Transit

Red Line trains are single tracking between Friendship Heights and Van Ness

By Prince Of Petworth

From WMATA:

Red Line trains are single tracking between Friendship Heights and Van Ness stations due to a broken rail outside Tenleytown Station. Metro personnel are at the affected location and will work over the next several hours to replace the affected section with a new 39-foot piece of rail.

Until repairs are completed, Red Line customers should allow additional travel time, as trains traveling between Friendship Heights and Van Ness will encounter delays in both directions.

The repair effort could affect the early portion of today’s rush hour on the Red Line.

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work

By Prince Of Petworth

WMATA_weekend_metro_track_work_dc
Photo by PoPville flickr user pablo.raw

From WMATA:

The ongoing effort to rebuild and upgrade the Metrorail system to provide safer and more reliable service will continue over the weekend of March 1-3, 2013, on the Red, Orange, Blue and Yellow lines. The work will begin at 10 p.m. Friday and continue through system closing on Sunday.

There is no scheduled track work this weekend on the Green Line.

Red Line
• Free shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains between NoMa-Gallaudet and Takoma for ongoing platform reconstruction, communication system improvements, rail renewal and DDOT bridge work.
• Three stations will be closed: Rhode Island Ave, Brookland and Fort Totten.
• Red Line trains will operate in two segments: between Glenmont and Takoma, and between NoMa-Gallaudet and Shady Grove.
• Trains will operate every 10 minutes from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. and every 15 minutes at other times.
• Shuttle bus service will operate between NoMa-Gallaudet and Takoma stations. Customers using shuttle bus service should add up to 40 minutes to their travel time. Customers can use Green Line trains between Fort Totten and Gallery Place to avoid the work zone.

Blue Line
• Free shuttle buses will replace Blue Line trains between Crystal City and Braddock Road for NTSB-recommended track circuit module replacement, rail joint elimination, tie renewal and other track improvements.
• Reagan National Airport Station will be closed.
• Blue Line trains will operate in two segments: between Crystal City and Largo Town Center, and between Braddock Road and Franconia-Springfield every 16 minutes from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. and every 20 minutes from 9 p.m. until system closing.
• Shuttle bus service between Crystal City and Braddock Road will operate on two routes: Express buses will operate between Crystal City and Braddock Road only; customers should add 15 minutes of additional travel time. Local buses will operate between Crystal City and Braddock Road serving Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; customers traveling to or from Reagan National Airport should allow about 15 minutes of extra travel time.

Yellow Line
• Free shuttle buses will replace Yellow Line trains between Crystal City and Braddock Road for NTSB-recommended track circuit module replacement, rail joint elimination, tie renewal and other track improvements.
• Reagan National Airport Station will be closed.
• Yellow Line trains will operate in two segments: between Crystal City and Mt Vernon Sq, and between Braddock Road and Huntington every 16 minutes from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. and every 20 minutes from 9 p.m. until system closing.
• Shuttle bus service between Crystal City and Braddock Road will operate on two routes: Express buses will operate between Crystal City and Braddock Road only; customers should add 15 minutes of additional travel time. Local buses will operate between Crystal City and Braddock Road serving Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; customers traveling to or from Reagan National Airport should allow about 15 minutes of extra travel time.

Orange Line
• Orange Line trains will single track through two work zones: between East Falls Church and West Falls Church for Silver Line testing, and between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly to allow for platform reconstruction, tie and insulator renewal, and track maintenance.
• Orange Line trains will operate every 24 minutes throughout the weekend.
• Customers traveling on the Orange Line should allow about 15 minutes of additional travel time.

DDOT Launches Study of Union Station-Georgetown Transit Options

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user mosley.brian

The following was written by Ben Ball. Ben is a transportation nerd in his spare time and lives in LeDroit Park.

Crossing the northern part of downtown is a hassle.  Jammed buses, increasing traffic, and maxed out Metro stations are already part of daily life for those who live or work in the area.  The District’s transportation planners realize this, and are already working on new transit options for the long corridor between Union Station and Georgetown.

