Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC
“Dear PoPville,
Possible PSA: I don’t have a link but federal employees need to be very cautious about using their SmarTrip cards if the government shuts down if they have transit benefits loaded onto them. We’ve been told that some agencies will monitor usage, so folks should try to use cash or acquire a personal SmarTrip card so this doesn’t cause any issues if the government shuts down.”
Anyone else hear this?
Photo by PoPville flickr user pablo.raw
From MPD:
“The Metropolitan Police Department would like to inform the public and members of the media of the following street closures in connection with the Light the Way 5K and Jammin DC- Caribbean Music & Arts Festival. These events are scheduled for Saturday, September 28, 2013.
Light the Way 5K
Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind will host its third annual Light the Way 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, September 28, 2013, at Nationals Park, benefiting the many programs and services it provides to people of all ages who are blind, deaf-blind, and/or have low vision. In conjunction with this event, there will be several street closures that motorists should take into consideration:
The Race/Walk time will be from 8:00 am to 10:00 am at which time the roadways mentioned below will be closed to traffic.
Race Start – Half Street, SE & N Street, SE
West on N Street, SE to South Capitol Street
South on South Capitol Street (on the sidewalk of Nationals Park)
East on Potomac Ave, SE (using the northbound lane closest to the stadium)
North on First Street, SE
East on N Street, SE which becomes Tingey Street, SE
North on 4th Street, SE
U-turn prior to M Street and come back south to Tingy Street, SE
West on Tingey Street, SE to 3rd Street, SE
South on 3rd Street, SE and enter Yards Park Run the Riverwalk Trail, which ends at First Street, SE
North on First Street, SE
West on N Street, SE
South on sidewalk of South Capitol Street
East on Potomac Street, SE
North on First Street, SE
Cross the finish line on First Street, SE
Jammin DC- Caribbean Music & Arts Festival
Jammin DC is a free Caribbean Music and Arts Festival that celebrates the culture of 28 Caribbean nations and territories scheduled for Saturday, September 28, 2013.
The following streets will be closed from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm:
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW between 12th Street and 14th Street, NW
13th Street and E Street, NW southbound to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Barracks Row Fall Festival
Barracks Row Fall Festival is a celebration of the ongoing revitalization of 8th Street, SE into a vibrant commercial corridor reconnecting Capitol Hill to the Anacostia River.
The following streets will be closed from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm:
8th Street between E Street and I Street SE
G Street between 7th Street and 9th Street SE”
Not mentioned was the Turkish Festival which is Sunday Sept. 29th 11am-7pm on Pennsylvania Ave, NW between 12th and 14th Street.
Photo by PoPville flickr user Raymond Bryson
From WMATA:
“Red Line 10 p.m. Fri., Sept. 20 through closing Sun., Sept. 22
Trains every 24 minutes with additional trains between Dupont Circle & Fort Totten
Red Line trains will operate as follows:
Between Shady Grove & Glenmont: Every 24 minutes throughout the weekend
Additional trains between Dupont Circle & Fort Totten: Every 12 minutes 9AM-9PM
Work Performed: Between Dupont Circle and Van Ness, crews will mitigate tunnel leaks and repair catwalks. Between Forest Glen and Takoma, crews will perform track insulator, tie and fastener renewal, in addition to tunnel leak mitigation.
Orange Line 10 p.m. Fri., Sept. 20 through closing Sun, Sept. 22
Trains every 24 minutes
Orange Line trains will operate as follows:
Between Vienna & New Carrollton: Every 24 minutes throughout the weekend
Work Performed: Crews will continue platform reconstruction work at Deanwood and Minnesota Ave stations, as well as track maintenance, fastener renewal, and grout pad rehabilitation between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly. In addition, rail joint elimination for a smoother ride will take place between Ballston and East Falls Church.
Blue Line Regular service; no scheduled work
Yellow Line Regular service between Huntington & Fort Totten
Green Line Regular service; no scheduled work”
Photo by PoPville flickr user Nikoo’s Photos
“Dear PoPville,
Does Metro officially acknowledge the “walk to the left stand to the right” escalator policy anywhere? If so, where? If not, they need to… That is all.”
