefan99

Did you hear me Mr. Fenty and Ms. Babers? D.C.’s quest to now emulate Chicago with the new administration has reached new lows. As the Democrats and Obama administration have been touting friendliness to green technologies, smart transportation alternatives, and conservation, the city they now hold a majority in,  took a TWELVEFOLD step backwards. I had created the D.C. Motorcycle parking map of the Metro region to help those folks on two wheels track down ever vanishing spots (one set is in center court in the Verizon Center… how convenient), and since most garages do not allow motorcycles in, it’s necessary. Over this past weekend, the D.C. Parking Authority (aka, the D.C. DMV) cranked up the rates without warning for the motorcycle spots to be commensurate with the rates for cars (or even more so), from 12 hour meters which were 25 cents for an hour and 24 minutes, to now 7 minutes per quarter… a loss of 77 minutes 92% of your parking value… WTF?! It shocked most folks parking on the G Street meters (which until the beginning of last year were free) on the west side of the Old Executive Office Building so much, that today, EVERY bike has decided not to pay. Seriously D.C., are you trying to discourage smart commuting?

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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The horn on the train goes BEEEEEEEEEEEP…


(This is a video. You can play it. Listen for the horn!)

Piled on top of this morning’s Red Line woes, this train on the Red Line appeared to have its horn stuck in “VERY LOUD ON” mode, constantly blowing without stopping. (Insert clever ‘your mom’ joke here.) I got on at Union Station, got off at Metro Center, and that horn never stopped blaring through the tunnels and stations the whole time. Anyone else get to ride on the Eternal Horn Metro train this morning?

Talkin' Transit, The Features, WMATA
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Talkin’ Transit: Bits and Nits

Photo courtesy of
‘e-z pass my ass.’ courtesy of ‘the idealist’

A myriad of transit news items, so pay attention.

E-Z Pass: If you’re a Maryland driver who has an E-Z Pass, get ready because the state is tacking on a monthly maintenance fee. Starting July 1, a $1.50 charge per account will be added; there will also be a new charge of $3 accompanying a Notice of Toll Due. Toll violation charges will increase from $15 to $25 and the duration of E-ZPass commuter plans will change from 60 days to 45.

Metro Track Work: After some time off, the work crews are back and we’ll be seeing weekend line delays as Metro restarts its maintenance cycles. This weekend is the Red Line’s turn, so add 20 minutes to your travels between Silver Spring and Forest Glen from 8 p.m. Friday to close of service on Sunday.

Continue reading →

Inaugupocalypse, The Daily Feed, The Hill, WTF?!
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The Scene at Union Station

With most of Union Station’s Grand Hall reserved for tonight’s inaugural ball, and the Metro station and rail concourse already packed to capacity, the crowd entering Union Station had to be divided into Metro, Amtrak, and MARC/VRE riders. Confusion reigned outside as the Columbus Circle road was closed off, forcing people to circle around sidewalks and fences and clumps of National Guard and MPD personnel.

How was it for you?

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, WMATA
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Grand Welcome-Home Moment from a DC Metro Rider!

IMG_1324

Four days ago, on a crowded Tokyo Metro train:
<mild jostling>
Me: Sumimasen.
Jostler: Gomen nasai.
<We then trade shallow bows.>

This morning, while exiting a crowded Red Line train delayed by mechanical difficulties at Judiciary Square:
<jostler attempts to overtake between me and my wife>
Me: Excuse me, can I stay with my wife, please?
Jostler: You can’t always get what you want.
<Jostler then attempts to keep pushing way in, fails, then tries to walk-race me and my wife through the crowd to the Metro Center escalators.>

It’s good to be home!

Talkin' Transit, WMATA, WTF?!
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Talkin’ Transit: Metro Memories

Photo courtesy of OberonInDC
PC290059.JPG, courtesy of OberonInDC

Ahhh, memories. Metro has given us some great ones over the last year; in the spirit of the holidays I thought I’d share the twelve most memorable, in no great particular semblance of order. It’s been a year of ups and downs for WMATA, so why don’t we look back and smirk, scowl, smile and shrug at some of Metro’s best – and worst – escapades of 2008, to the (heavily butchered) tune of that great holiday carol, the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Doors Opening – Step Back if You Don’t Want to be Shocked?

Here’s a video I took Tuesday night on the Metro of an electrical locker swinging open and shut as the train moved. Looks like someone didn’t close the doors properly, and I was wondering just how dangerous it was to have all these sensitive electronics and switches and leads exposed. This was on Blue Line train #3262AC. I’ve read enough about WMATA rolling stock to know that this is one of the Alstom-rehabilitated Breda cars, but I need a WMATA engineer or some other DC transit railfan to tell me what kind of systems are in this locker, specifically. Anyone know?

(And should I have hit the emergency call button? I don’t know if it was safe, but no one was touching it, and I was already at my stop and didn’t want to put the train out of service and cause cascading delays up and down the Blue and Orange Lines.)

