This Weekend’s Metro Track Work Plus Metro Wants Your Input on FY15 Budget and Fare Increases

Photo by PoPville flickr user J Sonder

From WMATA:

“Red Line 10 p.m. Fri, Jan. 3 through closing Sun, Jan. 5
Trains every 10-20 minutes

Red Line trains will operate as follows:

Between Shady Grove & Glenmont: Every 15 minutes throughout the weekend
Between Friendship Heights & Silver Spring: Every 8-10 minutes from 9AM-9PM only

Work Performed: Crews will improve track infrastructure, including rail joint elimination, between Friendship Heights and Medical Center.

Orange Line 10 p.m. Fri, Jan. 3 through closing Sun, Jan. 5
Trains every 20 minutes

Orange Line trains will operate every 20 minutes throughout the weekend.

Work Performed: Crews will continue platform reconstruction at Minnesota Ave and Deanwood stations.

Blue Line 10 p.m. Fri, Jan. 3 through closing Sun, Jan. 5
Trains every 20 minutes

Blue Line trains will operate every 20 minutes throughout the weekend.:

Work Performed: Crews will improve track infrastructure, including rail joint elimination, between Pentagon City and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Yellow Line 10 p.m. Fri, Jan. 3 through closing Sun, Jan. 5
Trains every 20 minutes between Hungtington & Mt Vernon Square

Yellow Line trains will operate every 20 minutes throughout the weekend. All trains will operate to/from Mt Vernon Sq, rather than Fort Totten. Riders traveling to/from stations north of Mt Vernon Sq should use Green Line trains and transfer at Mt Vernon Sq.

Work Performed: Crews will improve track infrastructure, including rail joint elimination, between Pentagon City and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Green Line 10 p.m. Fri, Jan. 3 through closing Sun, Jan. 5
Trains every 20 minutes

Green Line trains will operate every 20 minutes throughout the weekend.

Work Performed: Crews will replace communication cable between Fort Totten and Prince George’s Plaza”

and

“Metro is seeking feedback from riders and will offer many convenient opportunities for them to comment on the proposed FY15 budget and fare changes, as well as Metro’s Capital Improvement Program, beginning today.

The public’s first opportunity to comment on the proposal is an online survey that went live today at wmata.com/budgetsurvey. The survey is open until 5 p.m. on February 11, and is provided as an option to submitting a verbal or written statement for the record. Survey results will be presented to the Board as part of the public record.

The survey is one of several opportunities for the public to be heard. Another is through participation in public hearings in the District, Maryland and Virginia. Metro’s Board of Directors will host a series of six public hearings between January 29 and February 6. Each public hearing will be preceded by an informal “Information Session,” starting at 6 p.m. The Information Sessions provide the public with an opportunity to learn about Metro’s current work to improve service and to provide comments and suggestions on any topic, including subjects that are not on the docket. Public hearings will begin at 6:30 p.m. to provide an opportunity to give formal testimony on the docket of proposed budget actions. To review the docket, visit wmata.com/hearings.

The proposed FY15 budget and Capital Improvement Plan would invest $3 billion in providing safer, better, and more service for Metro riders, while preparing for the region’s future with funding for many key initiatives in Metro’s 2025 strategic plan, called Momentum. In addition to providing improvements to current rail and bus services, the budget includes funding for:

Delivery of safer service by continuing to close NTSB recommendations,
Continuing the rebuilding of the Metrorail system to improve safety and reliability,
Purchase of new 7000-series railcars to replace the oldest cars on the system and allow for more trains,
Operation of the first full fiscal year of Silver Line service between Reston and Largo Town Center,
Implementation of a new comprehensive Customer Care program,
Initiation of new Metrobus Priority Corridor Network (PCN) and State of Good Operations (SOGO) improvements; and
Investments to prepare for more 8-car trains to increase capacity and station capacity improvements at key stations
Implementation of the fatigue management program for employees,
Metro’s fiscal year 2015 budget, and any approved fare changes, would take effect July 1, 2014.

The hearings are scheduled as follows:

Wednesday, Jan. 29
Greenbelt Marriott – Hearing 589
6400 Ivy Ln
Greenbelt, MD
Free shuttle to/from Greenbelt station

Thursday, Jan. 30
Hilton Springfield – Hearing 590
6550 Loisdale Rd
Springfield, VA
Free shuttle to Franconia-Springfield station after 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 3
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church – Hearing 591
Fellowship Hall
2616 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., SE
Washington, DC

Tuesday, Feb. 4
Montgomery County Executive – Hearing 592
Office Building Cafeteria
101 Monroe St
Rockville, MD

Wednesday, Feb. 5
Arlington Central Library – Hearing 593
1015 N Quincy Street
Arlington, VA

Thursday, Feb. 6
Metro Headquarters Building – Hearing 594
600 5th Street, NW
Washington, DC”