metro

Photo by PoPville flickr user Tim Brown

From WMATA:

“Metro today released schedule information for the remaining SafeTrack surges between February and June 2017. Surges will resume February 11 with an 18-day surge on the Blue Line.

Major work that impacts rush-hour service had been suspended during the month of January due to the inauguration and the potential for winter weather impacts.

The SafeTrack program will conclude in late June, after which, Metro will shift to a regimen of preventive maintenance.

Additional information on supplemental bus service and other alternatives will be provided online at wmata.com and during customer outreach at affected stations two weeks prior to the start of each surge.

Rosslyn – Pentagon Blue Line
February 11-28 (more…)

From WMATA:

“The 2017 Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) and Metro today announced a special SmarTrip® sleeve to commemorate the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the nation’s 45th president. The commemorative sleeves will be distributed at selected Metro stations, free of charge, on the morning of Inauguration Day. (more…)

Photo by PoPville flickr user nevermindtheend

From WMATA:

“Reconstruction of the Metrorail system will continue over the weekend of January 6-8, 2017 with service adjustments on all six lines. Trains will operate as follows:

Buses replace Orange and Blue line trains between McPherson Square & Rosslyn, see below for details
Yellow Line trains will operate every 20 minutes between Huntington and U Street only
Green Line trains will operate every 20 minutes
Red Line trains will operate every 13-26 minutes
Silver Line trains will operate every 20 minutes between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston only (more…)

“Dear PoPville,

I thought it’d be interesting to call to your attention a problem I’ve encountered with WMATA that I am sure others have run in to (and they may or may not be aware of). WMATA instituted a “15 Minute Grace Period” Program that is intended to automatically refund rail users who enter and exit the same station within 15 minutes and do not take a ride. In theory, the program should assist riders during SafeTrack who enter, see a 15-20 minute headway, and decide to take another mode of transportation to their destination (Uber/Lyft, Bikeshare, Circulator, MetroBus, etc.). More info can be found here.

It’s a slow day at work since we are near the holidays, and I decided to review my ride history this morning. In the month of December alone I had two fees that should have been reimbursed under the program, but were not. While the dollar value is nominal for me, it could represent a burdensome loss of a paid round-trip fare to a less advantaged user of the transit system.

It doesn’t strike me as fair that a program that says it auto-refunds simply doesn’t do it. If in one month one rider (me) lost $3.50 to the program, then over the course of a year that could be tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars that WMATA is falsely keeping.”

From a press release:

“Statement from Executive Director Neil Albert on WMATA Board’s Failure to Restore Late-Night Metro Service

[Ed. Note: scenario c was selected:

Monday to Thursday – 5am-11:30pm
Friday – 5am – 1am
Saturday – 7am – 1am
Sunday – 8am – 11pm]

“The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) understands the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) need to create maintenance and repair time for Metro, but today’s vote significantly burdens the region’s economy for two additional years and could have a detrimental impact on the economic vitality of D.C.

“The board’s vote against restoring late-night Metro service in addition to closing the system at 11:30pm on weekdays for an additional two years does provide Metro with the time their management requested for maintenance. But Metro won’t be able to fulfill its goal of restoring reliable service until they restore all service, including late-night. (more…)

Thanks to a reader for passing on this odd story from WJLA, Neighbors near Georgia Avenue Metro station report rumbling, noises:

“The noise and vibration below Georgia Avenue has become so bad, dozens of neighbors brought their concerns to WMATA officials at a Monday night community meeting.

“Metro is looking into the issue. The source of reported noise/vibration has not been determined,” a WMATA spokesperson told ABC7’s Tim Barber.”

Anyone else feel vibrations from Metro on the Green Line or any other Lines?

A reader reports:

“Fun times at Petworth station a little after 830.”

Earlier metro reported:

“Yellow & Green Line passengers expect delays in both directions, signal problem outside U Street. 8:27a”

Commiserate!

Photo by PoPville flickr user Kevin Wolf

A reader reports:

“This morning around 8:10 AM, I exited my orange line train at Foggy Bottom to see medics (with wheeled gurney) and security guards waiting on the platform for the train car ahead of me. They entered the car and it seemed they were helping someone who was being held up. However, no one seemed to have alerted the train driver. S/he closed the train doors, while the security guards tried in vain to hold them open. Several of the medical personnel were in the car with the injured/sick person and the remainder (including the gurney) were left on the station platform frantically waving their arms at the driver, but the train left the station. Anyone know what happened here?”

Read the full report Metrorail Span of Service Recommendation

The mayor’s office issued the following response:

“Today, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) released proposed recommendations regarding Metro’s rail service after the SafeTrack rebuilding initiative. Communications Director Kevin Harris released the following statement in response:

“Our position on WMATA’s late-night service has not changed: soon after SafeTrack, late night operations should resume. As the nation’s capital and home to over 670,000 residents, we need a Metro system that works for everyone – residents, workers, employers, and visitors. That means having a Metro that stays open late as the region continues to grow. The staff recommendation falls far short of what we owe all riders: a safe, reliable system that meets their needs.”