Transit

Taxi Commission Nixes the Prius – Agrees to Uniform Color “red with a gray stripe along both sides”

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user philliefan99

NBC Washington reports on this odd ruling:

“In a direct blow to app-based cab services like Uber, the D.C. Taxi Commission Monday approved new regulations that disallow some fuel-efficient vehicles, like Toyota Prius, from operating as sedans.”

From the DC Taxicab Commission:

“The DC Taxicab Commission (DCTC) approved today the adoption of final regulations defining sedan vehicles and the rulemaking concerning the uniform color scheme for taxicabs. The specific regulations regarding sedans are contained in Chapters 12 and 14. The uniform color scheme is covered in Chapters 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9.

The characteristics to define sedan vehicles include: an L Tag; prohibition from accepting street hails; no meter; and specific size and color limits. The uniform color adopted is a red with a gray stripe along both sides to include company name, logo and contact information. The transition to the uniform color will initially occur for equipment replacements due to age, mileage or DMV inspection rejection.”

You can read their full report here.

Steer Clear of Dupont Circle Between 10am and 3pm Today

By Prince Of Petworth

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From DDOT:

“The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced that the signals at the Dupont traffic circle will be temporarily placed on flash mode between 10 am and approximately 3 pm on Tuesday, August 20 while crews upgrade the signalization system.

The traffic signals are scheduled to be turned back on as normal before the evening rush-hour period on Tuesday.

Traffic delays are anticipated to occur on Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts avenues heading through the traffic circle.

Traffic control officers will be onsite to direct traffic through this area. Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians approaching and traveling through the circle are urged to use caution and to consider alternate routes to avoid delays.”

Hopefully the upgrades include the ability for pedestrians to cross without having to wait in the median.

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user jlgriffiths

From WMATA:

“Red Line Normal service; no track work

Orange Line 10 p.m. Fri., Aug. 16 through closing Sun., Aug. 18
Trains every 24 minutes

Orange Line trains will operate as follows:

Between Vienna & New Carrollton – Every 24 minutes throughout the weekend. (Normal service is every 12-20 minutes.)

Work Performed: Metro will replace track circuit modules between Foggy Bottom and Smithsonian stations. This work is recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board to improve safety.

Blue Line 10 p.m. Fri., Aug. 16 through closing Sun., Aug. 18
Trains every 24 minutes

Blue Line trains will operate as follows:

Between Franconia-Springfield & Largo Town Center – Every 24 minutes throughout the weekend. (Normal service is every 12-20 minutes.)

Work Performed: Metro will replace track circuit modules between Foggy Bottom and Smithsonian stations. This work is recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board to improve safety.

Yellow Line Regular service between Huntington & Fort Totten

Green Line Regular service; no track work”

Metro Transit Police Report 40 electronic device thefts in the last two weeks, urge riders to be vigilant

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user Collin David Anderson

From MTPD:

“Metro Transit Police Chief Ron Pavlik today advised the public of a recent increase in snatch thefts of electronic devices, such as iPhones, iPads, Kindles and Android phones, and urged riders to be vigilant while on the transit system.

There were 40 snatches of electronic devices on the Metro system in the two-week period ending August 7, 2013 – an increase of 48 percent from the previous two week period.

“We are not waiting to see if this becomes a trend,” said Chief Pavlik. “We are taking immediate, proactive steps to protect the riding public, but we also need riders to do their part.”

MTPD uses a crime trend analysis tool, called MetroStat, to analyze crime trends every 14 days and reallocate resources in response.

Metro is continuing to use “crime suppression” operations, where undercover officers place themselves in the path of crime using decoy devices. When a criminal steals the device, other officers apprehend the suspect and make an immediate arrest. (more…)

This Week’s Metro Track Work

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user Gwynne K

From WMATA:

Red Line 10 p.m. Fri., Aug. 9 through closing Sun., Aug. 11
Trains every 20 minutes with additional trains between Dupont Circle & NoMa

Red Line trains will operate as follows:

Between Shady Grove & Glenmont: Every 20 minutes throughout the weekend.
Additional trains between Dupont Circle & NoMa-Gallaudet: Every 10 minutes 9AM-9PM

Work Performed: Between Dupont Circle and Van Ness, crews will make improvements to third-rail infrastructure, mitigate tunnel leaks and repair catwalks. Between Rhode Island Ave and Takoma, crews will install cable for Emergency Trip Stations and continue platform rebuilding work. (more…)

Dysfunction Junction Vol. 11: Mount Vernon Square

By Prince Of Petworth

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Dysfunction Junction chronicles the most forlorn, baffling, and wonderful crossroads of our fair city. The column is written by Ben Ball, a transportation nerd in his spare time. He lives in LeDroit Park.

