Archive: December 2007
The Weekend and Beyond
Bus Route Changes Metro is making changes in three dozen bus routes starting Sunday. The transit authority does this periodically to improve service, or at least get the schedules to match reality. The lengthy list of changes is posted on Metro's Web site for Virginia, Maryland and the District. Weekend Track Work Travel on Metro's Red, Orange and Green lines will be slowed this weekend as trains share a single track to get around maintenance and rail-car testing projects. This link will take you to a page on Metro's Web site that has the full details for each line. New Year, New Taxes As 2008 starts, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority will begin collecting the seven new taxes and fees authorized by the Virginia government this year to support transportation improvements. The tax plan affects Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties as well as the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax,...
By | December 28, 2007; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (1)
Tysons Road Work to Begin
Shortly after the New Year begins, motorists on Route 7 in Tysons Corner will start to feel the impact of the long-awaited Metrorail construction project. The region's most expensive transportation project will start off humbly: Washington Gas crews will begin to relocate the utility lines on the service road by Gosnell Road. But there's much more to come on Route 7. Eventually, the service roads on each side will disappear, Route 7's travel lanes will widen out and a median will be created to provide space for the elevated train line, which will bend onto Route 7 from Route 123. But this is what thousands of drivers will see first: The gas company crews will begin work on the service road between Gosnell and the first Route 7 entrance into the Pike 7 Plaza. A lane of the service road on this side of Route 7 will be closed until...
By | December 28, 2007; 6:04 AM ET | Comments (43)
Metro Expanding SmarTrip Sales
Metro learned a lesson when began requiring drivers to use SmarTrip cards for parking at the stations, but didn't have enough of the cards to meet the sudden demand. Starting Jan. 6, Metro will try to steer more bus riders toward using the electronic fare cards. The Metrobus fare will go up a dime unless riders pay with SmarTrip cards, and the transit authority says there will be plenty of cards available for people who want to buy them. SmarTrip cards have long been available online at Metro's Web site. But Metro is taking a couple of steps to get the cards out to the public. In early January, SmarTrip cards will be available to purchase for the regular $5 fee (in cash) at eight of the busiest bus stations from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Here are the dates and the places: -- Jan. 3 at Anacostia Metrorail station...
By | December 27, 2007; 5:30 AM ET | Comments (13)
Two Highway Projects Advance
Two highway deals announced this month will affect thousands of drivers in Virginia over the next few years: Construction of the High Occupancy or Toll lanes along the Capital Beltway is scheduled to begin in the spring, and construction of the final, crucial segment of the Fairfax County Parkway is scheduled to begin in 2009. Both projects are important for commuters who are likely to face increased congestion in the next few years because of the military base relocation program and the increasing development at Tysons Corner. Each project faced obstacles of the type that were bound to be overcome, because local leaders believed that the consequences of inaction would be dire. (The same will someday be said of the Tysons rail project.) The big project in dollars and distance is the $1.4 billion, 14-mile HOT lane program along the region's busiest highway. The deal between the state and the...
By | December 26, 2007; 9:26 AM ET | Comments (27)
Transportation Tips
Getting Away Stay cool out there. This is likely to be the toughest day for traffic congestion during the holiday period. It's a big getaway day for families. During the afternoon and evening, those long distance travelers will be sharing the roads with homeward bound commuters. Saturday is likely to be the second busiest travel day of the holidays, according to a traveler survey conducted by AAA. Wilson Bridge If you're planning to sneak back late from an out-of-town Christmas, watch for some potential delays at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Wednesday and Thursday nights between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. The drawbridges will be opened and closed several times for testing each night. Holiday Lane Closures The state transportation departments in Maryland and Virginia will suspended their temporary lane closures for the holidays. In Virginia, the closures will end at noon Monday and resume at noon on Wednesday. They will...