We had a lengthy discussion about this last summer. Metro believes it is a safety issue:
“WMATA does not encourage walking or running on escalators. The majority of escalator-related accidents occur when customers walk or run on escalators. Standing is the safest way to ride an escalator. We regret the inconvenience caused by customers who may block the escalator passageway; however, for your safety and the safety of all customers, we ask customers to refrain from walking or running on our escalators.”
Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC
From WMATA:
“The cost of a new SmarTrip card will drop to $2 on October 1, making the reusable, reloadable, more convenient fare payment option available to even more people. Riders purchasing a SmarTrip card at a Metrorail station vending machine or CVS store will still pay $10, but the card will come loaded with $8 in value rather than $5 today. Riders will be able purchase a card for $2 with no pre-loaded value at any Metro Sales Office or commuter store and selected Giant and Safeway stores.
To facilitate the lower price, effective October 1, riders will no longer be able to exit the Metrorail system with a negative balance of $1.50 or more. Anyone whose SmarTrip balance is lower than negative $1.50 will be directed to the Exitfare machines inside the station to add more value to the card. Exitfare machines accept cash only ($1, $5 and $10 bills); they do not accept debit or credit cards.
Metro has upgraded Exitfare machines at all stations to allow for SmarTrip transactions.
In advance of this change, Metro is encouraging all SmarTrip users to sign up for Auto Reload, the “set it and forget it” feature that automatically adds value to the card whenever the balance drops below $10. For more information, visit wmata.com/autoreload.”
More traffic enforcement for 11th Street in Columbia Heights. Thanks to a reader for sending the heads up about the new stop sign camera in the north bound lane of 11th Street, NW at Lamont across from Room 11.
From WMATA:
“Red Line 10 p.m. Fri., Sept. 13 through closing Sun., Sept. 15
Regular weekend service except slight reduction in trains at stations north of Medical Center (Grosvenor to Shady Grove)
Red Line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals (every 6 to 15 minutes) throughout the weekend.
During daytime hours, every other train will run between Silver Spring & Medical Center, rather than between Silver Spring & Shady Grove. As a result, riders traveling to or from stations north of Medical Center (e.g. Rockville, Shady Grove) may experience an additional wait of up to 6 minutes.
Orange Line 10 p.m. Fri., Sept. 13 through closing Sun., Sept. 15
Trains every 20 minutes
Orange Line trains will operate every 20 minutes throughout the weekend.
Work Performed: Reconstruction of the station platforms at Minnesota Ave and Deanwood stations will continue, along with tie renewal, insulator renewal and structural improvements.
Blue Line 10 p.m. Fri., Sept. 13 through closing Sun., Sept. 15
Buses replace trains between Braddock Road & Pentagon City
Blue Line trains will operate:
Between Franconia-Springfield & Braddock Road at regular weekend intervals (every 12 minutes during daytime hours, and every 15-20 minutes at other times).
Between Largo Town Center & Pentagon City at regular weekend intervals (every 12 minutes during daytime hours, and every 15-20 minutes at other times).
Free shuttle buses will replace Blue Line trains between Braddock Road and Pentagon City to allow for rebuilding work. Shuttle buses will operate on two routes:
Express Buses will operate non-stop between Braddock Road and Pentagon City. Add 15 minutes of travel time.
Local Buses will operate between Braddock Road and Pentagon City, making intermediate stops at Reagan National Airport and Crystal City stations. Add up to 20 minutes of travel time.
Stations Closed: Reagan National Airport, Crystal City
Change to Last Train Times: The last train from Franconia-Springfield to Braddock Road will depart 22 minutes earlier than normal to allow for shuttle bus connections. The last train of the night will depart at 2:07 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and at 11:07 p.m. on Sunday.
Work Performed: Crews will replace junction boxes (an NTSB safety recommendation), along with structural/grout pad rehabilitation, track maintenance and cover baord renewal.
Yellow Line 10 p.m. Fri., Sept. 13 through closing Sun., Sept. 15
Buses replace trains between Braddock Road & Pentagon City
Yellow Line trains will operate:
Between Huntington & Braddock Road at regular weekend intervals (every 12 minutes during daytime hours, and every 15-20 minutes at other times).
Between Mt Vernon Sq & Pentagon City at regular weekend intervals (every 12 minutes during daytime hours, and every 15-20 minutes at other times).
