So, according to NextBus, the “next bus” (see what I did there?) heading for the Metro from my office will be arriving in a mere six minutes. Unfortunately, I don’t get to go home for a few more hours.
The utility shows arrival times for the next three buses at the desired location, which you can select by stop number (those little signs on every bus stop signpost) or just use the dropdowns to select your route, direction, and intersection. You can access the service from your computer, or a mobile device; and if you have a favorite location that you’ll be checking all the time (your home, your office) you can bookmark that custom location as well. Neato! Earlier this week the DC DOT introduced a similar system for Circulator buses as well.
Here’s the official from WMATA, complete with everything you need to know about commuting on Tuesday:
Red Line service will be severely impacted on Tuesday, June 23, as a result of a fatal collision on the Red Line on Monday, June 22, between the Fort Totten and Takoma Metrorail stations.
Red Line riders will have several options on Tuesday morning, however if they are able to avoid the Red Line, that may be the best option for Tuesday.
The Red Line will be operating in two sections on Tuesday. Trains will run back and forth between the Glenmont and Silver Spring Metrorail stations and between the Shady Grove and the Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood Metrorail station. All trains will be six- and eight-car trains on the Red Line and they will be running about 8 to 10 minutes apart. Trains are expected to be very crowded.
The Brookland-CUA, Fort Totten and Takoma Metrorail stations will be closed to Red Line traffic.
Free Metrobus shuttles will be available to take customers around the incident between the Silver Spring, Fort Totten, Brookland-CUA, Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood and Georgia Avenue-Petworth Metrorail stations. People can expect long waits for buses as a full Metrorail train often carries 100 people or more per car and a bus can only hold about 50 people at a time.
Metro officials recommend that customers who normally use the Red Line between the Glenmont and Silver Spring Metrorail stations should commute to Metrorail stations between the Shady Grove and Grosvenor-Strathmore Metrorail stations, or to use the following Metrobus lines to avoid the service disruption:
• Metrobus C8 line (Glenmont to White Flint)
• Metrobus Q2 line (Wheaton to Rockville)
• Metrobus C2, C4 line (Wheaton to Twinbrook)
• Metrobus J1 line (Silver Spring to Medical Center)
• Metrobus J2, J3, J4 line (Silver Spring to Bethesda)
• Metrobus L7, L8 line (Friendship Heights)
Metro officials also recommend that people utilize the Green Line from Greenbelt to the Fort Totten Metrorail station for service into downtown DC.
Be careful Red Line Metro Riders! RT @metro_man Red line crashed!
That was the tweet I got from MeggiePoo as I wrapped things up at my office. I wrote it off as a routine fender bender that causes most of the Metro Fails we all experience on a daily basis. I drive home from my office down the street to my home, thinking how lucky I am not to be stuck in the Metro system.
I arrived home and turn on NBC4 to see the dramatic image of two Metro trains collide and stack on top of each other. I listen and watch while eating dinner and started to take it all in. Mid-bite I realized that the accident happened on the same line my roommate takes from her Silver Spring office back home to Arlington. I drop my things and run to my cell phone.
Those were the longest 90 seconds of my life as I waited to see if she would answer.
My roommate finally did, she missed that train by five minutes and was stuck on the platform, however she was safe and found a ride home.
Here’s what we know now (see update below)
At least 4 people are dead (one confirmed to be a female WMATA employee- a train operator), over 100 are injured
One train has appeared to rear end the other- this is not a head to head collision
There have been reports that there was track work scheduled on the Red Line earlier today
FBI is on the scene to assist but there is no reason to suspect that this was a criminal act
The rest of the lines appear to be working but they are moving slow
A six-car Red Line train headed in the direction of Shady Grove derailed between the Takoma and Fort Totten Metrorail stations today and was involved in a collision with another train at 5 p.m. today, Monday, June 22.
Metro officials advise that people avoid the Red Line this afternoon. Trains are operating between Glenmont and Takoma Metrorail and between Shady Grove and Brookland stations for the remainder of the day.
There are preliminary reports of injuries on board, some serious. Emergency officials are responding to the scene.
As I return to watch more, my hopes and prayers go out to everyone in the District- I hope everyone makes it back home safe!
UPDATE 8:59 PM: As the night winds down let’s do a recap and review of the latest
A correction on an earlier title of the post, the Metro crash occurred on the Red Line between the Takoma and Ft. Totten Stations.
More detail and the actual accident: around 5 PM today a train was waiting on the tracks for the platform ahead to open up when another train slammed into it from behind. The trains were six-car trains and were headed in the same direction. The female operator of the trailing train died.
The Washington Post reports that at least six people are dead and scores of passengers are injured and are being described as “walking wounded” in what is being called the deadliest accident in Metro history. The last time two trains crashed was back in November 2004.
The Metro is still operating between Glenmont and Silver Spring and between Shady Grove and Rhode Island Avenue. Around the accident scene Metro is offering a shuttle bus service.