By | December 21, 2007; 5:02 AM ET | Comments (7)
How to Figure New Fares
Use this link to reach a page on Metro's Web site that will let you see what you're Metrorail fare will be as of Jan. 6, when the fares and fees approved by the Metro board last week take effect. On that page, you'll find a list of all the stations. Click on the name of your station and you'll be taken to a chart similar to the one that would appear on a station manager's kiosk. It shows the peak and off-peak fares to all the other stations. It also shows the reduced fare for senior citizens and disabled people. On another online chart, Metro provides an overview of all the fare and fee changes, including the charges for buses, various types of passes and parking. Here's a link to that page. Also, it appears to me that Metro has now made the fare adjustment in its Trip Planner...
By | December 20, 2007; 7:46 AM ET | Comments (26)
Connecticut Avenue Bridge Reopening
Drivers on Connecticut Avenue should find all the lanes on the Klingle Bridge open. The District Department of Transportation announced on Wednesday that the work in the lanes would end in time for the evening rush. This $9 million rehab job on the historic bridge began in September 2006, and the project is scheduled to continue until April. But it has progressed far enough to allow DDOT to reopen the lanes, which had been closed one by one for reconstruction. You won't see those red and green markers overhead anymore. Last fall, they were a source of some letters from commuters and Cleveland Park neighbors who worried that motorists would confuse them with stop and go signals at the nearby Macomb Street and Devonshire Place intersections. About 45,000 motorists travel across the bridge each day. DDOT says Cleveland Park residents also can expect less noise in the bridge area now...
By | December 19, 2007; 4:49 PM ET | Comments (1)
Planning Holiday Travels
What is your getaway day? This year, the Christmas holiday will create a four-day weekend for many -- sort of a Thanksgiving weekend in reverse, with the holiday at the end of the four days. Our region is likely to see its worst traffic congestion on Friday afternoon and evening. But John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic says an AAA survey suggests there will be several difficult travel days, starting with today: "Wednesday, December 19, is the third biggest travel day in the period," he said in an e-mail. In the AAA survey 16.4 percent of travelers indicate they will be leaving today, and plan to spend the longest time away from home, averaging nine nights. Who's able to get this early jump? People without children, of course. "In fact," Townsend said, "our research shows that nearly half of the overall traveling population this holiday will not be traveling with kids."...
By | December 19, 2007; 6:28 AM ET | Comments (13)
More Transportation Chat
During our biweekly online discussion on Monday, I ran out of time before I ran out of questions and comments from readers. That's the usual scenario. But this time I thought I'd post some of the ones that I didn't get to. Your thoughts on these would be most welcome. Transit The chat was very heavy on Metro issues, naturally enough, since the Metro board just approved its biggest every fare and fee increases. People argued all sides of that. Metro-area Resident: "For me, Metro is what it is. Really, Metro is not that bad. I think what folks don't realize are its problems are the result of "niceties" they like the most when comparing Metro to older subway systems. "Metro generally has nice facilities, and is thankfully clean. However, Metro is an over-capitalized system, which requires high ops and maintenance costs. I know this seems like a crazy question,...
By | December 18, 2007; 5:35 AM ET | Comments (19)
Commuting Challenges Ahead
Three items in Sunday's Post showed why my mailbag is likely to remained jammed with letters from angry and frustrated commuters, no matter how they travel to and from work. See how these traffic and transit issues fit together to create a challenge that will be impossible for the region to dodge. Commuters head toward District. (Robert Thomson) -- Tens of thousands of military jobs will shift from one part of the region to others in the next few years. The employees will either move closer to the new job sites, or not. Whatever their decisions, they'll wind up having an impact on a transportation system unprepared to accommodate them. Key choke points will be Fort Belvoir, Fort Meade and Bethesda. Only one, Bethesda, has good transit access. But even there, the main roads will be overwhelmed with traffic long before major new roadwork can ease the congestion. Steve Vogel...
By | December 17, 2007; 7:54 AM ET | Comments (11)
The Weekend and Beyond
The Weather Sleet, snow and freezing rain are all in the forecast for Saturday afternoon into Sunday. Here's a link to the National Weather Service forecast at AccuWeather.com. Our Traffic page now has road camera views on a clickable map of the region. Metrorail This Weekend The transit authority abandoned the experiment with four-car trains. (Yea!) But you'll still be dealing with delays resulting from single tracking around track maintenance and rail car testing. This will involve the Red, Blue, Orange and Green lines. Here's a link to a full description on Metro's Web site. Humpback Bridge Work Reconstruction of the Humpback Bridge on the George Washington Parkway just north of Interstate 395 is scheduled to begin on Jan. 7. Traffic delays on the parkway are likely during the 2-1/2 years the project will take to complete. All four lanes will be open during the rush periods, but some will...
