Transit

Weekend Metro Track Work and Reminder of Fare Increase July 1st

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user AWard Tour

From WMATA:

Metro’s rebuilding efforts will continue over the weekend of June 29-July 1 on the Orange, Blue and Red lines.

Orange Line: Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, June 29, and continuing through system closing on Sunday, July 1, buses will replace Orange Line trains between Stadium-Armory and New Carrollton for track maintenance, tie and fastener renewal, grout work and platform rehabilitation. Five stations will be closed: New Carrollton, Landover, Cheverly, Deanwood and Minnesota Avenue. Orange Line trains will operate between Vienna and Stadium-Armory at regular weekend intervals. Free shuttle buses will operate on two routes: express service between New Carrollton and Stadium-Armory only, and local service between all closed stations. Customers using express shuttle bus service should allow 30 minutes additional additional travel time; customers using local shuttle bus service should allow up to 60 minutes of additional travel time.

Blue Line: Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, June 29, and continuing through system closing on Sunday, July 1, buses will replace Blue Line trains between Stadium-Armory and Benning Road for track maintenance, tie and fastener renewal, grout work and platform rehabilitation. Blue Line trains will operate in two segments: between Benning Road and Largo Town Center at regular weekend intervals, and between Stadium-Armory and Franconia-Springfield at regular weekend intervals. Customers traveling through the work zone should allow about 20 minutes of additional travel time.

Red Line: Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, June 29, and continuing through system closing on Sunday, July 1, trains will single track between Judiciary Square and Rhode Island Avenue for track maintenance, tie and fastener renewal and DDOT bridge work, and between Medical Center and Grosvenor for grout work and rail renewal. Trains will operate every 20 minutes between Glenmont and Shady Grove throughout the weekend. Customers should allow 10 minutes of additional travel time. Between 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., additional trains will operate between Medical Center and Judiciary Square, providing service every 10 minutes.

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

And a reminder that fares increase July 1st.

DDOT Issues Request for Information (RFI) for 22-Mile Priority Streetcar System

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

From DDOT:

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is exploring the potential of privatizing the District’s non-regional bus service and a 22-mile priority streetcar system as a means to accelerate delivery. As part of this process DDOT is asking for the private sector’s perspective and feedback in a Request for Information (RFI) issued this week. The RFI is an inquiry only, not a procurement, but the responses will help the District advance planning and development efforts for the project, which may result in the launch of a formal procurement.

The scope of the proposed project includes a combination of the following activities to support transit service within the District:

· Design, construction, financing, and on‐going operations and maintenance of a 22‐mile minimum priority streetcar network;

· Operations and maintenance of the DC Circulator bus system;

· Operations and maintenance of “non‐regional” bus service within the District currently operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (“WMATA”) ; and

· Purchase of vehicles as necessary to operate the above services.

The District anticipates a public-private partnership (PPP) could accelerate the delivery of the DC Streetcar system. Other potential benefits include allowing appropriate risk sharing; maximizing competition and leveraging available public funds; providing greater cost and schedule certainty for the District over the long‐term; and allowing for a more favorable payment profile for the District.

Metro Track Work This Week

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

From WMATA:

Metro will advance rebuilding efforts during off-peak hours Monday, June 25, through Friday, June 29, 2012.

Red Line
• Monday through Thursday, beginning at 10 p.m. each night, Red Line trains will single track between Judiciary Square and Rhode Island Avenue for cable replacement and DDOT bridge work. Customers should allow about 10 minutes of additional travel time.
• Monday and Tuesday, beginning at 10 p.m. each night, Red Line trains will single track between Friendship Heights and Medical Center for track circuit work. Customers should allow 15 minutes of additional travel time.
• Wednesday and Thursday, beginning at 10 p.m. each night, Red Line trains will single track between Twinbrook and Shady Grove for track circuit work. Customers should allow 15 minutes of additional travel time.

Orange Line: Monday through Thursday, beginning at 10 p.m. each night, Orange Line trains will single track between East Falls Church and West Falls Church for work associated with the Silver Line extension. Customers should allow 15 minutes of additional travel time.

Blue Line: Monday through Thursday, beginning at 10 p.m. each night, Blue Line trains will single track between Stadium-Armory and Addison Road for repairs to the “floating concrete slabs” beneath the rails. Customers should allow 15 minutes of additional travel time.

