Photo by PoPville flickr user ep_jhu
Just tweeted by @MetroTransitPD:
“A baby was just delivered ON THE PLATFORM at L’Enfant Plaza. MTPD on scene. Additional details will follow. #WMATA”
UPDATE:
“L’Enfant update: It’s a boy! More to come. #WMATA”
“L’Enfant update 2: Mother and baby were transported to a local hospital. Both appear to be doing fine. #WMATA”
Update from @WMATA:
“Congratulations to Shavonnte Taylor on the birth of your new baby boy, Amir!”
$100 smarTrip card:
Photo by PoPville flickr user J Sonder
From a press release:
“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will offer an amendment to the fiscal year 2014 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which is on the House floor now, that would prevent the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from enforcing its rule that prohibits commercial and most other helicopter operations in the District of Columbia. Norton’s amendment would allow for the South Capitol Street Heliport (SCSH), the only publicly accessible heliport in the city, which the FAA shut down to public access in 2005, after permitting the heliport to operate with limited public access for several years after September 11, 2001, to re-open, which would restore helicopter service in the District. Norton argues that shutting down the very heliport that government agencies used as a command center on September 11, 2001, and in the days following the terrorist attacks is an affront to common sense, service, commercial necessity, and basic justice. Every heliport in the country opened shortly after 9/11, including those in New York City, where terrorist attacks occurred. (more…)
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. Ben previously wrote about Florida/U St and 7th St/Georgia Ave.
This stretch of highway is proof positive that the inner loop was a terrible idea. Not only does it slice poor old Southeast in two, but the signage when you come in from Virginia is atrociously misleading. If you’ve made it to exit six, you’ve already had to make several rapid fire decisions with little or no warning. (Left exit to 14th St! Right exit to 12th St!) Then the fun begins.
At exit six, you have a hugely complex and counterintuitive decision to make. Option one is C Street SW/The House/US Capitol. C Street SW and the House of Representatives are of course on opposite sides of the Capitol building. It might make sense if that was the only option. But then there’s option two – 395 North/D Street NW/US Senate. D Street NW and the Senate are also on opposite sides of the Capitol building. Shouldn’t C Street SW and the Senate be on the same exit? And shouldn’t D Street NW and the House be on the other exit? It just doesn’t make sense. Before my head explodes, let me also point out that the House, Senate, and Capitol all refer to the same building. (more…)
From DDOT:
“Construction work along H Street/Benning Road to ready the corridor for DC Streetcar continues. Stage 2 of the Western Turnaround work is set to begin on Wednesday, July 31 and continue through mid-October. The Western Turnaround refers to the extension of the streetcar tracks from 3rd Street, NE to the top of the Hopscotch Bridge. Elements include construction of a streetcar platform where passengers may board or leave the streetcars with access to Union Station and tracks to allow the streetcar to reverse course and proceed eastbound through the corridor.
Most noticeable for motorists traveling in this area will be a shift from using the north side to using the south side of H Street.
Traffic and parking restrictions and changes are as follows” (more…)
Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric Spiegel
From WMATA:
“Red Line 10 p.m. Fri., July 26 through closing Sun., July 28
Trains every 16 minutes between Shady Grove & Glenmont
Red Line trains will operate as follows:
Between Shady Grove & Glenmont: Every 16 minutes throughout the weekend.
Additional trains between Van Ness & Silver Spring: Service every 10 minutes 9:30AM-6:30PM
Work Performed: Between Van Ness and Friendship Heights, crews will rehabilitate third-rail systems, eliminate joints in the rail, repair drains, mitigate leaks, clean drains and remove standing water.
Orange Line 10 p.m. Fri., July 26 through closing Sun., July 28
Buses replace trains between Vienna & Ballston; normal service elsewhere
Orange Line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals between New Carrollton and Ballston throughout the weekend. (Regular intervals are every 12 minutes during daytime hours, and every 15-20 minutes at other times.)
Free shuttle buses will replace Orange Line trains between Vienna and Ballston.
