“Dear PoPville,
I ordered two Smarttrip cards commemorating the Caps Stanely Cup wins, one seems to work fine and the other keeps saying “card read/error” even though they are funds in it! Is anyone else experiencing this problem? What should I do to fix it?”
From a Bird spokesperson:
“Bird announced it is helping commuters impacted by the Red Line shutdown in D.C. by setting up “nests” of electric scooters at the Brookland and Rhode Island Avenue metro stations.
Helping people get around town more easily is one of Bird’s top priorities. And with the 45-day closure of part of the Red Line, Metro riders need more options to ensure their commutes aren’t disrupted and they’re able to get to where they’re going without delays. (more…)
Photo by PoPville flickr user Pablo Raw
From WMATA:
“AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless have launched commercial wireless service in two new underground Metrorail tunnel segments:
Red Line Red Line between Union Station and Dupont Circle stations
Green LineYellow Line Green/Yellow lines between Gallery Place and Fort Totten stations
The Red Line tunnel segments cover approximately 2.2 miles of Metro tunnels in each direction, while the Green/Yellow Line tunnel segments cover approximately 4.6 miles of Metro tunnels in each direction.
Wireless coverage is already available in the following Metro tunnels: (more…)
“Dear PoPville,
My out of town guest was on the metro going from Gallery Place to Columbia Heights Thursday night around 10pm. She was standing by the doors with head phones on and she said a young-ish man across from her also had in head phones and took them out for a second to say something to 2 high school aged men standing near him, which turned out to be “Can I help you?” I guess they had been staring him down. The 2 young men proceeded to beat the crap out of him until people on the train started screaming stop and a very big man got up and approached them. (more…)
From WMATA:
“Metro Transit Police officers on routine patrol at Gallery Place Station this morning spotted a suspect in a Northwest DC shooting that occurred yesterday evening. The suspect was taken into custody after jumping onto the Green/Yellow line tracks, causing rush-hour delays for hundreds of riders. A semiautomatic handgun was recovered at the scene.
The suspect was sought in connection with a shooting, investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, that occurred in the 200 block of D Street NW (MPD Event # I20180425414). MPD described the shooter as a “black male, bushy top, grey t-shirt, armed with a gun.” Within minutes of the shooting, using the lookout from MPD, digital video technicians at the Metro Transit Police Security Operations Control Center discovered that an individual matching the suspect description had entered the nearby Judiciary Square Metro Station shortly after the shooting. The suspect’s photo was shared with officers from both police departments. (more…)
From DDOT:
“The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will operate temporary bus lanes on Rhode Island Avenue NE to manage traffic during the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) planned closure of two Metrorail stations on the Red Line beginning July 21.
The temporary bus lanes on Rhode Island Avenue NE will extend from North Capitol to 12th Streets NE while repairs are completed at the Brookland and Rhode Island Metrorail Stations. The bus lanes will be operational from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm, Monday through Saturday, from July 21 through September 3, 2018.
During this period, WMATA will operate shuttle buses and enhanced service on the Metrobus G9 Limited route which will cause a significant increase in the volume of buses along Rhode Island Avenue NE.
In addition to the temporary bus lane, DDOT will also modify the following parking requirements along North Capitol Street and Rhode Island Avenue NE:
No Parking and No Standing or Stopping from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, Monday to Saturday, on both sides of Rhode Island Avenue from North Capitol Street to 12th Street, NE.
Extend rush hour no parking restrictions by 30 minutes for morning and evening rush on North Capitol Street (600 to 3000 North Capitol Street NE/NW). Rush hours will be 7:00 am to 10:00 am and 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Monday through Friday. These same restrictions were in place during WMATA SafeTrack.”
From an email:
“As part of the shutdown, GGWash and I organized a petition drive to encourage DDOT and WMATA to do a “pop-up” bus lane along Rhode Island Avenue to expedite both shuttle buses and existing Metrobus options.
We’re having a happy hour on August 1 at Dew Drop Inn to talk with DDOT and the community about the process leading to the bus lane and the road (bus lane?) forward. All are welcome.”
via DDOT
From WMATA:
“Metro is encouraging Red Line customers to prepare for a major capital improvement project that will result in Brookland and Rhode Island Ave stations being closed from Saturday, July 21, 2018, through Labor Day, Monday, September 3. On the weekend of July 28-29 the work zone will be extended to Silver Spring Station, closing Takoma Station and the Red Line platform at Fort Totten. (more…)
Photo by PoPville flickr user nevermindtheend
Update “The WMATA Board of Directors today issued the following statement:
“First and foremost, it is important to keep the customers in mind–those who rely on Metro service every day, who support the regional economy and our federal government. To ensure that Metro is always there for the millions who rely on us, the region has made a commitment to increase capital investment in Metro with the understanding that a similar commitment be made by Metro to tackle tough issues, including solving growing costs. The General Manager and his team are working to make these difficult decisions while also protecting current employees. We must find solutions together by continuing to talk and listen, as Chairman Evans recently did in a meeting with union leadership. The collective bargaining process is the appropriate and legal path to finding solutions.”
From WMATA:
“This year, the region gave Metro dedicated funding to repair and rebuild its system with a mandate to slow cost growth for operating buses and trains.. Since 2010, the region’s share of costs for bus and rail operations has grown about 8 percent a year at a time when revenues have been flat. Add to this the $2.8 billion in unfunded pension and health benefits for future retirees, and the Authority’s financial structure is not sustainable. (more…)
Photo by PoPville flickr user Tim Brown
“Dear PoPville,
I ride the red line from Silver spring to downtown dc frequently. Have you heard anything about them slowing the trains down between Rhode Island Avenue and Silver Spring Station?
Trains seem to be moving much slower and or stopping frequently. Checked the WMATA website and (shocker) didn’t find anything helpful.
Any ideas?”
Photo by PoPville flickr user Mark Brueggenjohann
From WMATA:
“Metro today announced that free customer Wi-Fi service will be available in all underground stations by tomorrow, June 29. Customers can log-in by selecting the “Metro-Public” network in their device’s Wi-Fi settings.
Metro also announced today that the free customer Wi-Fi service, which began as a pilot in August 2016 to provide additional customer amenities in the stations, will now expand to aboveground stations, providing Wi-Fi to all 91 Metrorail stations by the end of 2018. (more…)
Sarah Worley shares this gem:
“Overheard at Woodley Park Metro station over intercom: “Attention Metro customers. For your convenience, Metro provides restrooms in this station. Please do not relieve yourself on the platform.”