Transit

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user m01229

From WMATA:

This weekend’s rebuilding work will result in service changes on the Red, Orange, Blue and Yellow lines beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and continuing through system closing on Sunday night.

There is no scheduled track work this weekend on the Green Line. Trains will operate normally between Greenbelt and Branch Avenue.

Red Line – 10 p.m. Fri., May 10 through closing Sun., May 12

Red Line trains will single track through two work zones — between Grosvenor and Twinbrook, and between Rhode Island Avenue and Takoma — to allow for platform reconstruction at several stations.
Throughout the weekend, Red Line trains will operate every 28 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont.
Customers will experience this longer travel time on the platform. Once the train departs, it is not expected to experience additional delays en route.
Additional trains will operate between Grosvenor and NoMa-Gallaudet, providing service about every 10 minutes between these stations during daytime hours.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

Dysfunction Junction Vol. 5: 14th and Park/Kenyon NW

By Prince Of Petworth

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Dysfunction Junction chronicles the most forlorn, baffling, and wonderful crossroads of our fair city. Ben Ball is a transportation nerd in his spare time. He lives in LeDroit Park. Ben previously wrote about Dave Thomas Circle.

If this intersection is the beating heart of Columbia Heights, I’d say we’re heading for some sort of cardiac arrest.  The lovely plaza, complete with splash fountain for the kiddies, is a marvelous public space.  Surrounding it, however, is one of the most congested places for people and vehicles I can think of.

It is not easy to get through this area in a car.  The herringbone street pattern of northern Columbia Heights (a legacy of poor planning in the early part of the previous century) is a big part of the problem.  But in 2010, DDOT made it worse by redoing the traffic pattern at this intersection, where one of the few westward passages in the area crosses a major north-south corridor.

In the interests of “traffic calming”, DDOT altered the lane which allowed drivers heading southbound on 14th St to easily make a right turn onto Park Road.  Now traffic is so calm that it’s fallen asleep.  Just two years after DDOT worked its magic, a Metro study of the 50 buses found that traffic near 14th and Park averages less than ten miles per hour at all times of day. The study didn’t mention that the bus stop is part of the problem – buses frequently hang across both lanes, taking out both lanes of traffic in the process.

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Blue Mass Street Closures May 7th

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo via St. Patrick Catholic Church

From DDOT:

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has provided the following information about scheduled street closures for the Blue Mass event that is scheduled for Tuesday, May 7, 2013.

The following streets will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.:

G Street, NW from 9th Street to 11th Street, NW
G Place, NW from 9th Street to 10th Street, NW
10th Street, NW from H Street to F Street, NW

From St. Patrick Catholic Church:

All parishioners and friends of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church are cordially invited to join hundreds of first responders from around the country at St. Patrick’s 19th Annual Blue Mass. Held each year at the beginning of National Police Week, we pray for those in law enforcement and fire safety, remember those who have fallen, and support those who serve. Representatives of Federal and local law enforcement and public safety agencies from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area and around the country attend.

Before Mass, hundreds of law enforcement officers and public safety officials gather outside for the solemn processional into St. Patrick’s. Units from federal, state, and local jurisidictions gather in formation to pass under a huge American flag proudly hung over the street by two fire ladder trucks. Also gathered outside are officers on horseback, as well as pipe and drum corps units.

Inside the church, the principal celebrant and homilist for the 2013 Mass will be His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington. The Mass includes an honor guard, bagpipers, and the solemn playing of “Taps” in memory of those who gave their lives in the past year.

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user pablo.raw

From WMATA:

This weekend’s rebuilding work will result in service changes on the Red, Orange, Blue and Green lines beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and continuing through system closing on Sunday night.

