Tag Archives: rail

The transit agency is in the process of installing hundreds of signs throughout the system at its 86 rail stations to show the new Silver Line in Northern Virginia that will run through Tysons Corner to the edge of Reston. The Silver Line is expected to open sometime in 2014 although no firm date has been set.

But some of the new signs Metro workers started to put up at stations in the system had a mistake.

About a dozen signs at the Metro Center station went up earlier this week showing five stations that the Blue Line doesn’t serve. According to the incorrect signs, the Blue Line made stops at Court House, Clarendon, Virginia Square, Ballston and East Falls Church.

That’s wrong.

Those five stops are only served by the Orange Line. The Blue Line splits off from the Orange Line at the Rosslyn station.

The mistaken signs was first reported Tuesday by Adam Tuss at NBC 4.

Metro said it regrets the error and couldn’t immediately explain how it happened.

Dan Stessel, a Metro spokesman, said Wednesday that the signs have been taken down and “new signs will go up this week.” Stessel said.

He said the cost to fix the signs would be less than $2,000, but he said he did not know an exact price. He said the contractor that made the signs will be responsible for making the fix.

“May this be the biggest problem we deal with for [Tuesday],” he said. “If that’s what the news is about Metro, we’ll take it.”

Metro Info, Metro News

A primer on Metro’s proposed fare and fee increases

January 29, 2014 Cozumel Ty

Metro has proposed increases in its rail, bus and parking fees and invited the public to comment. (Robert Thomson – Washington Post )

Starting Wednesday night, Metro will begin a set of six public hearings on its proposed fare and fee increases, which would take effect around July 1 if given final approval by the Metro board.

On Monday, I hope to have Metro General Manager Richard Sarles as the guest on myonline chat to discuss the fare proposals, the Metro budget and the long-range prospects for service improvements. You can submit questions and comments now for Monday’s discussion.

But for those considering attending one of the hearings, here are the basics of the Metro revenue proposals.

Operating budget
The transit authority budget is divided into operating and capital programs. The operating portion will cover the expenses for fiscal 2015, which starts July 1. Metro revenue comes from two main sources: the local governments that support Metro and the riders. The local governments account for 45 percent of the revenue, and the riders pay about 52 percent. The proposed operating budget is $1.76 billion.

To balance it, Metro’s leaders hope to get $44 million more from the local governments and about $30 million more from the riders, through the fare and fee increases.

The Metro board can adjust the rail, bus and parking charges to reach its revenue target, but it can’t approve charges that are higher than those it advertised for these public hearings. Otherwise, it would have to hold another round of hearings.

Metrorail. The average increase in the rail fare could be as much as 4 percent. The peak boarding charge could go from $2.10 to $2.20. The off-peak boarding charge could go from $1.70 to $1.75. The boarding charge is good for a three-mile trip. Beyond that, Metro adds charges based on distance traveled. The maximum peak fare could rise by a quarter to $6. The maximum off-peak fare could rise 15 cents to $3.65.

Riders will recall that some off-peak fares increased far more than the average when Metro raised the charges two years ago. Because of the complex way Metro calculates fares, some of those off-peak boosts amounted to 60 percent changes in certain station-to-station fares. In this proposed budget, Metro puts a cap of 15 percent on any station-to-station increase in the off-peak fare.

Rail passes. The cost of a one-day, unlimited rail pass could rise from $14 to $14.50. Other types of passes could rise to these levels: Seven-day short trip pass, $36.50; seven-day fast pass, $59.75; 28-day fast pass, $239. The Metro staff has proposed creating a one-day pass for visiting conventioneers, which would cost $10. This pass would not be available to the general public.

Metrobus. Several different proposals would affect bus fares. For riders using SmarTrip cards, the regular fare could increase by as much as 25 cents, to $1.85.
The express bus fare could go up by 35 cents, to $4. The fare for the airport buses could rise by a dollar, to $7.

There are two proposals that could affect bus riders who pay cash. Sarles proposed eliminating the cash surcharge. Metro imposed the surcharge several years ago to create an incentive for switching from cash payments to the plastic SmarTrip cards. But the transit agency staff says that removing the surcharge now wouldn’t have much impact on SmarTrip use, because riders now have other incentives to use the cards, including the ability to make transfers with them and to load them with seven-day bus passes.

An alternative proposal would keep the surcharge. Under this scenario, the regular fare with cash could rise by 20 cents to $2, and the express fare with cash would rise by as much as 50 cents, to $4.50.