The Daily Feed, WMATA
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Red Line Delays Due to Person Struck by Train

IMG_0247

Metro’s Red Line is delayed this morning in the direction of Shady Grove, with trains on that side terminating at Twinbrook station due to an “emergency situation at Shady Grove.” Delay announcements were followed by notices to station managers to “not call Central unless your station is also having an emergency.”

Current Metro alert says Disruption at Shady Grove in both directions. Expect delays in both directions due to the report of a person struck by a train. NBC Washington says the person was struck on the inbound rails at Shady Grove at 9:50AM. WJLA reports the man was pinned under the train but survived and was taken to a local hospital.

WTOP reports the man has died of his injuries; witnesses saw him jump.

The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Foggy Bottom Metro Escalators Broken Again

As of December 15th and till today, two out of three street-level escalators at Foggy Bottom Metro station are closed. Only one narrow escalator serves double duty as up/down stairs for rush hour crowds. It’s an outrage and an unmitigated catastrophe in progress, but still nothing new to this beleaguered Metro station. This means more lines, more crowding, more walking down broken steps. Avoid it if you can: use this handy map to find alternative Metro station entrances. More on this from Dr. Gridlock.

Update: As of about 7PM, the middle escalator has been opened, but only as stairs, with escalator #3 going up. There was no backup or bottleneck; how was it for you?

All Politics is Local, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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White Obama on Metro Billboard

Dental Ad on Metro with Obama Lookalike
Originally uploaded by brownpau

I was about to comment on this earlier but Life Outtacontext beat me to it: doesn’t this guy in a stock photo on the DC Dental Spa billboard ad in various Metro stations look just like a white version of Barack Obama? I do a double-take everytime I see it.

Foggy Bottom, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Metro Zamboni Strikes Again

The Metro Zamboni is back, this time at Foggy Bottom! This isn’t quite as crowded a platform as before, and at a slightly later hour, but while it’s not entirely clear in this fuzzy mobile video, he does plow straight towards a crowd of tourists standing by the escalator. I’m surprised these cleaners haven’t pushed anyone off the platform yet.

Foggy Bottom, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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The Eternally Receding Horizon of Metro Escalator Repair Deadlines

Still Broken

I don’t even remember what date WMATA originally put on the repair notice when they closed the middle escalator of Foggy Bottom back in summer. I just knew that there was a 100% chance of them changing that date as soon as it came close. Sure enough, they changed it to Nov 29th. And when Nov 29th rolled by, naturally the repair deadline became Dec 19th. Will they make that deadline?

Of course not. Watch for when they bump that date to late December or early January, as the on-again-off-again nightmare of Foggy Bottom traffic bottleneck management continues.

Foggy Bottom, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Foggy Bottom Metro Line

I post about this altogether too much, but here we go again: epic lines to enter the Foggy Bottom Metro Station because of a rush hour escalator bottleneck. Of three escalators, one is closed for repairs till Nov 29th, one seems to be up-only, and the remaining nonworking one is split between down and up lanes. The result: a forked pair of lines stretching down the block in either direction.

I skipped the scene altogether and walked to Farragut West instead.

The Daily Feed, WMATA
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New Metro Station PA Alert Sound

Have you been hearing the new Metro station sound? About twelve seconds into this rush hour video from Metro Center, listen for a familiar double chime (very like the default Windows Ding sound) followed by a service disruption announcement far better enunciated than Metro station alerts have usually been.

The new alert sound comes at an ironic lipstick-on-a-pig moment as the train in the video has overcrowding and door-closing problems.

The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Broken Escalator Glass at Metro Center

Broken Escalator Glass, Metro Center
Originally uploaded by brownpau

I’m not sure what happened here. Angry Metro rider? Angry Redskins fan? Angry that the escalator wasn’t working? Rush hour jostling accident? General horseplay incident? Repair work flub? In any case, this escalator from the lower level of Metro Center to the Glenmont-bound Red Line platform has been closed for two weeks, and is now likely to stay closed for a bit longer while they replace the broken glass.

Talkin' Transit
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Talkin’ Transit – Metro vs the London Tube

Mind the Gap, courtesy of Jonathtan

If you want perspective on the DC Metro system, sometimes it’s valuable to look at another light rail system somewhere else.   And nothing signifies subways more than the London Tube.  (All New York City fans can feel free to argue this in the comments section.)

The first thing to realize is that DC and the Tube are, in many ways, very much alike.  If you have ever used the Metro, you will be right at home with the Tube ticket vending machines and the entry gates.  And there are just as many escalators in a Tube station as there are in most Metro stations.  Even the platforms look a lot alike, with the textured area right next to the trains to warn the blind of the dangerous area ahead.

There are some great comparisons, and lessons that I think both sides could learn…

Continue reading →