metro

L’Enfant Plaza, 5:35pm. Photo by Nadine

L’Enfant Plaza 5:25pm photo by @baseballot

Nathaniel Rakich tweets us:
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“I’ve been to almost 100 #Nats games and I’ve never seen L’Enfant Plaza this crowded.”

L’Enfant Plaza 5:38pm photo by Helen Bradshaw

Gallery Place 5:30pm. Photo by Chad

Gallery Place 5:32pm. Photo by Marc Pitarresi

Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric P.

“Dear PoPville,

I just logged into my Smartrip online account to add money to my card. I also have 3 cards that I purchased for when I have guests. I noticed that the balance on one is zero. There had been money up until a few weeks ago. I just called to inquire and was told that Metro archives the money on cards that are not frequently used. Supposedly, the money will automatically reappear once it is used again but the agent wasn’t sure if it would appear immediately or make me add money until it did.

This is ridiculous. We pay for the card and we pay to put money on them. We should not have to pay again to get our money back. I have griped for a while that if you add money or a pass online and only ride the bus, it can take up to 2 days before the money appears on your card.”

“Dear PoPville,

This is Farragut North at K Street this morning. Three escalators: one going up (packed), one broken (empty), and one going down (empty). However, there is a huge line all the way down through the turnstiles to the train platform to exit the station. Yesterday, the station manager actually had to shut down the turnstiles and force people from this exit because it was too crowded. Seems like a real waste. No one is working on the broken escalator (gee, wouldn’t that be a useful staircase!) but there are four metro employees standing around escalator drinking soda. Wouldn’t it also be possible to turn off the down escalator and let people walk up/down since there are so few people entering the station? While today and yesterday were particularly bad, the escalator management at this station is a daily issue (and if you met the station manager, you wouldn’t be surprised why). There have been mornings where two of the escalators are going down with no one on them and one going up with a long line. It’s this sort of poor management that again demonstrates to me that without cleaning house at the station management level, we’re throwing good money after bad.”

Side note: Metro GM appoints new chief operating officer:

“Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld today announced the appointment of Joseph Leader as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) in charge of rail, bus and paratransit services, effective August 1. Leader will also provide executive management of Metro Transit Police, parking and support services. (more…)

Thanks to Vera for sending: “RIGHT NOW: #safetrack madness at L’enfant plaza”

Photo by PoPville flickr user James Calder

From WMATA:

“Calling all local performing artists and entertainers! Metro’s Art in Transit Program is inviting local performers of all genres—dancers, live artists, musicians, poets and more—to audition for the MetroPerforms! and Music on the Mall programs.

MetroPerforms! offers local artists the chance to make Metrorail station entrances their stage. Selected artists will perform on a volunteer basis while sharing their talents with Metro riders throughout the region.

Auditions will be held June 24, 2016, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Metro Headquarters, 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC, on a first-come, first-served basis. All interested artists should visit wmata.com/metroperforms for registration information and additional details. (more…)

From WMATA:

“Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld today announced that the first SafeTrack “surge” between Ballston and East Falls Church is ahead of schedule in many categories of planned work, including rail tie replacement, insulator renewal, fastener renewal and leak repairs. As of the end of the day Monday, June 13 — 77 percent of the way through the project — 96 percent of the planned work had been completed.”

Also folks are riding bikes – from DDOT:

“The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) today announced record ridership on Capital Bikeshare during the first week of WMATA’s SafeTrack repair campaign. Capital Bikeshare had 89,436 users last week. That is 6% higher than the previous record week established during Bike to work Week in May of 2015.

The spike in ridership coincides with the introduction of a new single-trip fare allowing residents, visitors and commuters to take single bike trips of up to 30 minutes on Capital Bikeshare for just $2. Since the launch of the new initiative on June 4, 2016, single-trip fare usage has more than doubled from approximately 600 to more than 1,300 trips daily.

Overall bike ridership is also up. Weekday ridership is 31% higher on the 15th street cycle track with almost 600 more bike trips per day compared to June 2015. Ridership is up 40% on the Met Branch Trail with over 270 more bike trips per day, and 59% higher on Eye Street SW with an increase of 230 more bike trips per day. Similarly, the Key Bridge crossing to and from North Arlington shows a 42% increase in weekday bike trips with 900 more trips per day for the first two weeks of June compared to June 2015 weekdays.

To support the growing ridership, additional morning Corral Service is available at 17th St & K St NW in Farragut Square. Farragut Square joins existing morning Corral Service at 21st St & I St NW and 13th St & New York Ave NW. DDOT is also expanding bikeshare capacity at Eastern Market Metro Station during the second surge of SafeTrack.”

From MPD:

“Attn. Metro Rail riders using Eastern Market, Potomac Ave and Stadium-Armory stations.

SafeTrack Surge #2: Eastern Market to Minnesota Ave/Benning Road, June 18-July 3

Reminder: Metrorail now closing at midnight Friday and Saturday nights

Beginning this Saturday, June 18 until closing, Sunday, July 3, the Orange and Silver Line will be shut down between Eastern Market & Minnesota Ave/Benning Rd. There will also be no Blue Line service between Arlington Cemetery and Rosslyn.

Weekday train service will operate as follows: (more…)