Posts Under "Metro":
January 22, 2009
Metro worked.
According to a Metro press release the transit agency gave more than 1.554 million rides on Inauguration Day - the highest one-day total ever. 1.12 million of those were by rail, far surpassing the previous record held by the Reagan funeral, and even beating the record set on January 19th - unique as the day before the inauguration AND a Federal holiday.
The fact that so many people could be moved by the transit agency is both a testament to its planning AND the ability of mass transit to, well, move mass amounts of people. With estimates ranging from 1 million to 2 million people on the Mall for the ceremonies, it's clear that Metro did its job. There would have been no way to move that many people into and out of this city in private vehicles or even tour buses. Simply no way.
Lots of people argue that mass transit is an unreasonable expense on the part of governments, that it cannot be viable on its own, and that fares never cover costs. But I believe that Tuesday's events show that mass transit is not simply one option for providing transportation but in many ways the best way to provide it. So many more people were served by the Metrorail system than could have ever been served by surface streets and concrete freeways.
It's worth noting that thousands more came by train and bus, but very few came by private vehicle. In a nation of SUV's and drivers, it's amazing that mass transit played such a huge role in this event.
Metro worked. And that's something we can all agree on.
1:33 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Metro, Rail, Washington, DC
July 26, 2008
It's been a busy week here in Washington. Lots going on. First, Restaurant Week has been announced, bringing some of DC's finest dining establishments to the locals at about $20 for lunch or $30 for dinner.
Let's see, what else is going on...
Robert Novak, conservative columnist and best known for committing an unidicted Federal crime of disclosing classified information about Valerie Plame struck a homeless pedestrian and tried to commit another felony of hit-and-run...he was stopped by a biker and cited $50 for violating a crosswalk. [WaPo]
Metro had a fun week, with a signaling problem Monday night that literally shut down the entire system for two hours, followed by Red Line problems that stalled traffic entirely on that line for most of Wednesday afternoon. Loads of fun!
Richard Simmons visited the Capitol and apparently did some sort of a dance routine on the steps (not safe if you're eating): DCist.
Congress is thinking about striking DC's gun ban by barring the District from passing such laws. Apparently they missed the Supreme Court decision on the subject. [DCist]
The United States Congress took Union Station to task over threatening and intimidating photographers. Apparently some in Congress think that Constitutional rights matter...who would have thought? [Greater Greater Washington]
And Google Maps now supports walking directions!
Hope everyone else had a great week!
2:24 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Metro, Washington, DC, Weather
July 6, 2008
The message is clear: if you own a car, the District of Columbia is not necessarily the place for you.
DC is taking critical steps to reducing congestion and traffic caused by commuters, including installing new parking meters that can be adjusted to charge variable amounts, raising city-owned garage fees, and considering raising the fine for violating a crosswalk from $50 to $500.
Some suburban drivers feel the pinch, and they're not happy. But DC has the worst traffic in the nation, and the highest death rate for pedestrians nationally, while having some of the highest numbers of commuters who do so by foot, bike or mass transit.
AAA accuses DC of an "anti-car" policy. I don't think that's entirely fair, since I think that DC leaders are recognizing that their constituents don't necessarily appreciate the automobiles that clog the streets and make walking impossible in the city. As someone who has considered buying a car, I would still use mass transit to get to certain parts of the city (the Verizon Center, for example), not because it's less expensive but because it's easier. And that's the way it should be.
Drivers Feeling Shunned by D.C. ~ Washington Post, July 6, 2008
11:48 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Metro, Traffic, Washington, DC
June 14, 2008
As most Metro riders know, there's nothing more frustrating than hurriedly saying goodbye to a friend, rushing into the rail station, and watching your train leave, with another 11 minutes behind it. Yet it's a common experience for most of us who ride the Metro.
Now, it may be a thing of the past. Metro has started offering a new service that emulates the passenger information screens that hang in stations and announce the wait time for varying trains on varying lines.
For those with a mobile web device (like an iPhone, Blackberry, Voyager, or Treo), they can view train arrival predictions by visiting http://www.wmata.com/mobile and selecting their station.
I think this is really neat, and it will save me a lot of time and trouble!
10:28 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Metro
So...I've run out of good books to read on the Metro while on my way to work (or enduring endless delays). I'm taking recommendations!
2:48 pm | Comment (4) | Print | Categories: Metro, Reading
June 13, 2008
A massive power outage affecting downtown DC and including the White House has shut down traffic signals and much of the Federal government's Federal triangle office complex on this Friday the 13th.
Riders on Metro experienced delays and dark stations due to the power outage and a separate fire on the tracks, while sixty traffic signals are still out around DC. Dupont Circle Metro station has been closed, due to the fact that the 188 foot-long escalators are not functioning. One man was hospitalized after reporting heart problems as a result of ascending the escalators, and fire officials treated nine others for being overheated. Dupont Circle is the deepest station in the system, and climbing the escalators from top to bottom is the equivalent of climbing an 18-story building.