By | December 14, 2007; 9:16 AM ET | Comments (7)
What Metro Left Unresolved
Metro customers will start to absorb the biggest ever increase in the cost of riding on Monday, Jan. 7, when the new peak fares and parking fees approved today kick in across the region. Highlights: The Metro board adopted the compromise pushed by its Maryland representatives, somewhat blunting the impact of the increases on suburban commuters who park at the outer stations and ride the trains for long distances while killing the proposal to offer more reserved parking spaces. Over 18 months, the plan should raise about enough money to balance the transit authority budget. But the Metro board's action today did not answer many questions that riders are asking of Metro, and that Metro board members are asking each other. Let's look at a few. Will customers desert? Nobody really knows. Among the 422 people who spoke during the six public hearings or submitted written comments to Metro, about...
By | December 13, 2007; 2:35 PM ET | Comments (34)
Help For Crowded MARC and Metrorail
Two sources of some joy today for rail riders: Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley announced that MARC's Penn Line will be getting three new trains to ease crowding during the afternoon rush and add night service, all starting in February. These are the three new trains: -- A 500-seat express leaving Union Station at 5:14 p.m., which the governor's announcement says should relieve crowding on the 5:20 p.m. train. -- A train leaving Baltimore at 10:30 p.m. and stopping at BWI Thurgood Marshall station to pick up late-arriving airport passengers heading for Washington. -- A train leaving Washington for Baltimore at 11:45 p.m., offering more flexibility for people who need to work late but want to take transit. Here's a link to the full text of the announcement from the governor's office. Meanwhile, Lena Sun wrote in today's Post that the prayers of many Metrorail riders have been answered: The transit...
By | December 12, 2007; 4:22 PM ET | Comments (5)
Fare Cards and Magnets
This reader has a problem so common among Metro riders that I thought I'd seek your advice. Dear Dr. Gridlock: I must say I've debated about who, at The Post, could best help me with a little problem I've been experiencing: Dr. Gridlock or Suzanne D'Amato in her fashion column. It's a dumb question that probably every commuter knows the answer to, but I clearly need some help. A couple of months ago, I found that my Metro fare card, with plenty of money on it, wouldn't work. At the window I was told it had become de-magnetized. Solution: Go to Metro Center, to the Sales Office, to get new cards issued. I admitted that I suspected it was my purse, with its many magnetic closures. The guy was patient enough to let me experiment with exactly how magnetic they were. Once satisfied that I knew which sections of the...
By | December 12, 2007; 5:33 AM ET | Comments (26)
Crowding on MARC
All our local rail systems -- Metro, MARC and VRE -- are providing a useful service to riders through their e-mail alerts, and MARC just upgraded its system. But useful as these systems are, they can also serve as a sad catalogue of inconvenience to customers. Just now, I saw this one for MARC riders: "Penn Line - Due to a shortage of available cars train 428 (415p DP WASH) tonight and train 405 (555a DP BALT)tomorrow morning will be short one car. Expect severe overcrowding on both of these trains. We regret the inconvenience." My mailbag often includes letters from MARC riders contending for the dubious honor of riding on the most delayed or most crowded line. Just judging from the mail, the winner often appears to be the Brunswick Line, to the west of Washington, but lately I've been hearing from Camden and Penn riders. An online chat...