Parking. The cost of parking at the lots and garages operated by Metro could increase by 25 cents. Prince George’s County has requested an additional increase of 50 cents to park at the Metro lots and garages in the county. That additional money could be used in several ways: For payment of current debt service that is financing construction of Metro parking in the county, for maintenance and rehabilitation of parking facilities, or for payment of debt service to finance construction of new Metro parking in the county.

Another fee proposal focuses on the Morgan Boulevard and Largo Town Center parking facilities, the nearest Metro parking to FedEx Field. The rate for parking during stadium events is now $25, but the Metro staff says that leaves the space under-utilized. Since the space is farther away from the stadium entrances than other parking fields and Metro doesn’t allow tailgating, the fee isn’t competitive. So the proposal would cut the charge to $15 during stadium events.

Capital budget
The other major portion of the budget pays for equipment and for the long-range rebuilding program. The proposed budget for the next fiscal year is $1.137 billion.

Metro officials expect that federal money will account for $487.5 million of that sum. About $522 million will come from state and local governments, and the remainder from other sources of financing. It doesn’t come from rider fares or parking fees, but the public still can comment on this part of the budget, which includes the weekend rebuilding program.

Hearing schedule
Each public hearing will be preceded by an informal information session at 6 p.m. This is a chance to talk with Metro officials about any transit topic, whether or not it’s part of the fare-increase agenda. The formal public hearings will begin at 6:30 p.m. This is the chance to offer testimony on the proposed budget and the fare increases.

Dates and locations:

Wednesday: Greenbelt Marriott, 6400 Ivy Lane, Greenbelt. A free shuttle will operate to and from the Greenbelt station.

Thursday: Hilton Springfield, 6550 Loisdale Rd., Springfield. A free shuttle will operate to Franconia-Springfield station after 7:30 p.m.

Monday: Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 2616 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE in the District.

Tuesday: Montgomery County Executive Office Building cafeteria, 101 Monroe St., Rockville.

Wednesday, Feb. 5: Arlington Central Library, 1015 North Quincy St., Arlington.

Thursday, Feb. 6: Metro headquarters, 600 Fifth St. NW in the District.

Metro News

Wednesday morning Metro troubles on four lines

January 29, 2014 Cozumel Ty

Updated at 9:47 a.m.

Normal service has resumed at the Rosslyn station on the Blue and Orange lines.

Updated at 8:30 a.m.

The cold continues to affect Metro’s rails and trains Wednesday morning, as four of its five lines have had troubles.

Delays continue on the Green Line after trains had to share a track between U Street and Georgia Avenue.

There was also a problem with an earlier disabled train at Columbia Heights station but that problem was resolved by 8:32 a.m.

As of 8:44 a.m., there were still some delays from Orange and Blue and Green lines as a result of the morning’s problems, according to Dan Stessel, a spokesman at Metro.

Updated at 8:02 a.m.

There have been troubles on four of Metro’s rail lines Wednesday morning, making it a rough commute for riders.

At 7:45 a.m., Metro said there were delays on the Blue and Orange lines to Franconia and Vienna stations because of a disabled train at the Rosslyn station.

Trains shared a track between the Foggy Bottom and Clarendon stations until about 8 a.m. Metro said riders should expect residual delays in both directions.

Earlier in the morning, there were problems on the Red and Green lines as well.

Trains on the Green Line sharing a track until about 7:30 a.m. Officials said delays continued because of an earlier problem with a disabled train outside of the West Hyattsville station.

The earlier troubles on the Red Line were fixed. At 7:12 a.m., Metro sent an e-mail alert saying that normal service was back at the Tenleytown station after earlier issues in that area.

Updated at 7:41 a.m.

Riders on Metro Red Line should expect delays Wednesday morning because of earlier troubles with a train that was malfunctioning at the Rhode Island Avenue stop.

Earlier in the morning trains on the Red Line were sharing a track between Friendship Heights and Van Ness stations in an unrelated problem. That situation was resolved, Metro said.

Updated at 7:31 a.m.

Trains on Metro’s Green Line are no longer sharing a track but delays continue in both directions because of an earlier situation that involved a disabled train outside the West Hyattsville station.

For more information on transportation-related stories click here.

Original post at 6:03 a.m.

Metro riders on the Green Line should expect delays in both directions Wednesday morning.

Trains are sharing a track between Fort Totten and Prince George’s Plaza stations because of a disabled train outside the West Hyattsville station.

There was an earlier problem on the Red Line because of a disabled train but that problem has been resolved.

