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Dear PoPville,

I was hit, while driving, by the #54 bus on 14th St. NW in the SB lane this morning and didn’t get the bus number. I am hoping that someone who reads this was on that bus and could possibly help me out. The accident occurred at about 7:57 near 14th and Lamont. I attempted to stop the bus at the stop at 14th and Euclid by banging on the door but the driver. So, if anyone remembers a semi-crazed looking blonde girl banging on their bus door this morning or a loud noise from the bus hitting a gray Dodge Avenger and happens to know the bus number or ANY information that could be helpful to me, I would greatly appreciate it. I know that I should have seen and remembered the bus number but it all happened so fast that I totally blanked.

Photo by PoPville flickr user maria jpeg

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 October 19-21, 2012, on the Red, Orange and Green lines. The work will begin at 10 p.m. Friday and continue through system closing on Sunday.

Red Line: Buses will replace trains between Grosvenor and Friendship Heights to allow for rail renewal, fastener replacement, grout pad rehabilitation and leak mitigation. As a result, trains will operate in two segments: between Shady Grove and Grosvenor, and between Friendship Heights and Glenmont. Between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Red Line trains will operate every 10 minutes. At other times, trains will operate at regular weekend intervals. Customers traveling through the work zone should allow about 30 minutes of additional travel time. (Note: On Friday and Saturday nights, the last Red Line train from Shady Grove to Grosvenor will depart at 1:58 a.m., 32 minutes earlier than normal, to allow for shuttle bus connections. On Sunday night, the last train will depart Shady Grove at 10:58 p.m.)

Orange Line: Buses will replace trains between East Falls Church and West Falls Church to allow for testing associated with the Silver Line extension project. As a result, trains will operate in two segments: between Vienna and West Falls Church, and between East Falls Church and New Carrollton. Trains will operate at regular weekend service intervals. Customers using shuttle bus service should allow about 20 miinutes of additional travel time. (Note: On Friday and Saturday nights, the last Orange Line train from Vienna will depart at 2:05 a.m., 20 minutes earlier than normal, to allow for shuttle bus connections. On Sunday night, the last train will depart Vienna at 11:05 a.m.)

Green Line: Trains will single track between Greenbelt and College Park to allow for construction associated with a new track to test 7000-series railcars. Every other train will originate/terminate at College Park, rather than Greenbelt. Green Line trains will operate normally, at regular weekend intervals, between College Park and Branch Avenue. Customers traveling to or from Greenbelt Station only should allow about 10 minutes of additional travel time.

Also note:

“The Metrorail system will open two hours early, at 5 a.m., on Sunday, October 21, for the Army Ten-Miler.”

Photo by PoPville flickr user philliefan99

From a press release:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray today announced he has established a Streetcar Financing and Governance Task Force to advise him on potential sources of funding and forms of governance for the District of Columbia’s emerging streetcar system.

The 14 member Task Force will be chaired by City Administrator Allen Y. Lew and will include 6 public members, appointed by the Mayor, with expertise in transportation systems design or engineering, public-private development partnerships, project financing and/or economic development.

Mayor Gray today announced he has appointed Jair K. Lynch, President and CEO of JAIR LYNCH Development Partners to serve as Vice Chair of the Task Force. The other public members include Richard H. Bradley, the Executive Director of the Downtown DC Business Improvement District (BID); Charles C. “Sandy” Wilkes, Chairman of The Wilkes Company; Matthew J. Klein, President of Akridge; Robert Puentes, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program; and Ginger Laytham, Senior Executive Officer to the President, CEO and Chairman of Clyde’s Restaurant Group.