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Glyn Lowe Photoworks

From WMATA:

Metro Forward rebuilding efforts will continue over the weekend of June 22-24 on the Orange, Red and Blue lines. The work will begin at 10 p.m. Friday and continue through system closing on Sunday.

Orange Line: Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, June 22, and continuing through system closing on Sunday, June 24, buses will replace Orange Line trains between East Falls Church and West Falls Church to allow for cable installation for future Silver Line service. Orange Line trains will operate in two sections: between Vienna and West Falls Church at regular weekend intervals, and between East Falls Church and New Carrollton at regular weekend intervals. Customers using shuttle bus service should allow about 20 minutes of additional travel time. The last eastbound train will depart Vienna 20 minutes earlier than normal, at 2:05 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and at 11:05 a.m. on Sunday night.

Red Line: Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, June 22, and continuing through system closing on Sunday, June 24, trains will single track between Judiciary Square and Rhode Island Avenue for tie renewal work, and between Medical Center and Grosvenor for grout work and rail renewal. Trains will operate every 20 minutes between Glenmont and Shady Grove throughout the weekend. Customers should allow 10 minutes of additional travel time. Between 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., additional trains will operate between Medical Center and Judiciary Square, providing service every 10 minutes between those stations.

Blue Line: Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, June 22, and continuing through system closing on Sunday, June 24, trains will single track between Stadium-Armory and Addison Road to allow for repairs to the “floating concrete slabs” beneath the rails. Blue Line trains will depart Largo Town Center and Franconia-Springfield every 20 minutes. Customers should allow about 15 minutes of additional travel time.

There is no work scheduled this weekend on the Green or Yellow lines. As a reminder, Navy Yard Station will close at 10 p.m. Saturday night for a security drill.

Info on Navy Yard Station closure after the jump. (more…)

Marion Barry Wants to Block or Slow Down the H St Streetcar

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

Last week we learned that DDOT had selected a team to complete H Street/Benning Road streetcar line. Thanks to all who sent in links to the Washington Post article:

D.C. Council member Marion Barry has launched a last ditch effort to slow or derail the city’s planned street car line on H Street, arguing it’s not been well-thought out and is too expensive for the number of riders it will serve.

Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), chairwoman of the Committee on the Environment, Public Works and Transportation, said Barry’s resolution could delay council approval by at least 45 days. Cheh warns that could increase the price of the contract.

Metro Mess

By Prince Of Petworth


Farragut West 6pm Tuesday night

A reader sends in from Farragut West last night:

“Metro has stopped allowing people down to the platform going towards Franconia/Vienna due to massive crowds. Absolute mess with the new rush plus “service”. Have seen way too many people shoved and pushed trying to fit on already packed trains. Commuting into downtown to transfer to a southbound train adds a lot of time and inconvenience. Horrible idea. Picture doesn’t do the crowd justice- it was really uncomfortable.”

And this morning another reader sends:

“I thought of a new tag line for Metro, instead of RUSH PLUS, how about STAGNANT NEGATIVE?”

WMATA has tweeted about the Red line problem:

“Red Line continue single-tracking btwn Van Ness & Dupont Circle due to 3rd rail power problem (arching insulator). Delays 20-25 min. 9:11a”

After 16 Months the DC Taxicab $1 Fuel Surcharge Expires Tomorrow, June 20

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user AWard Tour

From the Taxi Cab commission:

The $1 per trip fuel surcharge DC taxis have been collecting from passengers for the past 16 months under a temporary regulation will expire midnight Wednesday, June 20, 2012, the DC Taxicab Commission announced today.

First imposed on March 3, 2011 when the price for regular unleaded gasoline in the District was $3.45 a gallon, it was extended July 27, 2011, November 18, 2011, and then for a third time March 6, 2012, when the gallon charge had risen to $3.85.

Projections now are for a continuing decline in fuel prices throughout the summer. The current average daily price in DC is $3.66.

“The Commission will continue to monitor the cost of gasoline throughout the summer and fall and should conditions change it will consider appropriate action,” Ron M. Linton, Commission Chairman, said.

How Was Your Rush + Commute?

By Prince Of Petworth

From WMATA:

Metro is enhancing rush hour to serve more customers, reduce crowding and provide new transfer-free travel opportunities. It’s all called Rush+ and it begins June 18, 2012.

