Transit

Yet Another Accident at Dangerous Kansas and Quincy Intersection over the Weekend

By Prince Of Petworth

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“Dear PoPville,

There was another bad accident at the intersection of Kansas Ave & Quincy St this morning. Police, Ambulance and Fire are on the scene. There was a toddler in one of the cars and a man was taken away on a stretcher. In the picture, you can see the man carrying the toddler away from the scene.

This is one of the most dangerous intersections in the District yet despite repeated concerns by neighbors for over two years, DOT refuses to make this a four-way stop. Vehicular accidents withstanding, pedestrians are nearly run over every day.

This is the only intersection along Kansas Ave between Georgia Ave & Spring Rd without a stop sign.”

and

“There was actually a second accident that day. Unbelievable. A man T-boned/sideswiped another car in middle of intersection. The biggest thing we learned though was that MPD has a policy not to file an accident report of no injuries or if a tow truck is not dispatched. DOT has repeatedly refused to put in a stop sign because they said that we didn’t meet the “accident threshold” for the intersection. This despite the fact we’ve seen at least 9 accidents in 2015 alone. DOT only had a record of like 3. Now we know why… MPD hasn’t been filing reports on the fender benders. Crazy. “

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work – Avoid the Red Line! You have been warned

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user nevermindtheend

From WMATA:

“This weekend, Orange, Silver and Blue line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals. Yellow and Green line trains will operate every 20 minutes throughout the weekend with Yellow Line trains operating between Huntington and Greenbelt.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday through 3 a.m. closing Sunday, buses will replace Red Line trains between NoMa-Gallaudet and Farragut North stations. Red Line trains will operate every 10 minutes between Shady Grove and Farragut North and between NoMa-Gallaudet and Glenmont. Regular weekend Red Line service will resume at 7 a.m. Sunday, when Metrorail reopens. (more…)

“Proposed Changes to 63 & 64 Bus Lines Negatively Affect Bikers”

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user Wayan Vota

“Dear PoPville,

DC has been making a concerted effort to promote biking, but I came across a proposal that negatively affects bikers who live in Columbia Heights and Petworth. Today, Metrobus announced proposed changes to a number of bus lines including the 63 & 64. The basic proposal is to merge the 63 & 64 lines by altering the route of the 63 to run along 11th St between Monroe/Park and Florida. At Florida both lines would then shift back to Sherman and then connect with Vermont. You can see the details here.

Personally, I prefer combining the two lines as it means more frequent bus service on a single street, but as a biker I think Metrobus made the wrong choice in proposing to move both lines to 11th through Columbia Heights. Going down 11th I already have to dodge buses pulling across the dedicated bike lanes on my way to and from downtown. I hate biking on Sherman since it is busier, the lanes seem narrower, and there are not dedicated bike lanes. Plus, for those that ride the bus, Metro’s own studies also show that the 63 has better on time performance in this section than the 64. The distance between Sherman and 11th is very short, so the change would make minimal difference to most bus riders but would very much change the biking experience on this route. Thus, it seems far more logical to move the 64 to Sherman along this stretch. It would increase safety for bikers and improve the on time performance of buses overall – it seems like a win-win. I would encourage fellow bikers and bus riders on one of these routes to contact Metrobus and urge them to move the 64 line to Sherman in this section of Columbia Heights rather than moving the 63 to 11th. I’d be interested to know what PoPville readers think and, if they are interested, to let them know that there is a meeting to discuss the matter today (Thursday) at 5:30 at the MLK Library (901 G St NW).”

“This right here is the thigh-master of urban public policy”

By Prince Of Petworth

From ReasonTV:

“Meet the Thighmaster of urban public policy: Streetcars.

Municipal politicians all across the country have convinced themselves that this costly, clunky hardware can revitalize their flabby downtown economies.

That includes the fearless leaders of America’s capital city. The DC government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the last decade trying to erect a streetcar line in the up-and-coming neighborhood of H Street. The project has been an epic disaster, perfectly demonstrating how ill-suited streetcars are to modern urban life.

Produced by Rob Montz, who also hosts. Camera by Todd Krainin. Graphics by Jason Keisling and Meredith Bragg.”

D’Oh

By Prince Of Petworth

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@CCTinWDC tweets us:

“Another truck driver that can’t read.”

From AlertDC:

“DDOT reports an accident on northbound Rock Creek Parkway and Virginia Ave, under the bridge, involving a tractor trailer. 1 northbound lane is closed. DDOT ROP and MPD are on the scene. Please avoid.”