DDOT held the first in a series of public meetings to lay out options, ask for feedback, and ultimately make a decision on how to proceed.  To a certain extent, DDOT has already tipped its hand – the choice is really between an expansion of the forthcoming H St streetcar line and the creation of a “bus rapid transit” system.  Given the investment the District has already made in streetcars, this is likely the pre-ordained choice.  In order to satisfy Federal funding guidelines, however, DDOT has to officially consider other options, including the possibility of not building anything.

Where would this new transit option go?  Between Mt Vernon Square and Washington Circle, there is really only one viable route.  K St is not only a straight shot through the area, but it also has the small frontage roads which can easily be repurposed into a streetcar line or a dedicated space for buses.  M St is theoretically another option, but there’s the whole problem of Thomas Circle to deal with, and the street width doesn’t allow for much creativity.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Black Stove

From WMATA:

The ongoing effort to rebuild and upgrade the Metrorail system to provide safer and more reliable service will continue over the weekend of February 22-24, 2013, on the Red, Orange and Green lines. The work will begin at 10 p.m. Friday and continue through system closing on Sunday.

Orange Line
• Free shuttle buses will replace Orange Line trains between Vienna and Ballston to allow for signal system integration with the new Silver Line extension.
• Four stations will be closed: Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church and East Falls Church.
• Orange Line trains will operate normally, at regular weekend intervals, between Ballston and New Carrollton.
• Shuttle bus service between Vienna and Ballston will operate on two routes: Express buses will operate between Vienna and Ballston only; customers should add 25 minutes of additional travel time. Local buses will run between Vienna and Ballston serving all intermediate stops; customers should add up to 50 minutes of travel time.

Red Line
• Red Line trains will single track in two work zones: between Friendship Heights and Van Ness to allow for track, fastener and insulator renewal, and between Takoma and Rhode Island Avenue to allow for platform reconstruction and rail joint elimination for a smoother ride.
• Throughout the weekend, trains between Shady Grove and Glenmont will operate every 24 minutes in each direction.
• On Saturday and Sunday, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. each day, additional trains will operate between Van Ness and NoMa-Gallaudet, resulting in service about every 12 minutes between those stations.
• Customers traveling through either work zone should allow about 20 minutes of additional travel time.

Green Line
Previously announced track work this weekend on the Green Line has been cancelled; Green Line service will operate normally. Work will take place on the Red and Orange lines only.

“Metro crime remains low in 2012”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user jacquesofalltrades

From WMATA:

Crime on Metro remained low in 2012 as a result of crime-prevention strategies, data-driven deployment of officers, and innovative policing tactics. That is the message Metro Transit Police (MPTD) Chief Michael Taborn will deliver Thursday during his security report to the Metro Board Safety and Security Committee.

Highlights of Chief Taborn’s presentation include:
• A Metrobus customer’s chance of being a victim of a crime was one in a million trips in 2012.
• Parking crime reached a ten-year low in 2012, with motor vehicle thefts down 17 percent and thefts from autos down 16 percent.
• Metrorail’s crime rate – 6.2 crimes per million riders – is lower than crime rates in most jurisdictions Metro serves.

“We always start with the belief that one crime is one too many, but smart, effective police work and cooperation from jurisdiction law enforcement is producing good results,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles. “I want to commend the entire Metro Transit Police Department—each civilian, officer, sergeant, lieutenant and the command staff—for their commitment, dedication and vigilance in 2012.”

Like many other transit agencies, Metro has seen an increase in so-called “snatch thefts” of smartphones, tablets and other high-value electronic devices. In response, Metro began using “crime suppression teams,” where undercover officers using decoy electronic devices place themselves in the path of crime, become “victims” and make immediate arrests. In 2012, a total of 149 Part I arrests were made as a result of crime suppression team activity.

Systemwide, Part I crimes against persons decreased 3.3 percent last year as compared to 2011 when MTPD crime-suppression team arrests are removed from the data. When the 149 suppression team arrest are included in the data, an increase of 4.5 percent is shown between 2011 and 2012.

