Monthly Archives: February 2014

Local News, Metro News

Sarles addresses questions on Metrorail service

Metro General Manager Richard Sarles took questions from travelers on Monday about a wide range of concerns about current and future transit service. I’ve picked out a few that are frequently asked questions about Metrorail service. See the full transcript of the Sarles Q and A here.

Q, Blue Line cutbacks
After the Rush Plus cutbacks, the Blue Line is often dangerously crowded during the morning and afternoon rush, which will only get worse when the Silver Line opens. For many of us, the Yellow Line isn’t a reasonable alternative (such as for the many Pentagon to Rosslyn/Foggy Bottom/Farragut West commuters, like myself). Will there actually be 8-car Blue Line trains (not perfect, but better than nothing)? How can you justify charging us for peak service when there is actually no difference in train frequency between rush hour and not?

A. Richard Sarles
First, it is important to note that we are executing on a plan that was developed when the Silver Line was approved for design/construction more than a decade ago. That plan called for base train frequencies of seven minutes during rush hours on Orange, Yellow, Green and Silver (instead of 6 minutes today), and Blue Line trains every 14 minutes. We have worked hard to improve upon this original plan by now running the Silver Line out to Largo Town Center. By doing this, we are able to keep Orange/Yellow/Green/Silver Line trains at every six minutes, and Blue will be a consistent every 12 minutes. We will make every effort to provide additional eight-car trains on Blue to accommodate riders, and we will continue to encourage those who can consider Yellow to do so.

We will need to advance power improvements (currently called for under Metro’s 2025 plan) in order to provide all eight-car trains on the Blue line.

Q. Eight-car trains
Why aren’t all of the Orange and Blue Line trains in rush hour eight-car? Often in Rosslyn you have to wait for two-three trains to go by before you can get on in the morning. It’s going to get worse when the Silver Line starts and Orange service is cut.

A. Richard Sarles
We would like to operate all eight-car trains during rush hour, and that’s the goal we’ve set for ourselves under the Metro 2025 plan. It requires more than just additional train cars, but also upgrades to the power system and additional storage space and maintenance facilities. Funding is key to advance this project. More info is available atwmata.com/momentum

Q. Rush-hour trains that turn around
As a Farragut North to Shady Grove rider, the rush-hour trains that turn around at Grosvenor are a major pain. I really wish this practice would end.

A. Richard Sarles
Metro 2025 calls for all eight-car trains during rush hours, with all Red Line trains running the full length of the line, from Shady Grove to Glenmont. No more turnbacks at Grosvenor or Silver Spring. This requires funding for additional rail cars, power upgrades and yard storage and maintenance.

Q. Weekend service
Why does weekend Yellow Line service frequently only run to Mount Vernon Square? With weekend headways [the gaps between trains], it can’t be THAT hard to set the schedule to allow for turning the trains around at Fort Totten.

A. Richard Sarles
We turn Yellow Line trains at Mt Vernon Sq on weekends only when there is work on either the Yellow or Green line that necessitates it. For example, if the Green Line is single-tracking between Fort Totten and Prince George’s Plaza, Yellow Line service has to turn back at Mount Vernon. This weekend, Yellow Line will operate to Fort Totten.

Q. Green Line
I transfer at L’Enfant Plaza daily. Often two-three Yellow Line trains whiz by, followed by one extremely packed Green Line train. Why the imbalance in train frequency and length when ridership is so heavy on the Green Line? Is there a fix in sight?

A. Richard Sarles
There has been an increase in the number of Yellow Line trains. These are former Blue Line trains that have to be rerouted over the [Potomac River] bridge in anticipation of the arrival of Silver Line. During rush hours, the southbound frequency should be: Green to Branch Ave every six minutes, Yellow to Huntington every six minutes, and Yellow to Franconia-Springfield every 20 minutes (will be every 12 minutes once Silver Line opens).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/wp/2014/02/03/sarles-addresses-questions-on-metrorail-service/

Daily Posts

A little rain and a mess of a Metro commute!!