Pepco (the utility company for the District) is unsure as to when services will be rest of the District. Their own headquarters was affected by the outage.
Live Coverage:
WTOP
Washington Post
WMATA (Metro)
DC Government
Updated at 6/13/2008 @ 11:22 am Power has been restored and Metro Center has reopened after a closure from a second fire. Dupont Circle is also open.
10:11 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Electricity, Metro, Washington, DC
TC The Terrible ran a blog entry yesterday disavowing the Metro and claiming that as a "rich white guy" he could afford to buy gasoline and skip riding with the "dregs of society." And it all got me thinking about whether or not Metro was really the cheapest way to get about.
His argument is as follows:
Parking at the Centreville Park and Ride was free. The 12C bus to the Vienna Metro station was $1.00 and took 25 minutes. The Orange Line train from Vienna to Ballston was $3.10 and took 20 minutes. The bus from Ballston to the office was free since I had transfered from the train, but took another 10 minutes. That’s $4.10 to ride the system for 55 minutes. Round trip that comes to $8.20 and two hours each day.He continues on to argue that the fixed price of owning a vehicle is a non-issue. That's where we disagree.
Driving from my house (a mile or so west of the Centreville Park and Ride) to the office is about 23 miles. My non-hybrid compact 5-speed averages 30 mph, so at $4 per gallon it costs me $2.93 to drive to the office. The drive is about a half hour in the morning because I leave at the butt crack of dawn. Afternoons when I’m forced to share I-66 with mere mortals takes about an hour. Round trip is $5.96 and 90 minutes per day.
Every day, it costs me $1.25 to ride the bus to Foggy Bottom, then another $2.85 to get down to Alexandria. It's cheaper on the way home, at $2.85 for Metro but only $0.35 for a Metro-to-bus transfer, making for a total of $7.30 per day, round trip.
I don't own a car, but if I did I'd probably get a pretty fuel efficient one (like a Yaris). Say, 40 miles per gallon highway, and it's 9.7 miles to and from my office. That's $2.43 a day, even with gas at $4.50 a gallon.
But I think that the cost of owning a car does need to be considered. Since I don't already own one, I'd pick up a $200 a month car payment (pretty low, actually), plus $125 in insurance (I'm still under 25), and roughly $75 in saving to maintain the car per month. Being generous and spreading the cost of the car over 30 days instead of only 20 (the days I work), that's $400 in car cost and $48.60 in gas for the 20 days I work, for a total of $448.60.
In contrast, I spend $146.00 on Metro per month, which is 67% LOWER than if I owned a car. The time saved per trip would be only about 15 minutes, meaning that I'd be spending $0.50 per minute of time saved. I don't pay $0.50 a minute for long distance!
There are obvious benefits to owning a car - among them, the freedom it provides and the ability to travel anywhere, any time, as long as you have the money to fuel it. But to me, the costs of buying, insuring, and maintaining something that I will also have to register, park, and be concerned about are far outweighed by the benefits. Likely in my life I will again own a car - but for now, the absence of one makes my life much simpler.
NOTE: In the interest of full disclosure, it is worth noting that there were severe Metro delays caused by a downtown power outage and track fire (fire probably caused by a power surge). However, though it took me 90 minutes to get to work, 60 traffic signals are out throughout the city. I can't imagine THAT is improving traffic flow...
9:04 am | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Metro, Traffic, Travel
June 12, 2008
The lead story for the night is that Alexander Ovechkin has been named hockey's 2007-2008 MVP. Though the Washington Capitals failed in their playoff bid and were eliminated in Game Seven against the Philidelphia Flyers, Ovechkin is largely credited with performing well enough to send them to the playoffs in the first place. He set a goal record for this season, beating the goal record set in the previous season, also set by him. Congratulations, Alexander.
Update: Bruce Boudreau, the Capitals coach who a year ago was a minor league coach, has won the Coach of the Year award in the NHL. He is credited with turning around the Washington Capitals, a team that was worst in the league, into a contender for the Stanley Cup within five years. Though Ovechkin's award was well expected, Boudreau's award was a surprise, but a well-earned one. Congratulations to the Washington Capitals.
In the Fire That Wouldn't Die, a local restaurant caught fire tonight. The restaurant adjoins the burned strip club from January's misadventure with flames. Fire crews are on the scene as I write this.
Speaking of fires, The Heritage Foundation almost burned down this afternoon...too bad it didn't. Their poor excuse for academic research will continue to flow forth. [Drudge] via [DCist]
Metro's board scolded Metro (so presumably themselves) for the series of mishaps this week. [WTOP]
The owners of El Pollo Loco pled guilty to Federal money laundering charges over their hire of illegal workers and hiding of store profits. They were arrested two days before my arrival in DC, two blocks from where I ended up living when I got here. [Washington Post]
Updated at 6/12/2008 @ 9:46 pm
9:41 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Hockey, Immigration, Metro, Natural Disasters
June 11, 2008
The House of Representatives authorized Amtrak for another five years, and did so by a veto-proof margin today, marking a stiff rebuke to those like John McCain who would see Amtrak's demise.