The additional members include the Director of DDOT, the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, the Director of the Office of Planning, the Chief Financial Officer for the District of Columbia, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Budget and Finance, the Director of the Department of General Services, and the Director of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

The Task Force is expected to:

· Provide detailed annual cost estimates for the construction of each portion of the 22-mile priority segments of the planned 37-mile streetcar system, including separate estimates of any streetscape or ancillary improvements associated with construction of the streetcar system;

· Provide detailed annual cost estimates for the operation and maintenance of the streetcar system for at least the first eight (8) years of operation;

· Examine potential sources of funds, including District capital funds, special assessments, tax increment financing, private investments, value capture mechanisms, and federal funds, for the construction of the streetcar system;

· Examine potential financing options for the construction of the streetcar system, including options that minimize the impact of financing on the District’s debt cap;

· Examine potential sources of funds for the operation and maintenance of the streetcar system, including District operating funds, special assessments, fare box revenue, advertising revenue, regional contributions, and federal funds;

· Propose reasonable timelines for the construction of each portion of the streetcar system, based on the funding and financing models;

· Examine potential forms of governance for the construction and operation of the streetcar system, including the establishment of an independent agency; and

· Transmit to the Mayor written reports of its findings and recommendations.

The Task Force will sunset on December 31, 2013.

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From WMATA:

Red Line service is subject to delays in both directions due to a person struck by a train at Farragut North Station. The incident occurred at approximately 10:56 a.m. and involved a Shady Grove-bound train.

The individual who was struck was fatally injured. There is no further description of the individual at this time.

Currently, Red Line trains are single tracking between Judiciary Square and Dupont Circle with delays in both directions. Farragut North Station remains open. At Dupont Circle, Farragut North, Metro Center, Gallery Place and Judiciary Square, all trains are boarding on the Glenmont-bound track.

Photo by PoPville flickr user johnmcochran2012

The ongoing effort to rebuild and upgrade the Metrorail system to provide safer and more reliable service will continue over the weekend of October 12-14, 2012, on the Red and Green lines. The work will begin at 10 p.m. Friday and continue through system closing on Sunday. Metro will delay the start of this weekend’s track work, originally scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. tonight, to accommodate customers traveling home from the Nationals game. The track work will start following the game, once crowds have dissipated.

While there is no track work on the Yellow Line, trains will operate to and from Mt. Vernon Square, rather than Fort Totten, due to track work on the Green Line.

There is no scheduled track work this weekend on the Orange or Blue lines.

Red Line trains will single track through two work zones:
• Between Grosvenor and Twinbrook to allow for rail joint elimination for a smoother ride and platform repairs
• Between NoMa-Gallaudet and Fort Totten to allow for track maintenance, structural repairs, insulator renewal and DDOT bridge work

Throughout the weekend, Red Line trains between Glenmont and Shady Grove will operate every 20 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 the work zones should allow about 15 minutes of additional travel time.

Green Line trains will single track between Fort Totten and Prince George’s Plaza to allow for tie and insulator renewal. Throughout the weekend, trains between Greenbelt and Branch Avenue will operate every 16 minutes. Customers should allow about 10 minutes of additional travel time.

Due to track work on the Green Line north of Fort Totten, all Yellow Line trains will operate between Huntington and Mt. Vernon Square only. Customers traveling to/from stations north of Mt. Vernon Square should use Green Line trains to complete their trip.

Photo by PoPville flickr user JoshBassettPhotography

From WMATA:

The ongoing effort to rebuild and upgrade the Metrorail system to provide safer and more reliable service will continue over Columbus Day weekend, October 5-8, 2012, on the Red and Orange lines. The work will begin at 10 p.m. Friday and continue through system closing on Monday.

There is no scheduled track work this weekend on the Blue, Yellow or Green lines.

Red Line trains will single track between Judiciary Square and Fort Totten to allow for track maintenance, tie and fastener renewal, and platform reconstruction. As a result, trains between Grosvenor and Shady Grove will operate every 26 minutes throughout the weekend. Between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, additional trains will operate between Shady Grove and Judiciary Square only, resulting in service about every 13 minutes between those stations. Customers traveling on the eastern leg of the Red Line should allow about 20 minutes of additional travel time; customers on the western leg and downtown should allow about 10 minutes of additional travel time.

Orange Line trains will single track between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly to allow for track maintenance and station rehabilitation. During daytime hours on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, every other Orange Line train from Vienna will terminate at Stadium-Armory and return to Vienna. As a result, customers traveling to/from stations east of Stadium-Armory should allow about 15 minutes of additional travel time. Between Vienna and Stadium-Armory, trains will operate at normal weekend intervals.