Metro track work, C&O Canal parking, Rt. 50 courtesy: Dr. Gridlock’s traffic, transit tips

Track work eases

Metro announced last week that it won’t routinely schedule midday track work in the congested downtown corridor for the rest of this year.

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Although the transit authority isn’t making any promises for 2013, this does represent a bit of a break in a maintenance program that requires trains to share tracks when many people are traveling between heavily used stations. But we’re still not off the hook for late-night and weekend maintenance, which disrupts rides for tens of thousands of people.

This weekend, for example, crews are out on all the lines. They are performing work on rail ties and insulators, installing cables that will gradually upgrade cellphone service in the tunnels, making improvements to third rails, and replacing platform tiles.

The major track work scheduled for next weekend will close the Red Line’s Bethesda and Medical Center stations.

Dupont escalators

One important maintenance project occurring out of sight is the replacement of the three long escalators on the south side of Dupont Circle. Metro’s latest status report says one of the new escalators is installed.

Demolition has begun on the third. When that’s done, the workers will install the last two new ones. (The safety plan requires that one escalator always be available to serve as an emergency staircase in an evacuation.)

The transit authority says the project is on schedule to finish in October.

C&O Canal parking

Repairs continue on the retaining wall for the C&O Canal towpath, and that requires periodic closures of all parking areas across from the Old Angler’s Inn on MacArthur Boulevard, the National Park Service says.

Vehicles generally are prohibited from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in the upper lot and the lower drop-off lot.

Limited parking is available after 5 p.m. Alternative parking is available at Carderock, which is two miles east, and at Great Falls, 2.2 miles west. The project is scheduled to be done this fall.

Respect the locals

During my online discussion Monday, an Eastern Shore resident directed a plea to those of us who use Route 50 for summer getaways.

“Please understand that we live there!” the commenter wrote. “Yes, Route 50 gets bad, but if someone is trying to get on the highway, do not refuse to allow them to merge into traffic because you are crabby about being held up reaching your vacation destination.

“I leave my house to run errands by about 7 a.m. on Saturdays in July and August, because even though I only have to travel a short distance to the 50/301 split, the beach-bound drivers will not allow me to merge into traffic.”

Metro auditions

The arts program known as MetroPerforms! will hold auditions Tuesday for singers, dancers, musicians, poets and other live performers who want to show off their talents — for free — at station entrances over the next several months.

Performances at Metro stations and on the Mall will take place from July through September.

This program has entertained passersby for several years, but for the first time, the artists selected for station performances also will be invited to perform at the Music on the Mall program during the same time period.

The auditions are set for 5 to 7 p.m. at Metro headquarters, 600 Fifth St. NW. It’s first come, first seen and heard.

VRE delays

Another Monday of track work on the Virginia Railway Express Manassas Line is likely to delay riders. Norfolk Southern crews are out along the railroad this weekend and will be active for several hours Monday.

Last Monday, this delayed morning commuter trains from 10 to 27 minutes, VRE says, so managers recommend that riders consider taking an earlier train Monday morning.

For more transportation news, visit washingtonpost.com/transportation.