Transit

Dysfunction Junction Vol. 9: Florida/U St and 7th St/Georgia Ave (Crystal Ball Edition)

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. Ben previously wrote about Colesville Road/16th St/Portal Road.

This intersection isn’t that bad…yet.  Just wait a few years, though.  Those triangular lots (the ones that got Jim Graham into all that trouble) will soon be developed into mixed-use buildings.  A block south, Progression Place is almost done.  A few blocks north, the still mythical (but fully subsidized) Howard Town Center would add further density.  Once all this happens, there are going to be a whole lot more people in this area.  And if there’s anything that this series has shown, it’s that DC has a hard time adjusting existing infrastructure to a sudden influx of development.

The future here looks bright.  The present?  Not so much.  First of all, there’s that CVS that Howard University owns (let the debate resume).  I’m sure the CVS parking lot made sense when it was built, but now it’s very much out of place in an increasingly transit-oriented area.  The fact that it often features more ne’er-do-wells than cars seems to indicate that redevelopment would make sense.  (Assessed value:  $3.8 million, which seems awfully low for such a large and prominent lot.) (more…)

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user zoeicaimages

From WMATA:

Metro’s multi-year rebuilding effort will continue over the weekend of June 7-9 with service adjustments beginning at 10 p.m. Friday night and continuing through system closing on Sunday.

Red Line – 10 p.m. Fri., June 7 through closing Sun., June 9

Red Line trains will single track through two work zones:
• between Shady Grove and Twinbrook for rail, fastener, insulator and third-rail work; and
• between Rhode Island Ave and Takoma for ongoing platform reconstruction, tie replacement and track maintenance.

Throughout the weekend, Red Line trains will operate every 24 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont. From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, additional trains will operate between Grosvenor and NoMa-Gallaudet, resulting in service about every 12 minutes between these stations.

To reduce their wait time, riders who normally park at Shady Grove, Rockville, Twinbrook or White Flint may wish to use Grosvenor Station this weekend instead.

Passengers will experience the longer wait time on the platform; once a train departs a station, it is not expected to encounter delays en route.

Orange, Blue, Yellow & Green lines – 10 p.m. Fri., June 7 through closing Sun., June 9

Trains on all other lines (Orange, Blue, Yellow and Green) will operate every 18 minutes throughout the weekend to allow for rebuilding work in several work zones:
• between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly for platform reconstruction
• between Mt Vernon Square and U Street for switch replacement, rail renewal and joint elimination
• between East Falls Church and West Falls Church for Silver Line testing

Note: Yellow Line trains will operate between Huntington and Fort Totten this weekend.

Dysfunction Junction Vol. 8 – Colesville Road/16th St/Portal Road

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. Ben previously wrote about 18th and Florida/U St, NW.

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This intersection is like the DC equivalent of the River Styx – a grim passage between two worlds that is a test of character in and of itself.  (Now, would that put Hades in Maryland or the District?  You decide.)  The Washington Post recently called it “a treacherous test of patience” – one that officials on both sides of the border have whined about but failed to fix.

DC recorded twelve accidents in this intersection in 2012 (Montgomery County hasn’t released data for its side).  A pedestrian was killed here in 2009.  So why are we still waiting for this to be fixed after years of promises?

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Overlapping jurisdictions are supposedly to blame.  Traffic engineers apparently agree that the problem is on the Maryland side – a signal is needed on Colesville Road.  Getting the funding and approvals to install that signal requires action not only from Montgomery County and the District, but also the Maryland State Highway Administration, and therein lies the rub.  The request for proposals on a series of traffic improvements just went out in January – five years after everyone agreed on what needed to be done.  (Hopefully they’ll keep an eye on any concrete…)

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Approaching the circle, there’s an amazing glut of signage.  Arrows point the way to a bunch of numbered Maryland highways, a bizarre placard on the Maryland side demonstrates various ways you might try to go through, and the circle itself is full of stops and yields that confuse even veterans of DC’s many traffic circle models.  The bumper-level dent in the “welcome to Silver Spring” sign seems to sum it all up.

Trying to walk in this area?  Don’t.  The lack of crosswalks on the Maryland side certainly contributes to the Frogger-like feel.  But the part that really takes the cake is in the middle of the circle, where they’ve installed tactile paving for the blind…without a matching crosswalk.  This supposes that anyone (let alone the visually impaired) would even attempt to cross straight through the middle without a serious death wish.  And what is there to experience in the middle of that circle anyway?  Shrubs?

Dear PoPville – Check Out the New 11th Street, SE Bridge

By Prince Of Petworth

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Thanks to a reader for sending these great photos of the 11th Street Bridge:

“This is from the last Navy Gate on 11th-where the path splits: down to the NY trail or up over the bridge.”

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“Temp access on left, permanent on right (nice n wide) but concrete still drying.”

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“Pedestrian observation decks off of 11th St Bridge – this is gonna be awesome when it’s finished!!”

Park Road NW from Beach Drive to Pierce Mill Road Temporarily Closing June 5-6

By Prince Of Petworth


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From DDOT:

The National Park Service (NPS) has announced that it will be initiating temporary closures on Park Road NW to perform tree maintenance work.

