Transit

From Collective Action for Safe Spaces:

“This month, a new series of anti-harassment PSAs launched on the Metro and Metrobus system. The project is a collaboration between Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS), Stop Street Harassment, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

Please see the statement below from Jessica Raven, executive director of CASS, on the campaign and its significance in light of the recent spike in incidents of harassment against DC’s Muslim and transgender communities:

“Now, more than ever, our work to build safe public spaces is critical. Within the past few weeks, we’ve seen a spike in reports of harassment across our city — especially targeting people of color, LGBTQ and gender nonconforming people, and people who are part of multiple marginalized groups. Harassers take advantage of trains and buses as environments where their targets can’t easily escape, making public transit an important space to address the problem.

The new awareness campaign has three goals: (more…)

Photo by PoPville flickr user Julian Ortiz

From WMATA:

“Metro to remove 4000-series railcars after safety concern identified

Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld today ordered the immediate removal from service of all 4000-series railcars following the identification of a potential safety concern involving the train’s automatic train control (ATC) system that could result in a “false indication” to a train operator going undetected.

Metro’s ATC system keeps trains properly spaced and a safe distance from other trains by displaying “speed commands” on a control panel in the operator’s cab. When operating in “manual mode,” the train operator responds to the speed commands, which indicate the train’s maximum authorized speed relative to the train’s location and distance from other trains. Train operators receive “zero speed commands” — indicated by a double zero — when the train is not authorized to move (i.e. the equivalent of a “stop signal”).

Albeit remote, Metro railcar engineers believe the potential exists for an undetectable failure of the 4000-series ATC system control board that could result in improper speed commands being given to a train when a 4000-series car is in the lead position.

“Today’s action is being taken in an abundance of caution and, while we believe that the risk is small, it is a risk I am unwilling to take,” Wiedefeld said. “Everything we do here is going to put safety first, no matter what.”

As of 3:30 p.m., Metro is in the process of removing 4000-series cars from its mainline tracks. The process is expected to take several hours. (more…)

“Dear PoPville,

The bystanders who stood up for the guy being verbally attacked are my new heroes. The guy yelling is an ass (I recommend watching the video above, because the WaPo story doesn’t do it justice)”

Another reader writes:

“After [Thursday’s] altercation and several leading up to this week; I am seeking any advice/opinion I can find. The issues on metro (for me specifically) used to be few and far between…an issue I could seemingly avoid or somehow convince myself it was too infrequent to take immediate action. I say…just get home, take your dog for a walk and forget about the negativity.

Unfortunately, the metro buses have become increasingly hostile based solely on the color of skin since the election results this week.

This particular occurrence was on the back end of a double connector bus, X2 line; Three females, roughly 15-16 years of age. They got on the bus two stops after me in Chinatown and for the next 20 min until my stop ..they purposely sat beside / behind me…leaned extra hard into me at every ‘bump’ or turn (sometimes there wasn’t even a turn) and called me every white slur name they could think of …I put in my head phones to drown out the hate but I could feel her head close to mine in the seat behind me and she continued her mission to make me feel less than. When I ignored the comments she threw her trash into my seat. As I stood up to get off at my stop her friend blocked me in my seat so the other friend could scream ‘I know you’re a trump supporter **** insert words of choice’ …As she stood up and puffed out her chest…ready to fight… I knew any response/correction to her statement would be ignored and feed into her anger. Three against one..my odds weren’t good and fighting isn’t really my thing..Luckily the bus was crowded enough once I pushed my way around one person, there were several people now between us and I could exit the back door. I didn’t notice any adults on the bus make an attempt or comment to stop their behavior…equally as disappointing. I never know when a situation on the metro bus will escalate and violent behavior will follow…there seems to be no method of proactive protection on the bus lines and major over crowding during metro work. The road to Jan’s inauguration will be a long journey…I don’t see our communities frustration subsiding any time soon. (more…)

Photo by PoPville flickr user Beau Finley

Have we reached the nadir? Earlier this week the Post’s Editorial Board wrote:

“IT IS time to consider a radical step to arrest what looks increasingly like a death spiral for Washington’s transit system: federal intervention and control. It is not just folly, but willful neglect, to wait any longer to see if Metro’s problems will somehow solve themselves. They won’t.”

What do you guys think – can the Feds save Metro? Or is there still time for General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld to make the necessary fixes?

Photo by PoPville flickr user Collin Anderson

From WMATA:

“Calling it a Reality Check Budget Plan for FY18, Metro officials will present an austere recommendation to the Board’s Finance Committee at its meeting Thursday. The budget downsizes the workforce by an unprecedented 1,000 positions, cuts certain employee health care expenses, and rightsizes rail and bus services to support current ridership.

In preparing the $1.8 billion operating budget, General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld directed his executive team to fully fund key safety improvements, improve track and train reliability, sharply cut management and labor costs, outsource functions where possible, improve maintenance personnel productivity, and scale train and bus services to match existing ridership demand. The budget also funds stricter fare enforcement, a plan Wiedefeld calls Fair Fare Collection.

“Metro has to face reality when it comes to what the region says it can afford and direct those resources to best serve the riders we have today,” said Wiedefeld. “This plan has Metro doing everything in our power to get major expense categories under control while improving safety and making the trains run on time.”

After accounting for $50 million in projected savings through management and labor actions, Metro balances the budget through shared contributions distributed among all Metro stakeholders. While reducing its reliance on federal grant funds by $35 million, the operating budget assumes $60 million of grant funding of eligible maintenance expenses. Forecasting ridership that is down more than 20 percent from 2009 levels, rail service would be reduced, making trains less frequent during peak and off-peak travel times, but more reliable through aggressive rail car and track maintenance. In addition, about a dozen low-ridership bus routes are proposed for elimination.

As proposed, rail service beginning July 1, 2017, would operate as follows: (more…)