By | December 11, 2007; 4:11 PM ET | Comments (4)
5-Minute Drill on Transportation
It was a great idea: Get a bunch of transportation experts into a room and tell them they can each talk for five minutes. By the time they were done, they had knit together the progress made and the challenges still ahead as the Washington region struggles to keep people mobile. The Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, which sponsored this seminar on Oct. 4, has put the speakers' talking points, charts and maps online. Here's a link to a 100-page pdf file based on the presentation. The focus was on the problems and potential for transportation progress in Northern Virginia -- the Dulles rail project, the efforts to improve the Virginia Railway Express and the HOT lane construction program -- but much of the material was of interest to the entire region, including population growth, land use issues and travel trends. Like this, from John McClain, deputy director of the Center...
By | December 11, 2007; 8:28 AM ET | Comments (4)
Service Resumes on Green Line
A previous incident was creating major delays for afternoon commuters. Release from wmata.com warns commuters of Green Line delays: Metrorail customers can expect major delays along the Green Line this afternoon due to an individual who was struck by a train as it pulled into the Fort Totten Metrorail station headed in the direction of Branch Avenue.Trains are single-tracking through the area, taking turns headed in both directions between West Hyattsville and Georgia Ave-Petworth Metrorail stations. Shuttle buses have also been requested to help passengers get around the incident. The free shuttles are likely to start arriving at these affected stations by 5:30 p.m. Customers who can use the Red Line to get around the situation by transferring at Gallery Place-Chinatown Metrorail station or at the Fort Totten Metrorail station are encouraged to do so....
By washingtonpost.com editors | December 10, 2007; 5:07 PM ET | Comments (1)
Longer Trains, Shorter Trains
There are more eight car trains on Metro during peak periods this week, and more four car trains during off peak periods. Metro adds and subtracts train cars. (Gerald Martineau) Metro today will expand lengthen three Red Line trains into eight-car trains. On the Orange and Green lines, two trains will be lengthened to eight cars during the rush periods. This is because Metro has added 20 new cars to its fleet. The remaining cars out of the 20 will be held in reserve in case another train must be withdrawn from service because of mechanical problems. But the gap between peak and off peak service is growing this winter. During the off peak periods and weekends, you're more likely to see four-car trains on all the lines. Metro is trying to save money during the season when the ridership is lower. When the tourists return in March, the trains...
By | December 10, 2007; 8:01 AM ET | Comments (20)
The Weekend and Beyond
Here are some notes about local travel this weekend and some planning information for next week. Friday Road Conditions The forecast warns of a light wintery mix today and the temperature is hovering around the freezing point, so while the roads may appear clear, watch out for the possibility that some patches may be slick, particularly on bridges and overpasses, which were such a problem during Wednesday's storm. Because of the bad weather, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge will not have the usual two-way traffic on one span during the Friday afternoon peak, but this safety precaution probably will increase travel times for people heading home that way. Weekend Metrorail Delays The track maintenance and rail car testing program will slow service on all the lines. This page on Metro's Web site describes the impact on each line. But Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel sent along this update about work on the...
By | December 7, 2007; 11:42 AM ET | Comments (4)
Traffic, Transit Congestion
The street closings around the Ellipse and White House for the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony begin at about 3 p.m. today, and will cause heavy traffic congestion in the heart of the District. The tree lighting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Key closing: Constitution Avenue between 15th and 17th streets from about 4 to 6:30 p.m. These are the Metrobus routes likely to be delayed and detoured: 13A, 13B, 13F, 13G, H1, L1, P1 and X1. The Maryland Transit Administration announced it is going to detour some of its commuter buses this afternoon. 907 & 995 Route Detours: 19th Street to left on H Street to right on 14th Street to left on Constitution Avenue. Stops not served: 19th between Pennsylvania Avenue and H Street. and 19th Street and E Street. 929 Route Detour Constitution to right on 14th to left on I (Eye) Street. to right on 18th...
By | December 6, 2007; 2:40 PM ET | Comments (4)
Snow Traveling
Driving around at midafternoon, I noticed that the commenters on the previous blog entry offer up to the minute advice: Visibility and speed are likely to be the traffic problems as you head home. Pavement on the Beltway's outer loop in Silver Spring was clear. (Robert Thomson) Knock the snow off your car, including the roof, for your sake and that of your fellow drivers. And turn your headlights on. The main roads I traveled were in pretty good shape. But conditions can change quickly. An easy drive on a main road can become problematic as you cross a bridge or overpass, where you may quickly encounter snow, slush or ice. That and poor visibility are two good reasons to keep speeds down this afternoon. Here's University Boulevard, also looking good. (Robert Thomson) And don't let the relatively good conditions on the main roads deceive you about what you'll encounter...
