Transit

SoberRide Free Taxis from 10pm until 6am starting this Friday through New Year’s Day

By Prince Of Petworth

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From an email:

“If you are trying to fight off the winter chill with a chilled beverage of your own and partake in a bit too much “mystery punch” or adult eggnog over the Holiday season, stay safe and call SoberRide!

Together with the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) SoberRide initiative, AT&T is proud to provide free taxi rides (up to $30) to anyone over 21 in the greater Washington, DC area nightly from 10pm until 6am starting Friday, December 13th, through New Year’s Day.

AT&T customers can call #WRAP to get a safe, free ride home, while others can dial 800-200-8294 (TAXI).”

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work – Arlington Cemetery Station Closed – UPDATE Sunday rebuilding work Canceled Due to Weather

By Prince Of Petworth

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Update from WMATA:

“Metro has cancelled all scheduled rebuilding work on Sunday, December 8, to allow crews to prepare for–and respond to–expected winter weather conditions. The move also allows Metro to allocate additional resources to preparing the system for Monday morning’s commute.

Updated service information for Sunday, December 8, 2013:
• Trains will run at normal Sunday intervals on all lines
• No planned track work on any line
• Previously announced bus shuttles on the Blue Line have been CANCELLED
• Regular Sunday hours (7 a.m. until midnight)

Metro riders are encouraged to visit wmata.com/snow for information and maps showing pre-planned Metrobus route adjustments that may be necessary due to road conditions.”

From WMATA:

“Red Line 10 p.m. Fri., Dec. 6 through closing Sun, Dec. 8
Trains every 10 to 20 minutes

Red Line trains will operate as follows:

Between Shady Grove & Glenmont: Every 20 minutes throughout the weekend
Additional trains between Grosvenor & Silver Spring: Every 10 minutes 9AM-9PM

Work Performed: Improvements to third-rail infrastructure and track conditions between Twinbrook and Grosvenor stations; leak mitigation and track improvements between Forest Glen and Glenmont stations. (more…)

H Street, NE Closures between North Capitol and 5th St, NE from Dec. 6 – 19th

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user philliefan99

From DDOT:

“The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has announced the DC Streetcar construction team will implement intermittent closures of the eastbound and westbound lanes of H Street, NE between North Capitol Street, NE and 5th Street, NE starting on Friday, December 6, 2013 through Thursday, December 19, 2013. The closures are needed for the installation of overhead catenary system (OCS) and to complete the permanent traffic barrier at the Western Turnaround.

To mitigate traffic impacts, crews will attempt to maintain one direction of traffic; however, there will be occasional simultaneous eastbound and westbound closures. With the exception of a two-day period for the installation of contact wire (1/2 day closure in each direction), crews will attempt to limit the closures to one direction per day.

For any combination of closures, local traffic will be permitted access to/from the Union Station garage and Kaiser loading dock entrance. Traffic Control Officers (TCO) will be present to assist with pedestrian movements, to direct vehicles in and out of the garage, and to control traffic at H Street, NE and North Capitol Street, NE.

Detours (more…)

National Christmas Tree Lighting is at 4:30pm – Here are the Street Closures Starting at 3pm

By Prince Of Petworth

From EOM:

“On Friday, December 6, 2013, the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony will take place on the Ellipse at approximately 4:30 p.m. The gates will open to ticketed guests only at 3:00 p.m. and all ticket holders will enter from the west side (17th Street, NW) of the Ellipse.

The following security measures will be in place for the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony:

Street Closures: The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia and the U.S. Park Police will put the following street closures affecting vehicular traffic into effect on December 6, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. and will lift these street closures when this event has concluded:

o 15th Street, NW from Constitution Avenue, NW to E Street, NW
o 15th Street, NW and New York Avenue, NW
o 15th Street, NW and G Street, NW
o 15th Street, NW and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
o 15th Street, NW and F Street, NW
o 15th Street, NW and Constitution Avenue, NW
o 17th Street, NW Northbound from Constitution Avenue, NW to State Place/New York Avenue, NW
o 17th Street, NW from C Street, NW to E Street, NW
o 18th Street, NW Eastbound from D Street to E Street, NW

· No Truck Zone: Constitution Avenue, NW between 14th Street, NW & 18th Street, NW

Security Screenings: All attendees will be subject to thorough security screening before entering the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. Please allow for additional time for this security screening, as it is expected that lines may be long. Due to the expected inclement weather, the use of umbrellas is authorized for this event. Please dress accordingly.

Prohibited Items: As a security precaution, the following items will be prohibited from the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony:
Firearms
Weapons of any type
Hazardous materials

§ Chemical materials
§ Radiological materials
§ Biological materials

Knives
Toy guns/toy weapons
Fireworks
Pepper spray/mace
Scissors
Razor blades
Needles
Leatherman brand tools (or similar)
Screwdrivers (or similar)
Glass bottles
Tripods
Coolers
Air-horns
Laser pointers
Aerosol containers
Soda cans
Sticks/poles
Baseballs, softballs, etc.
Animals (other than helper/guide dogs)”

Ticketing to Begin on H Street Dec. 1st if You Park “within a streetcar guide-way or adjacent to a streetcar platform”

By Prince Of Petworth

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I spotted some of the warning violations last weekend, real ticketing starts Dec. 1st. From DC Streetcar:

“District law prohibits parking, stopping or standing a vehicle on or within a streetcar guide-way or adjacent to a streetcar platform. A vehicle in violation of this law shall be subject to fine and removal or impounding. The streetcar guide-way is defined as the area where streetcars operate, including the concrete track slab the tracks rest on.