Express buses will operate non-stop between Vienna and Ballston. Please allow 25 minutes of travel time.
Local buses will operate between Vienna and Ballston with intermediate stops at Dunn Loring, West Falls Church and East Falls Church. Riders should add 15 minutes of travel time for each station stop. For example, a passenger traveling from West Falls Church to Ballston should add 30 minutes of travel time, because the bus makes two stops.
Stations closed: Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church, East Falls Church
Work Performed: Crews will perform necessary switch and signal testing for the new Silver Line, as well as tamping, ballast work, tie and insulator renewal, third-rail maintenance and rail de-stressing. (more…)
From an email:
“This week, we’ll be expanding our network to 400 car2gos.”
50 cars were recently added in January and currently there are 350.
For those that use them – is it pretty easy to find a car near you?
We judged car2go back in January. And we talked about folks parking them nose out here and nose in here.
Previous HAWK systems have been installed in Cleveland Park and Chevy Chase.
From DDOT:
“On or about Wednesday, July 31 at approximately 10:30 a.m. the newly installed pedestrian HAWK (High-Intensity Activated crossWalK) signal at the Florida Avenue and 11th Street NE intersection will be made fully operational. This pedestrian HAWK signal is the sixth one to be installed in the District by the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to help pedestrians safely cross high traffic volume streets.
District law requires motorists to legally stop and give the right of way to pedestrians within crosswalks. However, DDOT research has shown that on busy, high traffic roadways, only about one in four drivers are willing to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. If appropriate warrants are met, a HAWK signal can be installed on those roadways that do not meet engineering standards for installing a conventional traffic signal.
This pedestrian HAWK signal is currently operating in a flashing yellow mode to acclimate and alert drivers to the new signal. The HAWK’s full signal cycle and push buttons will be operational on or about July 31.
How Does A HAWK Signal Work (more…)
From Metro Transit Police:
“MTPD seeking to ID this man ref sexual assault case Jun 24 at Smithsonian Sta. Call 202-962-2121 w/info.”
Photo by PoPville flickr user JamesCalder
From WMATA:
“While there are no station closures this weekend, service will be adjusted on the Red, Orange and Green lines.
Service on the Blue and Yellow lines will operate on a regular weekend schedule.
Red Line 10 p.m. Fri., July 19 through closing Sun., July 21
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 rehabilitate ceiling tiles on station platforms and install upgraded communication equipment. (more…)
Photo by PoPville flickr user JoshBassett|PHOTOGRAPHY
From WMATA:
Red Line 10 p.m. Fri., July 12 through closing Sun., July 14
Buses replace trains between NoMa-Gallaudet & Silver Spring
Red Line trains will operate as follows:
Between Shady Grove & NoMa-Gallaudet – Every 10 minutes 9AM-9PM and at regular weekend intervals (15-20 minutes) at other times.
Between Glenmont & Silver Spring – Every 10 minutes 9AM-9PM and at regular weekend intervals (15-20 minutes) at other times.
Free shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains between Silver Spring and NoMa-Gallaudet. Shuttle buses will operate continuously on two routes:
Express buses will operate non-stop between Silver Spring & NoMa-Gallaudet stations. Add up to 30 minutes of travel time.
Local buses will operate between Silver Spring & NoMa-Gallaudet, with intermediate stops at Takoma, Fort Totten, Brookland and Rhode Island Ave stations. Add 10 minutes of travel time for each station stop. For example, if traveling from Brookland to Rhode Island Avenue, add 10 minutes for one stop. If traveling from Fort Totten to NoMa, add 30 minutes because the bus makes three stops.
Stations closed: Takoma, Brookland, Rhode Island Ave. (Fort Totten open for Green/Yellow service only.)
Work performed: Crews will replace wooden rail ties, renew third-rail insulators, advance platform reconstruction projects, improve track substructure conditions and install new communication equipment. In addition, DDOT will continue construction on the New York Avenue bridge. (more…)