The Hot Afternoon Commute
As I hear about problems, I'll post them here ...
Driving. A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Loudoun, Frederick, Montgomery and Howard counties until 6:15 p.m., and more heavy weather may follow through the evening.
Trains slow. MARC says that the high heat has led once again to speed restrictions on the afternoon trains. This affects all lines, and riders should anticipate delays of 10 to 15 minutes.
The Camden Line already was having problems because of the oil truck fire on the Hanover Street ramp in Baltimore that shut train service all morning. But MARC says it is operating a "holiday" schedule this afternoon on the Camden Line.
Brunswick Line Train 881 is starting service from Silver Spring Station. Metro is honoring MARC tickets.
Metrorail. Metro, which suffered a derailment on the Orange Line yesterday afternoon, says all is good so far today. The Orange Line is back in business, though outbound trains are going slower through the derailment area.
Traffic. To get the latest on road conditions, check the map and camera views on our Traffic page. The motorcycle accident that was backing up traffic across the Wilson Bridge on the Capital Beltway's inner loop has been cleared.
Other useful sites are TrafficLand and traffic.com. When you're on the road in the afternoon, you can't beat Bob Marbourg, with traffic news every 10 minutes on WTOP radio.
In Baltimore, the ramp from southbound Hanover Street to southbound I-95 remains closed to repair damage caused by this morning's tanker fire. Drivers are being directed to turn right on McComas Street from
southbound Hanover Street. They should then make a U-turn at Key
Highway intersection, which will lead them to the McComas Street
entrance to southbound I-95.
By |
June 10, 2008; 2:24 PM ET
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Posted by: Jean | June 10, 2008 7:58 PM
Yeah, make it free and then decrease service. That makes a lot of sense.
This is how Obamacare will work.
Posted by: Anonymous | June 10, 2008 9:52 PM
You can't beat Bob Marbourg...unless you live in PG county. Then you get to hear the traffic report for everywhere in the DC area except PG county.
If they do throw a few words in for the poor souls in PG county, they'll be condensed to the point of uselessness (it doesn't help me to know that there are "delays on the Beltway through College Park" unless you tell me which direction is delayed, and where the delays start and end...)
Posted by: stuckman | June 10, 2008 11:44 PM
...and just for the record, yesterdays afternoon commute on metro rail was just as bad as the day before, thanks to (YET AGAIN) problems with the Orange line train near the Courthouse metro station. My 57minute commute was doubled in duration.
http://wtfmetro.blogspot.com/2008/06/metrofail-does-it-again.html
Posted by: Metro Man | June 11, 2008 8:53 AM
Mine, too, Metro Man. Not taking Metro tomorrow! Had enough!!
Posted by: :-( | June 11, 2008 5:51 PM
I am sitting on the brunswick line in an unmoving, unairconditioned commuter train. This is the third night in row that I will be at least 2 hours late getting home owing to MARC's apparent incapacity to operate an efficient commuter rail. In each of the three evenings there have been no announcements as to why; certainly no apologies; conductors are surly and discourteous. Does any have MTA Administrator's Paul Wiedefeld's email?
Posted by: b miller | June 11, 2008 6:01 PM
Question: What would happen if MARC or Wmata took over the Shara Desert?
Nothing much for 2 years and then there would be a shortage of sand.
Posted by: The "Pippi" | June 16, 2008 4:12 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
I'm not sure what time this went up, but about 5:30PM Metro started sending out alerts again on the Orange Line toward Vienna - with "mechanical failure" at Courthouse.
Once again, Metro buses were overcrowded, but unlike yesterday, no free rides for "Code Red" today.
Why doesn't "Code Red" mean there's a major system failure and because we want to move the most people the most efficiently - we'll waive fares?!
I would allow extra time in the morning to take the bus since there is likely some lingering problem at Courthouse stemming from the derailment yesterday.