Red Line – 10 p.m. Fri., May 3 through closing Sun., May 5

Free shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains between Glenmont and Fort Totten stations to allow for the activation of a new train control room at Silver Spring, platform reconstruction at Fort Totten and Takoma, track renewal and insulator replacement.
Five stations will be closed: Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring and Takoma.
Trains will operate between Shady Grove and Fort Totten every 10 minutes during daytime hours and at regular weekend intervals at other times.
Free shuttle buses will operate between Glenmont and Fort Totten on two routes: Express buses will operate non-stop between Glenmont and Fort Totten stations. Customers using express buses should add about 30 minutes to their travel time. Local buses will operate between Glenmont and Fort Totten, with intermediate stops at Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring and Takoma stations. Customers using local buses should add up to 50 minutes to their travel time.

Orange Line – 10 p.m. Fri., May 3 through closing Sun., May 5

Orange Line trains will single track through two work zones: between Clarendon and Foggy Bottom to allow for fiber-optic cable installation, and between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly for platform reconstruction at Deanwood, rail renewal and fastener maintenance.
Throughout the weekend, Orange Line trains will operate every 26 minutes between Vienna and New Carrollton.
Customers will experience this longer travel time on the platform. Once the train departs, it is not expected to experience additional delays en route.

Blue Line – 10 p.m. Fri., May 3 through closing Sun., May 5

Blue Line trains will single track between Arlington Cemetery and Foggy Bottom to allow for fiber-optic cable installation.
Throughout the weekend, Blue Line trains will operate every 26 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Largo Town Center.
Customers will experience this longer travel time on the platform. Once the train departs, it is not expected to experience additional delays en route.

Green Line – 10 p.m. Fri., May 3 through closing Sat., May 4

From 10 p.m. Friday through closing on Saturday, free shuttle buses will replace Green Line trains between Congress Heights and Branch Avenue stations to allow for necessary track upgrades and renewal.
During this time, four stations will be closed: Branch Avenue, Suitland, Naylor Road, Southern Avenue.
On Friday night and all day Saturday, Green Line trains will operate between Greenbelt and Congress Heights at regular weekend intervals.
Free shuttle buses will operate between Congress Heights and Branch Avenue on two routes: Express buses will operate non-stop between Branch Avenue and Congress Heights stations. Customers using express buses should add about 25 minutes to their travel time. Local buses will operate between Branch Avenue and Congress Heights, with intermediate stops at Suitland, Naylor Road, and Southern Avenue stations. Customers using local buses should add up to 50 minutes to their travel time.

Green Line – Sun., May 5 ONLY

On Sunday, Green Line trains will single track between Branch Avenue and Congress Heights to allow for necessary track upgrades and renewal.
Throughout the day, trains will operate every 30 minutes between Branch Avenue and Greenbelt.
Customers will experience this longer travel time on the platform. Once the train departs, it is not expected to experience additional delays en route.

Morning Mishigas – 2 Shot in Trinidad, Cracked Rail on Red Line

By Prince Of Petworth


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@DCPoliceDept tweeted:

“Shooting_0750 hrs_1200 B/O RAUM ST NE AND /LOF B/M LSW GRAY/GREEN HOODED JKT”

@IAFF36 tweeted:

“Update – 1200blk Raum St NE – 2nd pt, shot multiple times, treating & transporting to trauma center, pri 1 #dcfd”


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From WMATA:

The problem is a crack in the electrified third rail between NoMa-Gallaudet and Rhode Island Avenue stations. As a result, one of the two Red Line tracks is out of service until repairs can be completed. Trains are single tracking between NoMa-Gallaudet and Fort Totten stations.

Personnel successfully completed repairs to the third rail as of 7:50 a.m. Trains are no longer single tracking.

Dysfunction Junction Vol. 4: Dave Thomas Circle

By Prince Of Petworth

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Dysfunction Junction chronicles the most forlorn, baffling, and wonderful crossroads of our fair city. Ben Ball is a transportation nerd in his spare time. He lives in LeDroit Park. Ben previously wrote about L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station.

I love Wendy’s as much as the next guy, but this is ridiculous.  Everybody seems to know this area as “Dave Thomas Circle” – a moniker that was actually coined by DDOT itself in a study. The original link is dead now…maybe that name got a frosty reception.  (Zing!)