If you are seeking information on anyone that may have been riding on those trains should call the Metro Emergency Information line at 202-737-4404. If you live in Washington DC you can also call 311.
Metro reports that the sections of the Red Line where the accident occurred will be closed through tomorrow, so plan your commutes accordingly.
Here is video of the Mayor’s press conference earlier tonight:
After the Mayor was on, the Metro Chief provided more details on the accident:
This morning, I was greeted atop the Gallery Place Metro escalators by none other than No. 26 himself, President Teddy of the Racing Presidents Nats mascots. He was passing out little red coupon cards to try and entice folks to head for the ball park this Memorial Day weekend.
That’s because this weekend the Nats and O’s engage in a little interleague play to kick off the summer season. Now, the team is calling this the Battle of the Beltways, which might be a little generous. Each team is in the basement of its respective division, after all. But don’t despair, baseball fans…there’ll be fireworks on Friday night, Saturday is Hat Day (first 20,000 fans), and Sunday is Kids Jersey Day (#11 jersey for the first 10,000 kids). Selected seats are 25% off with coupon code, “Battle”. See you at the ball game!
Okay, well I’m glad somebody at WMATA is reading my posts-now if they’d only give me some credit!
NBC Washington is reporting that as early as this fall Metro might feature retail stores at 12 Metrorail stops. Everything from dry cleaning to food will be available if things go according to plan.
A plan they clearly got from my post a few weeks ago. Okay-maybe we just had the same idea, but I’ll take credit for it until someone shows me different.
Here it is though, commuters of DC; there isn’t much separation between selling food and drinks and being able consume them on the trains. My opinion was made pretty clear in my last post, but just to restate it-I think the eating and drinking ban was pretty ridiculous anyway and at least Metro will see some money out of it. Sadly, my gut says that it won’t bring a reduction in fares-but maybe it will keep prices from going up any time soon.
The idea will be brought to the Metro Board later this month and, if approved, proposals for retail shops will be solicited in June. Shops could start as early as late this fall.
As we leave another tourist-filled, sports heavy weekend behind us here in the District I’d like to share a few thoughts I have about eating on the metro. Throngs of people packed into tiny spaces, tourists collecting at the bottom of escalators and failing to understand that the train extends all the way along the platform-you may think that, as fed up as I already sound about PT in DC, that I’d be calling for you all to not bring your snack on the train.
On the contrary-I’m all for it. Full disclosure here- what follows is an updated post from my personal blog that posted just about a year ago (before my Metblog rebirth). Still, it was time to update and reintroduce the topic to a much wider audience (that’d be you).
The reason it all came back to me now is the picture above-taken during the cherry blossom weekend rush. Some kid spilled his smoothie (which he wasn’t drinking) over the rug. People had to step around it. So why am I okay with it? Well-read on!
I couldn’t avoid the crowds as I tried to make my way to a Heat/Wizards game over at the Verizon Center. These were the crowds I had to put up with at Metro Center.
Now this is why I stay away from the Cherry Blossoms.
Is DC crime so bad that even The Crime Dog becomes a victim? I was on Gmail and fellow DC Blogger and loosely related associated Meggie Poo had a link to a hilarious story in The Post. Apparently a Metrobus driver walked up to Crime Dog McGruff and punched him in the face. Unfortunately for the driver it wasn’t any old person in the costume but a DC Police officer. The driver fled scene on his Metrobus but was quickly pulled over and caught. When caught the driver explained that he assulted the mascot, “to be funny.”
I’m not going to lie, if I saw a video of someone punch The Crime Dog I’d probably laugh. However it was Metrobus driver , on the job,who pulled over his bus then saw the dog and decided to punch him. I really wouldn’t think about doing something that stupid if I was in uniform on the job. Would you? I have to say chalk this one up to another stupid crime. I also have to laugh at the fact that he punched an officer, not some average Joe, and will proabbly face stiffer charges. So remember if you decided to punch a mascot- he could be a cop.
Even though the it may have been traumatic to be one of those kids who saw the Crime Dog a victim of a crime in front of you, at least the Dog showed that crime doesn’t pay.
The bad news for inauguration goers (other than the obvious fact that we don’t want anyone to get hurt) is that Metro Center and Gallery Place stations are shut down (as in you can’t get in or out there) and that the crowding is so bad people cannot get in or out of the trains. Metro suggests Farragut North or Judiciary Square as stations to get out and then walk to the mall from-but at this point, if you were thinking of heading down there-the less metro you use the better.
Right now I’m going to say I’d rather get up late, walk to my TV or go to a watch party, and enjoy the ceremony. To me it looks like a hassle to even try and get into town.
Those were the words I wrote in my last post, as I decided at the time I wouldn’t try to go on the mall.
However something funny happened. I made the decision confident that I was falling into the position held by many other of my friends. However upon talking with them on Inaugural plans I found out that I am actually one of the few. All my friends know the risks and perils but still intend on giving it the old college try on Tuesday. (more…)