Rush+ will improve service for nearly 110,000 customers on the Green, Yellow, Blue and Orange lines. Twenty-one stations will get more frequent service with six additional trains every hour of rush hour.

Was your commute improved?

This Weekend’s Metro Track Work

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user JosephLeonardo

From WMATA:

The massive effort to rebuild Metrorail will continue over the weekend of June 15-17, affecting schedules on the Blue, Orange, Yellow and Red lines. The work will begin at 10 p.m. Friday and continue through system closing on Sunday.

Blue Line

Buses will replace Blue Line trains at Franconia-Springfield and Van Dorn Street stations to allow for VDOT bridge work and track upgrades. Free shuttle bus service will operate between Franconia-Springfield, Van Dorn Street and Eisenhower Avenue stations. Blue Line trains will operate between Huntington and Largo Town Center every 20 minutes throughout the weekend. (Stations with combined Blue/Yellow line service will see a train arrive every 10 minutes.) In addition, trains will single track between Eastern Market and Stadium-Armory to allow platform rehabilitation, tile work and station dome repairs. Customers should allow 10 minutes of additional travel time, except those customers using shuttle bus service, who should allow 30 minutes of additional travel time. Customers who normally park at Franconia-Springfield or Van Dorn Street should consider using Huntington Station instead.

Orange Line

Orange Line trains will single track between Eastern Market and Stadium-Armory to allow platform rehabilitation, tile work and station dome repairs. Trains will operate every 20 minutes throughout the weekend. Customers should allow 10 minutes of additional travel time. Blue Line trains will operate 2 minutes before or after each Orange Line train.

Red Line

Trains will single track through two work areas: between Takoma and Forest Glen to allow for platform reconstruction and fiber optic cable installation and between Friendship Heights and Medical Center to allow for third-rail insulator renewal and rail joint elimination for a safer and smoother ride. Red Line trains between Shady Grove and Glenmont will operate every 24 minutes throughout the weekend. Customers should allow 15 minutes of additional travel time. Between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, additional trains will operate between Friendship Heights and New York Avenue stations, providing service about every 12 minutes through the downtown core.

Yellow Line

Because Blue Line trains will operate to and from Huntington, rather than Franconia-Springfield, Yellow Line trains will operate every 20 minutes between Huntington and Mt. Vernon Square throughout the weekend. Customers traveling to/from stations north of Mt. Vernon Square should use Green Line trains to complete their trip. Customers traveling on the Yellow Line should allow 10 minutes of additional travel time.

“DDOT Selects Design-Build Team to Complete H Street/Benning Road Streetcar Line”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user mosley.brian

From a press release:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced today that the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has selected the team of Dean-Facchina LLC to complete the design and construction of the District’s first modern streetcar line along H Street and Benning Road, NE. The proposed contract was sent to the Council this week for review and approval.

“This is an important step forward to ensure the streetcar line will be in operation late next year,” said Mayor Gray. “With this contract in place, residents will see immediate progress on the final construction needed to get the cars running on H and Benning.”

Dean-Facchina will be responsible for the design and construction of the western and eastern termini of the streetcar line, the overhead catenary power system, and the Car Barn/Training Center at Benning Road and 26th Street, NE.

“Design-build contracts overlap the design and construction phases, which can shave valuable time off the delivery schedule for projects like this,” said DDOT Director Terry Bellamy. “As soon as we issue the Notice to proceed the team will be able to hit the ground running to complete this line.”

Streetcar tracks and platforms were installed on H Street and Benning Road as part of the Great Streets Projects that were completed last year. The District also owns 3 streetcar vehicles and 2 additional vehicles are now under construction at the Oregon Iron Works/United Streetcar facility in Clackamas, Oregon.

Dean-Facchina LLC is a joint venture between M.C. Dean, Inc. and the Facchina Construction Company, Inc., a leading regional design-build heavy civil infrastructure firm. The Dean-Facchina Team was specially formed for this particular design-build project. Both firms have extensive experience working on District transportation project, and the team has named Systra and Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (JMT) as the lead designers for this project.

For more information about the DC Streetcar, please visit www.dcstreetcar.com.

So when do you think we’ll see the first streetcar rolling down H Street?

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