Metro had a disabled train on its Red Line outside the Tenleytown station around 6:30 a.m. but the train was moved by 6:51 a.m. Trains had to share a track between Friendship Heights and Van Ness stations. Just before 7 a.m., trains were no longer sharing a track but Metro officials warned that delays could continue in both directions on the rail line.

VRE sent an email alert Wednesday morning to its passengers warning that power is out at its stop at the L’Enfant Station at 6th and C streets SW. VRE officials said riders should use caution when getting on and off trains because the platforms are dark.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/wp/2014/01/29/wednesday-morning-metro-troubles/

Metro Info

Metro infrastructure affected by cold weather

January 29, 2014 Cozumel Ty

ARLINGTON, Va. (WJLA) – You don’t need Metro rider Victor Powell to tell you that today is not the day you want to be waiting 15 minutes for a train:

“Oh my God, I’ll probably be an icicle by the time it gets here…”

The cold has indeed taken a toll on Metro’s infrastructure. A picture from rider Kim Taylor shows the crowd of people waiting for the Blue and Yellow Lines Thursday morning after the frigid temperatures caused a rail to crack near the Reagan National Airport station.

And on Wednesday, Miranda Green snapped a photo of this packed Orange Line platform after the cold caused a variety of problems on several trains on various lines – something the agency says happened during our last deep freeze.

Engineers are now trying to figure out the cause:

“Deep freezes, metal contracts, what’s going on in the car in terms of moisture has different focuses for us — we’re trying to get through that,” explained WMATA General Manager Richard Sarles.

WSSC crews braved the cold to start repairs on a six-inch water main that broke in Silver Spring and cut off water to nearly two dozen customers.

“We have water on hand, just to be on the safe side,” said area resident Robert Hale. “A lot of people around here do that because we’ve lost the water quiet often.”

Though there were only a handful of main breaks today, that is expected to change in the coming days as the water temperature continues to drop:

“All of a sudden, that really cold water starts moving through our distribution system after we treat it and then we start to see an increase in water main breaks,” said WSSC spokesperson Lyn Riggins.
Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/01/metro-infrastructure-affected-by-cold-weather-99562.html#ixzz2rn5tUwDs
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Metro Info

Metro weekend track work: Delays on blue, yellow, orange and red lines

January 29, 2014 Cozumel Ty

WASHINGTON (AP) – Metro says passengers will wait longer for trains on the blue, orange, yellow and red lines this weekend.

Metro says beginning Friday at 10 p.m. and continuing through system closing on Sunday, trains on the blue, orange and yellow lines will operate every 24 minutes. Trains on the red line will also run every 24 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont, with trains every 12 minutes between Farragut North and Silver Spring from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Metro says the green line will have regular weekend service.

Metro News

First Silver Line test run complete, but no results or service start date yet

January 29, 2014 Cozumel Ty

Tracks are seen stretching out from the McLean Metro station in this Nov. 4, 2013, photo.

Officials say they are analyzing data collected from the first full test run of Silver Line train service conducted over the weekend but still have no firm date for when work on the $5.6 billion rail project will be completed.

“Rail project officials, the contractor Dulles Transit Partners and WMATA are now tabulating, evaluating and analyzing all the information obtained from the demonstration,’’ officials with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, said in an e-mailed statement. “There is a huge amount of data and information to be dealt with and discussed by all the parties involved. When those evaluations are completed, we look forward to discussing the findings.”

Officials would not say when the analysis would be completed.

People familiar with the test run said it turned up a number glitches, including ones linked to the system’s automatic train control system, a key safety component that controls train movement and speed and ensures proper spacing between trains — an issue that had delayed completion of the project for several months. The individuals asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

In at least one instance during Saturday evening’s testing, they said, a train encountered a red signal, indicating that it should stop, yet still received speed commands directing it to move forward. Marcia McAllister, spokeswoman for the rail project, said officials would not comment beyond their e-mail statement.

But whether this and other issues that surfaced during the test are considered minor glitches that can easily be addressed or are signs of more serious problems that could result in additional delays remains to be seen.

As part of the test conducted in the overnight hours of Jan. 25, officials ran 10 trains along 11 miles of track and through the five stations that make up the first phase of the Silver Line. The first phase of the much-anticipated rail line has four stops in Tysons and one in Reston at Wiehle Avenue.

The automatic train control system is critical to trains’ safe operation. It was the failure of this system to detect the presence of a train on the tracks that was blamed in part for the2009 Red Line crash, which killed nine people and injured dozens of others.