Note: Yellow Line trains will operate to/from Mt Vernon Sq this weekend. Riders traveling to/from stations north of Mt Vernon Sq should use Green Line trains to complete their trip.
Free shuttle buses will replace Yellow Line trains between Braddock Road and Pentagon City to allow for rebuilding work. Shuttle buses will operate on two routes:
Express Buses will operate non-stop between Braddock Road and Pentagon City. Add 15 minutes of travel time.
Local Buses will operate between Braddock Road and Pentagon City, making intermediate stops at Reagan National Airport and Crystal City stations. Add up to 20 minutes of travel time.
Stations Closed: Reagan National Airport, Crystal City
Change to Last Train Times: The last train from Huntington to Braddock Road will depart 22 minutes earlier than normal to allow for shuttle bus connections. The last train of the night will depart at 2:12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and at 11:12 p.m. on Sunday.
Work Performed: Crews will replace junction boxes (an NTSB safety recommendation), along with structural/grout pad rehabilitation, track maintenance and cover baord renewal.
Green Line 10 p.m. Fri., Sept. 13 through closing Sun., Sept. 15
Trains every 16 minutes
Green Line trains will operate every 16 minutes throughout the weekend.
Work Performed: Between Fort Totten and Prince George’s Plaza, crews will perform necessary track upgrades, including tie and insulator renewal, tamping and ballast regulating.”
From DDOT:
“The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) issued new permits for the 84 on-street parking spaces for carshare providers. The spaces have been dedicated since 2005 and are recognizable by their distinctive orange poles. The new allocation includes Zipcar, a longstanding partner in carsharing in the District, and Enterprise CarShare, a new entrant into the regional carsharing market.
As a result of the reallocation of spaces, vehicles will be shifting their “home” location, and new noticeable pavement markings will be used to highlight the spaces. These 84 spaces are reserved only for carshare vehicles, at all times, and are allocated for one of the two companies. Non-carshare vehicles should not park in the spaces at any time and are subject to a $100 fine and towing.”
You can see where the spaces are below:
“Dear PoPville,
Did you know that DDOT made some traffic calming changes at the 4th and Mass intersection in response to the recent accidents/pedestrian death that occurred there? The changes have hosed up Mass Ave in both directions causing traffic to back up. Basically, westbound when the light changes green at H St the Light at 4th turns red and only 6-8 cars can advance. Of course people then block the box for H Street Traffic. A similar situation occurs east bound.
Now when I get on the circulator at NJ and Mass it is now common for the bus to sit thru 3-4 light cycles to get past 4th street. Not sure if you want to do a blog on this but just thought I’d let you know. I’m all for pedestrian safety as I walk a lot but this does not seem to be the answer.”
Earlier in the week DDOTDC tweeted:
“UPDATE: We are assessing the intersections of Mass Ave, H and 4th Sts for options to improve the synchronizing of the signals there.”
Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC
From WMATA:
“More Metro escalators are in service and available for riders than at any point in nearly five years, the Authority will report Thursday in its Vital Signs presentation to the Board of Directors. The improvement is largely attributable to the major “Metro Forward” rehabilitation effort that has been underway for more than two years.
“This is what Metro Forward is all about: delivering more reliable service and significantly improved escalator availablity our riders,” said Metro General Manager Richard Sarles.
For the 2nd quarter of the year (April through June), Metro achieved an availability score of 91.9 percent — meaning that more than nine of every ten of the system’s 588 escalators were in service during operating hours.
Metro has taken a number of steps to improve the safety and reliability of its escalator fleet, which is the largest of any transit agency in North America and includes the longest escalators in the Western Hemisphere. Specifically:
• 89 escalators have been rehabilitated since 2011, a process that replaces the motor, steps, control system, handrails, drive chain and all other major parts resulting in a “like new” unit.
• 18 new escalator mechanics were hired this fiscal year to ensure that preventive maintenance is done on schedule.
• 97 percent of preventive maintenance was completed on time in the second quarter, as compared to 90 percent in Q2-2012 and 40 percent in Q2-2011.
• Strategic use of contractor services to augment in-house staff and achieve faster response times.
• Increased use of remote monitoring technology.
Within months, Metro will begin full replacement of an additional 128 escalators across the system. Already, Metro has fully replaced six escalators under the Metro Forward rebuilding program, and three more units are currently being installed at Pentagon Station.”