Metro Info for July 3rd and 4th plus 14 year old arrested for stealing iPhone 6s on the blue/orange/silver lines

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user Ken Yu

From WMATA:

“Metro will provide frequent rail service during the afternoon and evening hours of Saturday, July 4, to accommodate those attending the fireworks display on the National Mall and the Foo Fighters concert at RFK Stadium.

Several hundred thousand passengers are expected to take Metrorail on Independence Day, with crowds primarily traveling to and from the 9:10 p.m. fireworks display on the Mall, as well as other events around the region. Metrorail service will operate from 7 a.m. until 3 a.m., with near rush-hour service levels before and after the fireworks. Off-peak fares will be in effect until midnight. At 12:01 a.m. through closing on Sunday at 3 a.m., peak fares will be in effect in accordance with Metro’s standard fare policies.

Friday, July 3 (Holiday observed)

Metrorail: Open 7 a.m. until 3 a.m. Trains will run on a Saturday schedule.
Parking: Free at all Metro-operated facilities.
Fares: Off-Peak fares will be in effect all day.
Metrobus: Saturday supplemental schedule.
MetroAccess: Regular service hours. Subscription trips are cancelled. Please ensure all July 4 reservations are booked before 4:30 p.m. on July 3.
Customer Service: Will be closed.

Saturday, July 4

Metrorail: Open 7 a.m. until 3 a.m. Trains will run on a Saturday schedule until about 2 p.m., and then gradually ramp up to near rush-hour service levels before and after the fireworks. Due to large crowds, bicycles and large coolers are not permitted. Silver Line trains will operate between Wiehle-Reston East and Stadium-Armory for the entire service day. Passengers traveling to/from stations east of Stadium-Armory will need to use a Blue Line train to complete their trip.
Parking: Free at all Metro-operated facilities.
Fares: Off-Peak fares will be in effect EXCEPT 12:01 a.m. through closing Sunday at 3 a.m.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR RIDERS TRAVELING TO FOO FIGHTERS CONCERT AT RFK STADIUM: This event is scheduled to end around midnight. At midnight, PEAK fares go into effect as scheduled (standard Metrorail fare policy). Please be sure you load enough value on your SmarTrip or farecard in advance to complete your entire trip. Expect long lines at fare machines at Stadium-Armory.
Metrobus: Saturday schedule. Expect detours around the National Mall.
MetroAccess: Regular service hours. Subscription trips are cancelled. Please ensure all July 4 reservations are booked before 4:30 p.m. on July 3.
Customer Service: Open 7 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. by calling 202 637-7000; Lost & Found will be closed.

TRAVELING TO THE NATIONAL MALL

The closest station to the Mall is Smithsonian . However this is not your best choice.

While many passengers choose to use Smithsonian, this station can become overcrowded during larger Mall events. Metro recommends selecting a destination station on the same line as your origin to avoid the need to transfer. There is a station near the Mall on every line. Here is a list of suggested stations:

Foggy Bottom
Metro Center
Federal Triangle
Archives
Gallery Place
Judiciary Square
Union Station
L’Enfant Plaza
Capitol South
Federal Center SW
Arlington Cemetery

This year, Smithsonian station will be open all day, however, the mall entrance will become ENTRANCE ONLY after 9:30 p.m. The Independence Avenue entrance will be available for both entry and exit throughout the entire day.”

Also from Metro Transit Police:

“Metro Transit Police today arrested a 14-year-old male District resident on charges stemming from six robberies along the Blue, Orange and Silver lines.

The six robberies took place aboard trains and in stations between May 27 and June 15, and caused MTPD to issue a public alert to customers encouraging vigilance.

Below are the dates, times and locations of the six robberies for which charges were filed today:

May 27, 2015 11:15 p.m. at Minnesota Avenue
May 31, 2015 9:42 p.m. at Eastern Market
June 1, 2015 10:10 p.m. at Deanwood
June 9, 2015 1:30 p.m. at Eastern Market
June 12, 2015 at 10:50 p.m. at Benning Road
June 15, 2015 at 3:10 p.m. at Deanwood

All of the robberies involved iPhone 6 devices. MTPD detectives used video evidence to identify and charge the suspect.

The juvenile will face the charges in the District of Columbia. The investigation is ongoing to determine whether the suspect can be positively linked to any other cases.”

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