Software problems linked to the ATC system forced MWAA to delay handing over the Silver Line project to Metro in November, as originally planned. It was the second time in six months that MWAA, which is building the rail line, had to delay the planned turnover. While MWAA is overseeing construction of the rail line, it will be managed and operated by Metro.

Earlier this month, Pat Nowakowski, executive director of the rail project said that enough of the software issues tied to the ATC system had been dealt with for this past weekend’s test to be completed, but he acknowledged that some issues still remain.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/first-silver-line-test-run-complete-but-no-results-or-service-start-date-yet/2014/01/28/b5e9a1b4-8860-11e3-916e-e01534b1e132_story.html

Metro Info

Metro delays on Green Line, weather causes road problems

January 29, 2014 Cozumel Ty

Updated at 7:10 a.m.

Metro riders on the Green Line should expect delays in both directions Wednesday morning.

Trains are sharing a track between Fort Totten and Prince George’s Plaza stations because of a disabled train outside the West Hyattsville station.

There was an earlier problem on the Red Line because of a disabled train but that problem has been resolved.

Original post at 6:03 a.m.

Light snowfall in the D.C. region overnight created challenges for commuters Wednesday morning, as some schools closed and others announced delayed openings, airlines canceled flights and police closed a usually busy ramp onto the southbound lanes of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway because of downed wires in the roadway.

U.S. Park Police said the wires toppled overnight onto the ramp that leads to the parkway from Route 193 in Greenbelt. They are not sure when the ramp will re-open, as they are waiting on a repair crew.

Police warned drivers throughout the region to use caution because some roads are slick and icy.

Schools are closed in Prince William, Stafford and Culpeper counties. Schools in Fairfax, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard, Frederick and Arlington counties, and in Alexandria, are opening two hours late.

Air travel has been impacted by the latest round of snowfall. About 250 flights across the country were delayed and another 950 were canceled as a result of the winter weather, according to FlightAware.

Eighteen flights were canceled at Ronald Reagan National Airport. Another 15 were canceled at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, and four were canceled at Washington Dulles International.

For more transportation-related stories, click here. For updates on the Washington weather forecast, go to the Washington post’s Capital Weather Gang.

Alt Transportation, Metro News

Dale Drive station will be built at same time as Purple Line, officials say

January 28, 2014 Cozumel Ty

Maryland transit officials say they will build a Purple Line station at Wayne Avenue and Dale Drive in Silver Spring when the 16-mile light-rail line is built between Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

Maryland Transit Administration officials previously said they would design the Purple Line to allow for a future station at Dale Drive but wouldn’t build it until there was community consensus for it, as the Montgomery County Council had requested.

Some residents had opposed the station, saying they were concerned it would bring commercial and higher-density residential development to the neighborhood east of downtown Silver Spring. Those who favored it said a station would help residents reach the Silver Spring Metrorail station more easily.

Michael Madden, the MTA’s manager for Purple Line planning, said Tuesday that planners recently decided to build the station with the rest of the line because community support for it has grown. After releasing the project’s final environmental impacts study, he said, the state received 16 comments, including a petition signed by 203 people, favoring a Dale Drive station. The state received four comments from those opposed, he said.

A $2.2-billion Purple Line does not have full construction funding. State officials are pursuing federal aid, as well as private funding. Construction would begin in 2015 at the earliest, with the line opening in 2020, officials said.

A station at Dale Drive is projected to serve about 960 Purple Line passengers daily in 2040, Madden said. It would be the second lowest-ridership station along the 16-mile line. The lowest-ridership station, in Long Branch, would have an estimated 890 daily passengers in 2040, he said.

Even so, Madden said, a Dale Drive station would serve that community by helping people reach the Metrorail system more easily. Its costs were already included in the project’s overall $2.2-billion cost estimate, Madden said.

“We always assumed we’d build it,” Madden said. “The only question was when.”

Madden said the County Council has said it has no intention of increasing zoning densities around a Dale Drive station.

Jean Cavanaugh, who lives in the area, said she and some other residents are still concerned that those intentions could change in light of the county’s overall approach to concentrating new development around transit stations. She said the state has done no survey or other study to scientifically measure community sentiment about a Dale Drive station.

“The very fact that they’re putting a transit station in a neighborhood leads one to think the neighborhood will become more dense,” Cavanaugh said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/wp/2014/01/28/dale-drive-station-will-be-built-at-same-time-as-purple-line-officials-say/