Streetcar vehicles will be on the H Street/Benning Road Corridor soon to test and train for passenger service. Cars parked outside of the lines, including illegally double-parked vehicles, will impede the streetcar, delay service along the line, and result in a ticket and/or tow for your vehicle.

Real ticketing will start in December.

Be safe and smart when parking, and remember: STAY WITHIN THE LINES.

For more information call 855-413-2954.”

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Extra Metrobus Service to and from Airports for Thanksgiving this Week, Plus No Metro Track Work

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user JRoseC

From WMATA:

“Metro will run more than 200 additional Metrobus trips to and from Washington Dulles International and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall airports for the benefit of riders traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday period.

With the exception of adjusted service on the Orange Line on Saturday only, Metro will take a short break from scheduled rebuilding over the four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Thursday, Nov. 28, through Sunday, Dec. 1. On Saturday, Orange Line trains will run every 20 minutes to allow for preparation for the new Silver Line. All other lines will operate on regular weekend schedules on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day), Saturday and Sunday.

Service information for Thanksgiving Day:
• Metrorail: Trains will run on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day with no scheduled track work. The system will open at 7 a.m. and close at midnight. Off-peak fares will be in effect all day, and parking will be free at Metro-operated facilities.
• Metrobus: Bus service will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day. Customers should check bus timetables for details.

All Metro services will operate on a regular schedules (weekday, Saturday or Sunday, as appropriate) on Friday, November 29; Saturday, November 30; and Sunday, December 1. Normal fares will be in effect.”

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user zoeicaimages

From WMATA:

“Red Line 10 p.m. Fri., Nov. 22 through closing Sun., Nov. 24
Trains every 8-16 minutes

Red Line trains will operate as follows:

Between Shady Grove & Glenmont: Every 16 minutes throughout the weekend
Between Farragut North & Silver Spring: Every 8-10 minutes 9AM-9PM only

Work Performed: Crews will improve track infrastructure, including rail joint elimination, between Dupont Circle and Van Ness.

Orange Line 10 p.m. Fri., Nov. 22 through closing Sun., Nov. 24
Trains every 24 minutes

Orange Line trains will operate every 24 minutes throughout the weekend.

Work Performed:

Between Eastern Market and Stadium-Armory, crews will advance track infrastructure improvements, including fastener replacement, third-rail renewal and joint elimination.
Between East Falls Church and West Falls Church, crews will continue installing new signs for the Silver Line.

Blue Line 10 p.m. Fri., Nov. 22 through closing Sun., Nov. 24
Trains every 24 minutes

Blue Line trains will operate every 24 minutes throughout the weekend.

Work Performed: Between Eastern Market and Stadium-Armory, crews will advance track infrastructure improvements, including fastener replacement, third-rail renewal and joint elimination.

Yellow Line Regular service between Huntington & Fort Totten

Green Line Regular service; no scheduled work”

MPD Launches New “Automated Traffic Enforcement” – Warnings Start Monday, Fines Start Dec. 30th

By Prince Of Petworth

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From MPD:

“The Metropolitan Police Department announced today the deployment of several new types of automated traffic enforcement as part of a new traffic safety campaign called DC Street Safe.

DC Street Safe is aimed at using new photo enforcement technologies to combat aggressive and dangerous driving habits that endanger some of our most vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vehicle drivers and passengers. Additionally, DC Street Safe allows traffic safety enforcement in areas and circumstances where it could be dangerous or impractical for police officers to pull over vehicles for violations. DC Street Safe will be comprised of the following new technologies:

• Gridlock enforcement units that will improve traffic flow by targeting “blocking the box” at intersections;
• Portable stop sign enforcement units to reduce violations in residential neighborhoods ;
• Portable crosswalk enforcement units that will enhance pedestrian safety at crosswalks near schools, parks, and recreation centers;
• Speed enforcement units that will focus on intersections with known speeding problems;
• Units that will enforce rules on oversized and overweight commercial vehicles in order to reduce infrastructure damage and enhance quality of life in our neighborhoods.

The deployment locations for the automated traffic enforcement units were selected based on a variety of criteria, including sites with crashes and injuries, calls for service, high speed volume, near schools, or in zones prohibited for use by certain commercial vehicles. MPD also considered recommendations or requests from the Department of Transportation, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, and community organizations.

The new automated traffic safety enforcement cameras will be activated on Saturday, November 23. Cameras at new locations will issue warnings to vehicles for violations until Sunday, December 29. Beginning Monday, December 30, cameras at new locations will issue fines for violations.”

You can see stop sign camera locations here.

You can see gridlock camera locations here.

You can see pedestrian right of way camera locations here.

You can see speed camera locations here.

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