Over the objections of the White House, the House passed the bill offering $15 billion over five years to Amtrak. The Bush administration threatened a veto, but the increasing popularity of passenger rail and the ever-decreasing popularity of President Bush limits the relevancy of the President on this issue.
The vote also means that should the bill become law, and John McCain wins the White House, he will be unable to veto Amtrak funding from the budget, as the money was appropriated before he took office. Since McCain will likely be a one-term President (he will be 76 at the end of his term), this means Amtrak will survive his "non-negotiable" position.
The House vote was 311 - 104.
7:09 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Election '08, Metro, Northern Virginia, Politics, Rail, Washington, DC
Getting home for the last couple of days on Metro has been a bit of a challenge.
On Monday, an Orange Line train derailed outside Courthouse station, which caused single-tracking around the incident and backed up both Orange and Blue line trains heading into Rosslyn station. Took me an hour and 40 minutes to get home on Monday.
Tuesday night, my train was taken out of service at Pentagon City station, and turned around (for reasons passing understanding). Then, the next train was delayed a number of times due to a malfunctioning train at Farragut West station. We sat on the train for almost an hour, and the operator even encouraged passengers to switch from hot cars to cooler ones because "we're going to be at this a while."
In all, I blame the girl on the train yesterday for the delays since she was on the derailed train the day before. But it was an interesting experience with a number of strangers who were more than happy to just chat with the people around them. You don't get THAT on the 101 at rush hour!
Let's hope today's commute home is faster, better, and more manageable.
Updated at 6/11/2008 @ 7:40 pm So much for that idea. A heat kink was discovered in the track outside Ballston station meaning trains have to share the same track on the...you guessed it! Orange Line! Oddly, today was 15 degrees cooler than yesterday, AND Metro said the derailment wasn't caued by heat because the "tracks are underground"...much like the tracks to Ballston? Hmmmmmm...
11:57 am | Comment (4) | Print | Categories: Metro, Rail
May 30, 2008
Metro likes to do maintenence work on weekends, since fewer people ride on the weekends than on weekdays (by some 400,000).
This weekend they're doing work, and they want you to know that they're doing work on the Red, Green, Yellow, Orange and Blue lines. Just those lines though. No other lines are affected.
Wait...
Isn't that ALL the lines?
Metro Press Release
11:41 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Metro
May 23, 2008
Memorial day is upon us, and so I wanted to warm the weekend up with a bit on transportation.
The headlines that affect you...
- Gas hits $3.83 a gallon. Go ahead. You can cry. Let it out. I'll wait. It's important to get it out now. Seriously. Now that we've got that out of the way...
- 37.87 million of you will take to the roads or skies, which surprisingly is fewer than last year. Apparently $3.83 a gallon hurts some, but 37.87 million still feel the need to travel.
- If you must travel, Metro is getting safer, as they are preparing evacuation plans for all their stations in case of emergency. One has to think, though...why don't they already have emergency evacuation plans?
- American Airlines wants $15 for you to check your first piece of luggage. Though most airlines are struggling, Southwest is still flying cheep fares, in part due to their huge capital resources and ability to buy fuel far in advance. While some of my friends think that airlines should still serve diamond-encrusted champagne on flights, the reality is that the Southwest business model may be the wave of the future. Goodbye, Skymiles, hello Rapid Rewards!
Have a safe Memorial Day.
9:55 am | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Economics, Frustration, Metro, Travel, Washington, DC
January 12, 2008
Metro riders got a surprise today when a stunt, organized by George Mason University student Richard Julian, took the pants off Metro riders - literally.
Continue Reading...
10:37 pm | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Bizarre, Metro, Washington, DC
November 17, 2007
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1:47 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Maryland, Metro, Northern Virginia, Washington, DC
October 14, 2007
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5:28 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Metro, Politics
October 11, 2007
The problem with fare increases for services like Metro is that someone always ends up getting the short end of the stick. Always.
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11:52 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Metro, Politics
Have you ever had a bus drive right past you? Just completely skip the stop you're at? It's not a whole lot of fun and certainly makes Metro look bad.
And these people want a fare increase...sheesh...
7:49 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Metro, Mobile Post
September 29, 2007
One word of advice for taking the Washington, DC Metro system on a weekend: don't.
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6:38 pm | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Metro, Mobile Post, Washington, DC
September 5, 2007
There are some benefits to missing an 8-car train first thing in the morning. One of them is that if it's roughly five minutes ahead of you, it will clear the platform and your train will remain relatively uncrowded.
Or so one might think.
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8:57 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Metro, Washington, DC