street closure
Photo by PoPville flickr user Jim Havard

From MPD:

“The following area will be closed to vehicular traffic for the 2016 State of the Union Address beginning at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, January 12, 2016. These closures will restrict vehicular traffic on public roads surrounding the U.S. Capitol. Access into the restricted area will be granted only through designated access points, to those vehicles displaying the appropriate event placard. The closures in this area will remain in effect for the duration of the State of the Union Address and will include the following public streets:

1st Street, NE from Columbus Circle to Constitution Avenue, NE
1st Street, NW/SW from Louisiana Avenue, NW to Washington Avenue, SW
2nd Street, NE/SE from Constitution Avenue, NE to C Street, SE
C Street, NW/NE from Louisiana Avenue, NW to 2nd Street, NE
C Street, SW/SE from Washington Avenue, SW to 2nd Street, SE
Constitution Avenue, NW from 1st Street, NW to 2nd Street, NW
D Street, NW/NE from Louisiana Avenue, NW to 2nd Street, NE
Delaware Avenue, NE from Columbus Circle to Constitution Avenue, NE
Delaware Avenue, SW from Washington Avenue, SW to C Street, SW
East Capitol Street, SE from 1st Street, SE to 2nd Street, SE
Independence Avenue, SW from Washington Avenue, SW to 2nd Street, SW
Maryland Avenue, NE from 1st Street, NE to 2nd Street, NE
Maryland Avenue, SW from 3rd Street, SW to 1st Street, SW
New Jersey Avenue, NW from Louisiana Avenue, NW to Constitution Avenue, NW
New Jersey Avenue, SE from Independence Avenue, SE to D Street, SE
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW from 3rd Street, NW to 1st Street, NW
South Capitol Street, SW from Independence Avenue, SE to D Street, SE

EMERGENCY NO PARKING ZONES FOR 2016 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS (more…)


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Photo by PoPville flickr user Julian Ortiz

From WMATA:

“Due to Sunday’s Wild Card playoff game at FedEx field, rebuilding on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines will end at 12:00PM (noon) on Sunday, 1/10/2016. Orange, Blue and Silver line trains will resume normal weekend service, every 15 minutes during daytime hours and Silver Line trains will operate between Wiehle-Reston East and Largo Town Center.

Reconstruction of the Metrorail system will continue over the weekend of January 8-10 with service adjustments on all six lines. Trains will operate as follows:

Green Line trains will operate regular weekend intervals between Branch Ave and College Park stations. Free shuttle buses will replace train service at Greenbelt Station only.
Silver Line trains will operate between Wiehle Reston-East and East Falls Church stations only. Orange and/or Blue line trains provide service at all other stations.
Orange and Blue Line trains will operate every 20 minutes.
Red Line trains will operate every 10-18 minutes.”


metro
Photo by PoPville flickr user kristenstake

From WMATA:

“Good news for Metro riders in the New Year. Starting today, the federal transit benefit for public transportation will nearly double to $255 per month. Now transit riders will have the same tax benefits as those who drive and park.

The increase, approved by Congress last month and signed by President Obama, permanently raised the pre-tax and tax-free commuter benefit making it more affordable to use public transportation. More than half of Metro’s weekday riders use the transit benefit, which provides a subsidy to federal workers and allows employees at businesses to set aside pre-tax earnings to pay for transit.

The benefit will have a significant impact on Metro riders:

67% of morning peak trips are by someone who receives a transit benefit
More than 5,200 employers provide SmartBenefits ®, which allows the transit benefit to be loaded directly to an employee’s SmarTrip® card
Approximately 253,000 employees in the region receive SmartBenefits

The commuter benefit for public transportation fell two years ago, to $130 per month, and was a contributing factor in a decline in Metro ridership. Increasing the benefit level to $255 covers the total monthly commuting costs for most Metro riders.


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Photo by PoPville flickr user Joseph Leonardo

WMATA reminds us that we can Ride Metro For Free New Years Courtesy of Miller Lite:

“Miller Lite Free Rides® will be available on all six Metrorail lines and all Metrobus routes beginning at midnight on Friday, January 1, until the Metro system closes at 3 a.m. On the rail system, customers must use their SmarTrip card or a paper farecard to enter and exit the system but will not be charged for the trip. On Metrobus, riders can simply show their SmarTrip card to board the bus at no charge.”


metro
Photo by PoPville flickr user Julian Ortiz

From WMATA:

“Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld today announced the resumption of six-minute rush hour service on the Orange and Silver lines, 13 weeks after a catastrophic fire knocked offline an electrical substation outside Stadium-Armory Station.

“I am pleased to be able to announce the restoration of six-minute service on the Orange and Silver lines this week,” said Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld. “I want to thank the Metro customers who stayed with us despite less frequent service and crowding, and we know there is more work ahead to rebuild rider confidence and make service reliable.”

Orange and Silver line trains began consistently departing endpoint terminals at six-minute headways on Monday, December 28, for the first time since the September 21 substation fire. (more…)


metro
Photo by PoPville flickr user Beau Finley

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve)

Regular weekday service. No track work.
Metrorail system open 5 a.m. until midnight. Regular fares and parking rates in effect.
MetroAccess subscription trips cancelled

Friday, December 25 (Christmas Day)

Metrorail & Metrobus operate on Sunday schedules. No track work.
Metrorail system open 7 a.m. until 3 a.m. Off-peak fares in effect all day. Parking free.
MetroAccess subscription trips cancelled.
Customer service will be closed.

From WMATA:

“Riders who use Waterfront will be the next to benefit from the installation of new, more reliable escalators, Metro announced today. Metro will begin a major capital project to install three new entrance escalators at Waterfront Station on Monday, January 18. (more…)


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Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric P.

From Metro Alerts:

“Metrorail fare vendors are currently unable to process Credit/Debit card transactions. Customers are advised to use cash.”

Updated 4:00 p.m.

“Metro’s fare vendors in stations and online ordering have resumed processing credit and debit cards to add fare value to SmarTrip® cards.

Due to an equipment malfunction earlier today, most vending machines were unable to accept credit or debit cards. The outage also affected online fare purchases.

We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your patience while resolving this issue.”


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From WMATA:

“This weekend, trains will operate as follows:

Orange, Silver, Blue, Yellow and Green line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals
Red Line trains will operate every 15 minutes.”

and

“Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld today announced an expansion of Metro’s confidential Close Call Transit Safety Reporting System to include Metrobus employees, becoming the first bus transit agency in the nation to implement such a program.

In 2013, Metro became the first rail transit agency in the nation to implement a confidential Close Call Transit Safety Reporting System. The program will allow bus employees, including those represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 922 to report safety concerns that otherwise might go unreported without fear of possible discipline.

Beginning next month, Metrobus employees who see or experience unsafe conditions can submit a report to U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). To maintain confidentiality, BTS removes all identifying information, conducts interviews with employees who submit reports, and then presents information about emerging trends and new sources of risks to a joint Metro/Labor committee known as the Peer Review Team. (more…)


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