We suggest you take the bus

If you’ve got folks coming in to town for a visit, or are planning to leave town for a visit, and were planning to take the Metro to the Airport, you’ll have to settle for shuttle bus service from the Pentagon station. Taking the shuttle could add significantly to your travel time, so plan an extra hour if you need it.

I guess the up side is that riders on the Blue and Yellow lines this Labor Day weekend, will be able to experience what it must be like in other cities, with express trains? Yeah, I was seriously not reading that WMATA release closely enough.  We’ll be wishing we could move to those express-train-possessing cities, instead!

More info on the weekend’s disruption is available from both WaPo and WMATA.

No longer needed for Non-Verizon users (photo courtesy Flickr user brownpau)

When my high school pal David asked if he should get an iPhone or Blackberry, I gave him my DC opinion.

While I’d love to have an iPhone, the AT&T exclusivity has always been a barrier for me taking the plunge. When I moved into the area three years ago, I sported a Motorola Razr and a Cingular cell phone plan. However I noticed that my service was lacking around my Clarendon neighborhood and at the office. So I switched to Verizon.

One of the added benefits of Verizon was it’s service underground on the Metro system. To this day I enjoy checking e-mails on my blackberry as I zoom (or wait) along the Orange line.

Of course my friend Dave doesn’t have this problem since he’s still in Boston but now I won’t have that problem as WMATA recently unveiled plans to phase in cell service from other major providers.

Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, AT&T and T-Mobile will work together to install service in the follow stations: Ballston, Bethesda, Columbia Heights, Crystal City, Dupont Circle, Farragut North, Farragut West, Federal Triangle, Foggy Bottom-GWU, Friendship Heights, Gallery Pl-Chinatown, Judiciary Square, L’Enfant Plaza, McPherson Square, Metro Center, Pentagon, Pentagon City, Rosslyn, Smithsonian and Union Station. The goal is to have wireless access up and running by Mid-October, and complete system-wide service by Fall 2010.

It’s too bad I recently re-upped my Verizon plan for two more years, otherwise I’d be thinking about making the jump. How about you? Will the expanded service in Metro make you think about changing cell phone plans?

Dude, where's my bus?

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.

Have a look and let us know what you think, DC.  Is it worth it after the years of waiting?

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.

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

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
• Adrian Fenty will hold a press conference soon
  

Here’s the official word from WMATA:

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.

This being said- avoid the Red Line at all costs.

Twitter has been crazy and DCist is all over the situation.

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:

Teddy Never Wins

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.

Whoops!

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!

To read all of the signage in the Metro system, it’s clear that the main reason they don’t want people to eat and drink on the trains is the mess.  Food spills and similar messes bring bugs and rats-a problem of some “other” subway systems they don’t directly mention in their ads.  Us clean, right, proper Washingtonians don’t want that.

Well if that’s they case, why is the prohibition against eating and drinking and not food and drink.  You can bring as much food and drink on the train as you like.  You can do your grocery shopping and get home, or bring you lunch and morning coffee to work-so long as you don’t eat or drink it on the train/platform.  But if you can spill your morning coffee by drinking it, you could spill it just by holding it (or you could drop your grocery bag, or leave your lunch on the train on accident or whatever.)   So if we are really worried about attracting vermin, shouldn’t this prohibition stop all food and drink coming on the train?

Well of course the next step is to say “Ah, but there is something in the act of eating and drinking that is more likely to cause a mess.  There is the movement of liquid and the potential for crumbs…it becomes more likely to cause a mess.”

First, this doesn’t undo my point that bringing any food onto the metro creates a potential for a mess.  Second if we think about the act of eating and drinking they, by definition, require both the taking into the mouth AND the swallowing of the food or liquid.  This means that if you put something into your mouth before you get on the Metro, and don’t swallow until after you are on the train you’re okay-you’ve only completed half the act.  Similarly, and more importantly, you could put food or drink INTO your mouth, not swallow until you were done and you’d be equally clear of any charge of eating or drinking.  You could even chew or swish if you like (which is why we can have gum and, potentially, use Listerine on the train), so long as you don’t start and finish the whole act of eating or drinking within the bounds of metro.

(See what happens when a lawyer who teaches an argument class has too much commuting time?)

That’s still going to make crumbs and have a potential for making a mess, even though you’re not eating and drinking.  (By the way, if you were following the rules you wouldn’t be allowed to swallow your gum or have a cough drop on the metro.  That seems a bit lame to me.)

Lastly, I’d like to speak to the unnamed metro system with the rats, or as I like to call it, the New York Subway system.  To hear Metro tell it, New  York’s public transportation is a toilet with a third rail and the people there just go to the bathroom on the floor and throw their food to the wild vermin that are so big they have to buy a fare to get into the stations.  This is totally plays into our biggest collective insecurity in Washington-namely the “We are inferior to New York” complex some walk around with.  If you can find away to tell a DC resident they are better than people in New York, they’ll vote for you ever time and sign up for your newsletter too.

First-let’s let go of the whole need for external validation by comparing ourselves to New York.

Secondly, let’s completely compare ourselves to New York…

The truth is the New York Subway isn’t that bad.  The trains are actually pretty clean, (I think the whole “no carpeting“ helps with clean up) the platforms aren’t really that dirty and rats don’t try to sell you the newspaper. Same in Boston-the T is slow as hell, but it isn’t filthy-and they sell coffee right in the stations!  Further, if we were to suppose that New York’s metro is a bit dirtier than the DC one, could it maybe have something to do with the fact that, I dunno, they have almost 17 times as many people as we do? Okay, if we look at the comparative metro area’s of New York and DC it’s more like 3 and a half times as many people, but the DC Metro area is huge comparatively.  Looking at the population density between the two cities, New  York is packed (three times as many people per square mile).

Also-look at the tracks here, you’ll see some rats.  And bugs.  The trains are in dark underground passages-it’s where they like to live.

I say that if a city with as many people as New York can keep its system as clean as it does while allowing food and drink on the train, we can handle the responsibility here in DC.

And Metro knows we can-that’s why there are trash cans on the platforms now.  They are there because Metro and all of the riders know that the Eating and Drinking prohibition is just a brown paper bag law-Metro employees have a lot better things to do than to enforce some nonsense law regarding food and drink.  The prohibition could just as easily (and more sensibly) be against making a mess, or littering.  I’d be much more inclined to pay a $25 cleaning fee than I would a $25 fine.

You want these astronomical metro fares to go down?  Well if we could eat and drink on the metro, we could set up a few coffee and newsstands inside to defray the costs of riding the train.

Back to the picture above-didn’t matter if the kid was drinking the smoothie or not.  It was going to spill or it wasn’t.  Why bother having a rule that is completely ineffective?

So I eat on the train.  I don’t make a mess, and I throw my trash away.  If I do make a mess, I promise I’ll do something to clean it up.  You should too.  Otherwise, I don’t give a non-existent rat problem’s ass if it bothers you.

Now this is why I stay away from the Cherry Blossoms.

"McGruff!" courtesy of Flickr user crashmaster007

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.