MTPD uses a broad range of tactics to keep customers safe and crime rates low:
• Bi-weekly “MetroStat” meetings where crime trends are analyzed and resources are deployed based on data
• Use of crime-suppression teams to make immediate arrests of pickpockets and thieves
• New parking garage patrol tactics, including use of electric vehicles, crime prevention strategies and partnerships with jurisdictional law-enforcement agencies
• Enhanced Metrobus patrols, including high-intensity targeted enforcement
• Customer outreach and education about safety and security
• Support of a new FCC requirement to enable customers to permanently disable (“brick”) a stolen phone, thereby reducing resale value

Green/Yellow line delays due to person struck by train

By Prince Of Petworth

From WMATA:

Update: February 13, 2013 at 9:05 a.m.

Green and Yellow line trains are single tracking between Mt Vernon Sq and Archives with delays in both directions due to a person struck by train at Gallery Place.

The incident occurred at approximately 8:00 a.m. when an adult male placed himself in the path of an arriving northbound train. The incident appears to be intentional.

Customers should expect delays in both directions on Green & Yellow Line. Yellow Line customers in Virginia should consider using Blue Line as alternate.

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user beno2015

From WMATA:

The ongoing effort to rebuild and upgrade the Metrorail system to provide safer and more reliable service will continue over the weekend of February 8-10 on the Red and Orange lines. The work will begin at 10 p.m. Friday and continue through system closing on Sunday.

Red Line
• Red Line trains will single track through two work zones: between Shady Grove and Twinbrook, and between Rhode Island Ave and Takoma to allow for platform reconstruction, track maintenance and third-rail upgrades.
• Throughout the weekend, Red Line trains between Shady Grove and Glenmont will operate every 24 minutes.
• Between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, additional Red Line trains will operate between Grosvenor and NoMa-Gallaudet, providing service about every 10 minutes between those stations.
• Customers traveling through either work zone should add about 15 minutes to their travel time.

Orange Line
• Orange Line trains will single track through two work zones: between Ballston and West Falls Church for rail joint elimination and fastener renewal, and between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly for platform reconstruction.
• Orange Line trains will operate every 24 minutes throughout the weekend.
• Customers should add 15-20 minutes to their travel time.

New iPhone App Tracking DC Buses – BusTrackDC – Launches Today

By Prince Of Petworth

Dear PoPville,

I’m a DC resident and I read your coverage earlier this year about the demise of the NextBus DC app. Like many others, I used that app every day to help me ride the bus to work, and when it stopped working I started looking for a replacement.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find an app for my iPhone that combined all the features I wanted — easy location of nearby bus stops, bus arrival predictions, and route maps. So, I decided to make an app myself to solve the issue for myself and other DC residents, and BusTrackDC is launching today!

The app is for iPhone, it’s free, and it’s also open source. I’m hoping to engage people like me — developers who live in DC and are interested in helping — to make the app better over time. For now, the key features are:

  • finds bus stops near your current location, so you can see where you have to walk to catch the bus
  • clicking on stops brings up real time predictions from WMATA for when each bus line is due next at that stop
  • for buses without predictions from WMATA, the lines are still listed so you know what bus lines service that stop
  • clicking on a line brings up a route map for that line, so you can figure out if that mystery bus coming down the block is going your way

Metro weekend track work February 1-3

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user beno2015

From WMATA:

The ongoing effort to rebuild and upgrade the Metrorail system to provide safer and more reliable service will continue over the weekend of February 1-3 on the Red, Orange and Blue lines. The work will begin at 10 p.m. Friday and continue through system closing on Sunday.

There is no scheduled work this weekend on the Green or Yellow lines until 10 p.m. Sunday night.

RED LINE
• Red Line trains will single track between Farragut North and Judiciary Square to allow for ceiling tile replacement, structural repairs, and installation of new emergency call boxes.
• Red Line trains between Shady Grove and Glenmont will operate every 20 minutes throughout the weekend.
• Between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, additional trains will operate in two segments: between Shady Grove and Farragut North approximately every 10 minutes, and between Glenmont and Judiciary Square approximately every 10 minutes.
• Customers traveling through the work zone should add 10 to 15 minutes to their travel time.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

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