By | December 5, 2007; 1:30 PM ET | Comments (18)
Weather and Other Advisories
Main roads remain clear, but the snow is falling more heavily in many areas than it was during your morning commute. If you made it to work just fine, don't get over confident about the afternoon trip. Be particularly careful on bridges and overpasses. Camera views show them starting to turn white with snow in some areas. Metro The trains are slow this morning, because two seasons have come together: We've got snow and leaves falling on the tracks. If your trip involves above ground stations, build in extra time. The train speeds have been cut to 30 mph from the normal operating speed of 55 mph. Bus service will vary with your route. You may very well be waiting longer than usual, and your bus may detour around slippery or blocked roadways. Don't count on the "Next Bus" system of real-time schedule information, even if you're seeing signs for...
By | December 5, 2007; 10:44 AM ET | Comments (11)
Metro Testing Rail Cars
Metrorail today launched a few new test cars that incorporate some of the design elements that could help save wear and tear on the trains and increase their capacity and comfort. That will be partly for you to decide. Here's what to look for: -- In rail cars 6104 and 6105, there's no carpet on the floors. Metro is testing a new, resilient material as flooring. It's supposed to last longer and be easier to clean. The transit authority says it will check the material every day to make sure it's holding up and also will get rider reaction. Grab bars are placed along ceiling rails to reach shorter riders. (Metro photo) These test cars also have stainless steel grab bars overhead. These should help out shorter commuters who have been complaining that the newest cars, the 6000 series don't have enough convenient places for standees to get a grip....
By | December 4, 2007; 1:54 PM ET | Comments (14)
New Figures For Purple Line
The Purple Line transitway across Montgomery and Prince George's counties would take people on as many as 47,000 trips a day and get them between Bethesda and New Carrollton in 46 minutes, according to a study distributed last night by the Maryland Transit Administration. Michael D. Madden, the state's manager for the project, said the ridership estimates compare well with those of other such projects across the nation. That will be important -- as the Dulles rail project shows us -- when Maryland asks the federal government to help finance construction. Those ridership and time estimates are for the high-end version of the project: a light rail system that might cost $1.79 billion, according to the study. At the lower end, the state could invest $105 million in improvements to the existing transit system, upgrading bus service and traffic controls for an estimated 108 minutes of travel time between Bethesda...
By | December 4, 2007; 7:47 AM ET | Comments (29)
Central Avenue Bridge Reopens
Commuters from Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties can end three and a half months of detours around a bridge over the Patuxent River. The Maryland State Highway Administration announced the reopening of the Central Avenue span today. Cleanup work is going to continue for several weeks, the SHA said in a statement, but the rebuilt bridge is open to traffic. Also, there will be some single lane closures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. for about a week. The bridge, built in 1925, was carrying 11,000 vehicles a day when the state shut it down for extensive repairs that included replacement of corroded steel plates, installation of a new concrete deck and repainting. The project cost $3 million....
By | December 3, 2007; 4:46 PM ET | Comments (1)
Purple Line Planning Tonight
The Maryland Transit Administration is beginning a round of open houses tonight to update the public on planning for the Purple Line, one of two transit lines I hope will be built across the suburbs north of Washington during the next decade. Signs at 2006 campaign rally in Langley Park. (Robert Thomson) The Purple Line would be either a light rail or bus rapid transit system linking Bethesda with Silver Spring and New Carrollton. The planning process is a mini-version of what Virginia is going through in launching the rail line through Tysons Corner to Dulles. Project managers must pick a route and prove to the federal goverment that the cost per passenger will justify a federal contribution to the construction program. Like the Virginia project, the Purple Line isn't just about moving people. It also is an opportunity to focus suburban development on transit stations, reshaping communities to meet...
By | December 3, 2007; 8:15 AM ET | Comments (67)