DDOT “fixed” this intersection in June 2010 at a cost of three million dollars, and ever since it’s become infamous for nonsensical routing, baffling inaccessibility, and traffic pileups.  They did succeed in one thing:  if you happen to be heading west on Florida Avenue or east on New York Avenue in a car, it’s not bad at all – you can drive-thru.  (Zing again!)

Every other direction is a challenge.  Going east on Florida requires a near-circumnavigation of Wendy’s.  You’d think that one of the main thoroughfares between the U St corridor and the H St area would require a quicker and easier connection, even if it meant using the powers of eminent domain against “the world’s third largest quick-service hamburger company”.  (In case you’re wondering, the assessed value of that property is just over five million dollars.)

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Rustic Metro Benches

By Prince Of Petworth

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Thanks to Pablo for sending this one in from the Brookland metro station. Also seen in Ft. Totten.

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work – Plus FY14 Budget Passed

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user evegophotos

From WMATA:

Metro is investing $5.5 billion to install new rail, ties, platforms, escalators, signals, lighting, communication systems, and more. It represents the largest capital investment — and work effort — since the system’s original construction in the early 1970s.

This weekend’s rebuilding work will result in service changes on all lines beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and continuing through system closing on Sunday night.

Early Opening Sunday Morning for Nike Women Half Marathon

Metrorail will open at 5 a.m. on Sunday, April 28, for customers traveling to the Nike Women Half Marathon. The start line is accessible from Metro Center (Red/Blue/Orange lines), Federal Triangle (Blue/Orange lines) or Archives (Yellow/Green lines).

Red Line – 10 p.m. Fri., April 26 through closing Sun., April 28

Free shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains between NoMa-Gallaudet and Takoma stations to allow for DDOT bridge work at New York Avenue, tie replacement, insulator renewal and communication system upgrades.
Two stations will be closed: Rhode Island Ave and Brookland. In addition, Fort Totten Station will be open for Green and Yellow line service only.
Trains will operate as follows:
Between Glenmont and Takoma every 10 minutes during daytime hours and at regular weekend intervals at other times.
Between Shady Grove and NoMa-Gallaudet every 10 minutes during daytime hours and at regular weekend intervals at other times.

Free shuttle buses will operate on two routes:
Express buses will operate non-stop between Takoma and NoMa-Gallaudet stations. Customers using express buses should add about 20 minutes to their travel time.
Local buses will operate between Takoma and NoMa-Gallaudet, with intermediate stops at Fort Totten, Brookland and Rhode Island Avenue stations. Customers using local buses should add about 30 minutes to their travel time.

Customers traveling between the eastern side of the Red Line and Downtown destinations may wish to consider using Green or Yellow line service between Fort Totten and Gallery Place as an alternate route. The local shuttle trip between Fort Totten and Takoma takes about 8 minutes.
Last train change: To allow for shuttle bus connections, the last train from Glenmont to Takoma will depart 38 minutes earlier than normal on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The train will leave Glenmont at 1:59 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 10:59 p.m. on Sunday.

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Nike Women’s Half Marathon on Sunday

By Prince Of Petworth

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Click map to enlarge

From MPD:

The following streets will close at 12:01 am on Saturday, April 27th for set up and will re-open at 11:59 pm, Sunday April 28th:

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW from 14th Street, NW to 12th Street, NW
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW from 12th Street, NW to 9th Street, NW

Complete Race Route after the jump. (more…)

The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge Closed Due to Technical Issue

By Prince Of Petworth

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Thanks to a reader for sending this incredible photo.

From DDOT:

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced access to The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge (South Capitol Street Bridge) currently remains closed in both directions. The bridge was closed earlier this morning for routine testing; however, due to technical issues that were experienced as part of the testing operation the bridge will remain closed until all proper operations are restored.

During normal opening and closing operations, the swing span is lowered and then turned or “swung” around in order to allow water traffic to pass. Crews test the swing span to ensure it operates properly and make any necessary repairs.

The bridge will be reopened to traffic as soon as the required repairs are completed.

For up to date related traffic alerts follow DDOT on Twitter at @ddotdc.

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