By Robert Thomson
Sunday, April 20, 2008; C02

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I was one of the lucky ones to go to Nationals Park Thursday for the pope's Mass. I traveled from Virginia to the Navy Yard Metro stop -- along with several hundred others at the precise time I was in the system along that route.

Metro personnel were top-notch in crowd education and control. There were plenty of them at transfer points and at the destination, and they were moving everyone in the right direction, indicating the right stairs and the right trains -- especially helpful because visibility through the crowd was nil.

And the train operator was excellent in advising riders beforehand, clearly and distinctly, about where to exit. It was so helpful to know how and what to do where.

Thanks to Metro for the foresight, planning and great execution that made it an absolutely wonderful rider experience.

Kathleen Westmoreland

Arlington

Aboard Metrorail Thursday morning, it was easy to tell the commuters from the worshipers: The worshipers were smiling.

Their patience and calm during one of our transportation system's most challenging days helped a lot, but so did the planning and performance of the transportation agencies.

Metro had Transit Police and station workers lining the platforms at critical points. Most were active and gave good directions, although some clustered with fellow employees. The operator of my Green Line train to Navy Yard Station made clear and helpful announcements.

Worst moment: The doors malfunctioned on a stadium-bound Green Line train at crowded L'Enfant Plaza, and it had to be taken out of service. This was at 7:44 a.m., a crucial time, since the worshipers were told to be at the stadium by 8:30 a.m.

It resulted in a lengthy gap between trains at Navy Yard Station -- 19 minutes by my watch -- but the rebuilt station, the Metro personnel and the passengers handled it well. It took about five minutes to clear the platform after each train arrived from downtown. Transit officers directed passengers to both exits, and I never saw any sign that the platform had reached capacity.

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

Is the fare determined by the time one enters the Metrorail system or the time one exits?

I filled out an application for a senior ID Jan. 28, within the 30 days before my 65th birthday. It took almost two months to receive it. The next business day, I used the remaining value of my standard SmarTrip card to go to Metro Center to purchase a senior SmarTrip card, rather than wait to get it in the mail.

I walked to the Kennedy Center and then George Washington University, reentering Metro at Foggy Bottom at 2:30 p.m. and arriving at my home station, Glenmont, at 3:05 p.m. To my surprise, I found that $2 had been deducted (the off-peak fare between the two stations is $2.35, and the full fare is $4).

Gary Goldberg

Silver Spring

First, this two-stage process for getting the SmarTrip card for seniors should be simpler and faster.

Seniors must apply for an identification card, then get the senior SmarTrip card to ride.

Second, I know the fare structure confuses seniors, because I've gotten many inquiries about it since the fares went up after Jan. 6.

Fares are based on the time of day and distance traveled. Some discounts are available. The senior discount means people 65 and older pay half the regular fare. The regular fare is the rush-hour fare.

In January, the rush hour fare shot up while the reduced, off-peak fare remained the same. So for some off-peak trips, people who went through the two-step hassle of applying for the senior discount now find they're not saving much money.

Speaking of confusing rules, we recently discussed how far a driver must move a vehicle after a meter expires. Montgomery County spokeswoman Esther Bowring provided this helpful information:

"I saw the letter from a Bethesda resident [Dr. Gridlock, April 3] who wrote in about meter feeding.

"I just wanted to clarify Montgomery County's policy about this issue. If an on-street meter expires, a car must move to another block. For example, if a car is parked in the 800 block of a street, the car cannot park in another parking space on that block (including across the street).

"If a person parks at a two-hour space in a garage, they can move to a 15-hour space once their time is up. They are not required to leave the facility; they just cannot move to a new two-hour space."

Dr. Gridlock appears Thursday in the Extras and Sunday in the Metro section. You can send e-mails todrgridlock@washpost.com. Include your name, home community and phone numbers.

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