Ahhhhh, another day, more issues. Lets see.

1. Shady Grove’s Escalators (The outside and one of the inside units) are down. The outside one make it 5 days and its back down.

Inside Shady Grove Station escalator down.
Inside Shady Grove Station escalator down.
Outside escalator broken (Again) made it a week, back down
Outside escalator broken (Again) made it a week, back down

2. Slippery tiles. Almost bust my a_s

 No picture… 

3. Train said it was 5 minutes till boarding?? But no train.

Says 5 minutes till train leaving but there is no train?
Says 5 minutes till train leaving but there is no train?

4. The train I was in was leaking like there was a hole in the roof of the train car!!

Puddles of water in train.
Puddles of water in train.

Total mess.

Alt Transportation, Local News

132 new D.C. speed cams start ticketing today

traffic calvert 39th (WTOP/Kathy Stewart)

WASHINGTON – Today, the 132 newly installed traffic cameras around the District will start issuing tickets.

For the last month, drivers were just getting warnings.

The cameras are part of the Metropolitan Police Department’sStreetSafe initiative to better respond to the safety concerns of D.C. residents.

Read more about automated traffic enforcement on the Metropolitan Police Department’s website. Click here.

See the full map of enforcement camera locations.

The tickets will range from $50 to $300.

Learn more about the breakdown of how many cameras will be deployed to track each offense and the fines associated with those infractions. Click here.

Follow @WTOPTraffic on Twitter.

Alt Transportation, Local News

Gas prices dip again

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WASHINGTON – Gas prices are edging lower, but just like the recent weather, it may be the calm before the storm.

AAA Mid-Atlantic says the average price of regular gas in the D.C. metro area is $3.32 per gallon, down 2 cents from last week and down 21 cents from this time last year.

The national average is $3.28 per gallon — 14 cents less than this time last year.

But AAA predicts drivers will start to pay more this month because of refinery maintenance, which can limit supplies. Frigid temperatures can cause refinery issues that push prices higher. But it can also decrease demand, as motorists limit their driving.

2/2/14 Week Ago Year Ago
National $3.28 $3.29 $3.50
Washington, DC $3.53 $3.55 $3.64
DC Only $3.53 $3.55 $3.64
DC Metro $3.32 $3.34 $3.53
Crude Oil $97.49 per barrel (at Friday’s close) $96.64 per barrel (1/24/14) $97.49 per barrel (1/31/13)
Random BS

Groundhog’s forecast comes in depths of bitter winter

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Punxsutawney Phil is set to make his famous groundhog forecast early Sunday, and after a winter like this one, more folks than usual may be hoping he doesn’t see his shadow.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club expects about 20,000 people on hand for the event, executive director Katie Donald told The Associated Press. This is the first year that Groundhog Day coincides with the Super Bowl.

Update:

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. — Punxsutawney Phil, most famous groundhog in history, emerged from his burrow early Sunday morning and with the help of his handlers declared that he saw his shadow.

The Groundhog Day prediction means six more weeks of winter.

Phil made his weather prediction just before 7:30 a.m. in front of thousands of onlookers at Gobbler’s Knob in the tiny western Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

The Groundhog Day celebration is rooted in a German superstition that says if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2, the Christian holiday of Candlemas, winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says, spring will come early.

Phil has not seen his shadow just 17 times since 1886, according to incomplete records kept by the Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle, which is responsible for caring for the groundhog and putting on the annual ceremony.

Last year, Phil did not see his shadow.

The accuracy of the groundhog’s predictions, however, has long been debated.

Interest in the holiday has soared in the last two decades thanks largely to the 1993 Bill Murray comedy “Groundhog Day,” in which a weatherman becomes trapped reliving the holiday again and again.

Crowds at the event have grown from a few thousand before the movie came out to tens of thousands after.