Since I clearly botched the last edition by stepping out of my normal milieu, this time I’m going to stick to a far more familiar intersection in the hopes that the lesser deities of blogdom will be appeased [fat chance, I know].  I’ll start off by saying that Mount Vernon Square is actually really nice.  I love the Carnegie Library building, and on a warm summer’s day the surrounding green space can be a nice place to hang out.  Every time I walk by, I wish that the DC Public Library would stop trying to save that crumbling Van Der Rohe box and instead reclaim its rightful place in this stately marble temple.

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Traffic-wise, one could make the point that Mount Vernon Square is just a wanna-be traffic circle, particularly for those who are trying to get through on Massachusetts Avenue.  Heading southeast on Massachusetts during rush hour usually means a long line of cars stretching back to Thomas Circle – a function of congestion and a narrow window for right turns onto 9th Street. I’m very pro-streetcar, but I worry that the Georgetown extension’s probable route through the square will add an unwelcome x-factor to vehicle traffic if it isn’t done right.

(more…)

Dear PoPville – Lack of Police presence at Petworth Metro

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user [F]oxymoron

“Dear PoPville,

Has anyone inquired about the constant clump of loiterers outside the Petworth metro station within the past few months? It’s gotten pretty bad, and now they’re smoking weed in broad daylight. There never seems to be any police presence there and quite frankly my concern is that it’s going to take a mugging or something to bring awareness rather than stepping it up and taking care of the issue before it happens.

In addition to the blatant disregard for the area during the day, I’ve also witnessed prostitutes right outside the subway after midnight on the weekends. I’m all for this neighborhood taking a turn for the better and it appeared as tho it was. Now I’m not so sure since it doesn’t seem like anyone is really monitoring things.”

PoP Ed. – DC Circulator Drivers Behaving Badly By Jenn Bussell

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user fromcaliw/love

Jenn lives in SE DC in the Capitol Riverfront area. PoP-Ed. posts may be submitted via email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail please include PoP-Ed. in the subject line.

If you’ve lived in or traveled to Washington DC at some point since 2005, you have most likely seen or hopped a ride on a bright red DC Circulator bus.

Having lived on and off in DC circa 1991, I quickly became a Circulator Super Fan when I returned to the District in 2008…the Georgetown and Columbia Heights/14th Street routes becoming my de facto daily transit. When I moved to the still-in-progress Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard area in 2009, I was ecstatic that the Circulator had made its way here as well.

Fast forward to today and the honeymoon is definitely over, a separation in place, and a potential divorce on the horizon. What went wrong, you ask?

For starters, the friendly and very customer service-oriented drivers on the Navy Yard route are being replaced by rude, entitled, belligerent bullies in uniform. Over the last few months month I’ve personally experienced the following DC Circulator Drivers Behaving Badly scenarios.

In June a DC Circulator bus driver pulled our bus over at the Navy Yard Metro station stop (northside of M Street SE) and walked off the bus with riders still on it so she could chat up her two friends who happened to be walking by. (more…)

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., Aug. 2 through closing Sun., Aug. 4
Trains every 20 minutes between Shady Grove & Glenmont

Red Line trains will operate as follows:

Between Shady Grove & Glenmont: Every 20 minutes throughout the weekend.
Additional trains between Shady Grove & Farragut North: Service every 10 minutes 9AM-9PM
Additional trains between Glenmont & Judiciary Square: Service every 10 minutes 9AM-9PM

Work Performed: Crews will continue station improvements at Farragut North, including installation of new ceiling tiles, lighting, closed-circuit cameras and communication equipment. (more…)

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