To facilitate this work, Park Road NW will be closed from Beach Drive to Pierce Mill Road from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5 and Thursday, June 6, 2013.

Temporary signs and traffic control measures will be in place to alert and guide travelers during these closures.

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work – Dupont Circle and Farragut North Will be Closed

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user UStreetV

From WMATA:

Red Line – 10 p.m. Fri., May 31 through closing Sun., June 2

Free shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains between Woodley Park and Metro Center to allow for improvements to third-rail infrastructure, elimination of rail joints, track fasteners replacement, communications upgrades and fiber-optic cable installation.

Two stations will be closed: Dupont Circle and Farragut North.

Throughout the weekend, Red Line trains will operate in two segments:
• Between Shady Grove and Woodley Park every 10 minutes during daytime hours and every 15-20 minutes at other times.
• Between Metro Center and Glenmont every 15 minutes during daytime hours and every 15-20 minutes at other times.

Express buses will operate between Woodley Park and Metro Center without intermediate stops; passengers using express buses should add 20 minutes to their travel time. Local buses will operate between Woodley Park and Metro Center, making intermediate stops at Dupont Circle and Farragut North; passengers using local buses should add 25 minutes to their travel time.

Orange, Blue, Yellow & Green lines – 10 p.m. Fri., May 31 through closing Sun., June 2

Trains on all other lines (Orange, Blue, Yellow and Green) will operate every 22 minutes throughout the weekend to allow for rebuilding work in five separate work zones:
• On the Blue Line between Stadium-Armory and Addison Road, workers will rehabilitate concrete structures below the rails and upgrade rail communication systems.
• On the Yellow and Blue lines between Braddock Road and Van Dorn Street, workers will install new rail ties and third-rail insulators, eliminate rail joints and perform ballast tamping (reconditioning of the crushed stone beneath the rails).
• On the Orange Line between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly, crews will continue major platform reconstruction efforts at Deanwood and Minnesota Avenue stations, as well as track and third-rail renewal.
• On the Green Line between Anacostia and Southern Avenue, workers will clean and repair third-rail insulators, repair leaks and clear drains.
• On the Green Line between Greenbelt and College Park, work will continue on a new test track for acceptance of 7000-series railcars.

Weekend Street Closures for Taste of Georgetown and Post Hunt

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user johnmcochran2012

From DDOT:

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has provided the following information about scheduled street closures for multiple events that are scheduled to be held on Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2, 2013.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Taste of Georgetown

The following street will be affected by street closures from 12 a.m. to 9 p.m.:

· Wisconsin Avenue NW, between M Street and K Street

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Post Hunt

The following street will be closed from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.:

· Pennsylvania Avenue NW, from 13th Street to 14th Street

Metro to hold auditions for ‘MetroPerforms!’ June 4; “singers, dancers, musicians, poets to showcase their talents at Metro station this summer”

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user streetamatic

From WMATA:

So you think you can dance? Or sing? Or play music? Metro’s Art in Transit Program is inviting local performers of all genres—singers, dancers, musicians, poets and more—to audition for ”MetroPerforms!” to showcase their talents at selected Metrorail station entrances this summer.

Auditions will be held Tuesday, June 4, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Metro headquarters, 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC. Auditions will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. All interested artists should visit wmata.com/metroperforms for registration information and additional details.

In addition to the chance to perform at Metro stations, artists may be selected to perform at Music on the Mall, a program developed by Metro in cooperation with the National Park Service and the Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Performances at Metro stations and on the Mall will take place from June through September. Selected artists will perform on a volunteer basis and are expected to adhere to performance program guidelines.

“We are very pleased with how popular the program has become with area artists and Metro travelers,” said Michael McBride, Metro’s Art in Transit program manager. “Participating performers will extend the rich performance history of the region to one of the most visited destinations in the country.”

Performances will take place at designated station entrances at a distance far enough away from stairs and escalators to ensure unobstructed access for riders. Performers must pass a security background check and must comply with guidelines of the program.

Dysfunction Junction Vol. 7 – 18th and Florida/U St, NW

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. Ben previously wrote about Wisconsin and M Street, NW.

18th and Florida/U St, NW

This intersection has been problematic for a while.  As early as 2003, DDOT was thinking about possible solutions.  Enter the Adams Morgan Streetscape Project, which altered the traffic pattern, gave us pedestrian-friendly “bump out” sidewalks, removed the underlying streetcar tracks, and added bike infrastructure along 18th St, all for the low, low cost of $6.8 million.  The whole thing took fifteen months to complete, but it seemed like an eternity.

This is not an easy intersection to fix.  The U Street/Florida Avenue route is by default the main cross-town arterial in this area, given the lack of east-west options in Adams Morgan and the preponderance of one way roads in northern Dupont.  Complications quickly mount when you add all the strange angles and rights-of-way involved.  Oh, and it’s the gateway to Adams Morgan, so naturally there are a ton of pedestrians trying to cross every which way, regardless of what the lights say.

So did we get a Good Deal or Not™?  Given the level of difficulty here, I’m willing to cut DDOT some slack.  They probably did the best they could, given the circumstances.  But that doesn’t mean that everything’s coming up roses here.  The stoplights in particular are still a problem.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

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