Roads and Rails

Do you think Metro has grown unreliable and become downright unpleasant? Or are you happy with your commutes on rail and bus? Does the thought of the intercounty connector (ICC) keep you up at night or does it seem like it's long overdue? And what of the moves by Maryland and Virginia to encourage the private sector to build road projects, such as widening the Capital Beltway?

Washington Post staff writers Eric Weiss and Lena H. Sun were online Monday, Jan. 8, at 11 a.m. ET to answer your questions, feel your pain and share the drama of getting from Point A to Point B.

A transcript follows.

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Eric Weiss: Good morning road and railers! Big news with Metro derailment and the return of winter. Lena Sun, our Metro expert is off today, so I'll try to answer what I can. So go ahead.

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Washington, D.C.: Yesterday's event on the Green Line may or may not be an indication of the maintenance issues Metro is currently dealing with, but it has served to bring attention once again to the state of the system. There are always plenty of opinions floating around about what to do to improve Metro, or whether it is worth its current level of funding, but I have to say that I'm honestly at the point of fatigue with the debate. I am convinced that Metro is worth the money, but shamed at the level of waste and mismanagement (albeit improving) that is holding it back. My question is: is there anything I can do? The Metro board is appointed. It's director, appointed. Its management, unaccountable to the ridership. Is Metro completely insulated from me, or is there indeed some way that I might participate in directing the future of this well-intentioned yet troubled system?

Eric Weiss: Metro board members are appointed by elected officials. I guess the answer to your question is to communicate your concerns to those who do the appointing.

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Washington, D.C.: In adjusting its fare structure to try and close the budget gap, Metro is planning to implement a rush-hour "congestion charge" to encourage people to travel at other times. Does Metro really believe that people's travel plans are so flexible? Most people's work hours begin when they begin, not when it's cheapest to arrive.

Also -- if SmarTrip cards save Metro money, as Metro says, why aren't there SmarTrip card dispensers in every station, rather than just the suburban ones and Metro Center?

Eric Weiss: Congestion pricing is all the rage among transportation planners in an era of increased congestion and disappearing capacity. The goal is to encourage those who don't need to travel during rush hours to wait. However, Metro's plan includes a "rush hour'' that lasts 8 hours a day. Some say the plan is simply to raise revenue from those they know must use the trains to get to and from work.

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Slip 'n' Slide: With this morning's rain slicking the tiles, I nearly killed myself at the Metro station this morning. Are there any statistics on how many people throw out their hips, knees, or break bones slipping on this dangerous surface?

Eric Weiss: The issue of Metro flooring tiles is something the board is considering. The board is studying replacing the relatively slick octagonal tiles with larger, square tiles used in the New York City subway that are more slip-resistant.

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Eastern Markets, Washington, D.C.: Eric/Lena,

Well, Metro is off to a great start: a fee hike to address a foreseeable budget shortfall and a train wreck. Is anyone putting on the table a reasonable strategy for dedicated funding from Virginia/Maryland and from all those commuters? And if so, do you think that this would be a significant boost to Metro's efficiency?

Eric Weiss: Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) has a proposal that would provide $1.5 billion in federal funds for Metro if Virginia, Maryland and the District match the amount through a dedicated funding plan. The District approved its part of the plan, but Maryland and Virginia still need to pony up.

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Bethesda, Md.: I want the ICC. I want the Pink Line. I want the Green Line to connect with Baltimore. And a tunnel for the Orange Line extension through Tysons to Dulles. And when we finally have all that, I want a circle line to connect all those outlying stations to each other without jamming up the center of the system.

So if I'm 30 now, how old will I be when I get everything I want (from Metro)?

Eric Weiss: When you are 122, sayeth the soothsayer.

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Washington, D.C.: I'm one of the people who will benefit from the Yellow Line extension to Fort Totten. But I wonder -- is Metro adding more Yellow Line trains? If they are not, then aren't they just decreasing service on the Yellow Line because there will be more time between trains (and this line to the AIRPORT already has some of the longest waits on weekends of any line)? If they are, how do they justify this added expense given their budget shortfall?

Eric Weiss: Metro is using rush hour Yellow Line trains that would normally sit in a rail yard during off hours to expand Yellow Line service during off hours. If Metro wanted to expand the service during all hours, it would need more train cars during rush hours.

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Kingstowne, Va.: Why doesn't local law enforcement enforce laws on headlight usage? I commute via I-395 to downtown D.C. and it's a certainty that on my way home at night I will see at least one car, usually more, being driven in the dark with no headlights. Same thing is true on rainy days like today. I can only theorize that these drivers think that headlights exist solely to help the driver see and have never considered that they help other drivers see YOU.

It sure seems to me that cars being driven with no lights are a far bigger traffic hazard than people who drive 70 mph on the Beltway, yet the cops (and the media) focus all their attention on the idea that "speeding" is "dangerous."

Eric Weiss: From the Virginia driving manual:

Driving in heavy rain can be as hazardous as driving in fog, especially if the wind is blowing. Other vehicles to the rear and in blind-spot areas are especially difficult to see through rain-spattered windows.

Use your low-beam headlights to see and be seen. Wait a short time after the rain begins before using your windshield wipers because the blades may smear.

Be extra careful during the first half hour after rain begins. Grime and oil on the road surface mix with water to make the road slippery.

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Arlington, Va.: How can Metro in good conscience continue to use these faulty rail cars? Sounds like they are being as bad as the worst greedy executive who risks lives just to save money.

Eric Weiss: The 5000 series car has been involved in a series of past derailments and is likely to be the center of the investigation of yesterday's derailment.

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Arcola, Va.: Eric,

I don't know if this is the right forum for this comment, but here goes.

I wish VDOT would make an effort at synchronizing the lights between Green Briar and Arcola, along Rt 50.

Evening rush going westbound is so bad that the traffic exiting off of Rt 28 backs up the ramp.

The congestion is between Green Briar and Arcola. After you pass either, going east or west, the blockage all but disappears.

Does VDOT care at all ? I'll bet none of them use Rt 50 as part of their commute, otherwise, it'd be a better ride.

Eric Weiss: VDOT recently retimed left-turn lights along 50 to try and help traffic flow, so I know they are working to get things moving. The problem is likely physics: not enough road for all the cars.

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Arlington, Va.: If Metro were to get a dedicated funding source, how much would fares decrease?

Eric Weiss: It is highly unlikely that fares would go down. The local share would remain the same, it would only come out of a dedicated pool, such as the gas tax. And the additional investment would be used for more cars and maintenance.

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Alexandria, Va.: Funny, I thought we already had congestion pricing in the form of higher rates at rush hour.

And just how stupid does Metro think we are? Wouldn't people already be riding at offpeak hours if that were an option? They can't possibly believe that people will or can just adjust their work hours to ride at those times, which are also when trains come once every 12 minutes, if you're lucky. Clearly, this is just a flimsy excuse to raise the already extremely high fares for riders like myself who have no choice but to ride Metro.

Eric Weiss: I think Alexandria's comment stands by itself...

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Re: Headlights: Ever notice how it's ALWAYS the gray, slate blue, and black cars -- the ones that are the approximate color of the road and are hardest to see -- that don't have their headlights on? Drives me crazy.

Eric Weiss: I think most cars would fall into the category of gray/silver, black and blue, so I guess you're probably right.

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Bowie, Md.: Given the option, where you would need to drive to Dulles Airport for work temporarily, which poison would you pick?

a. 50W, beltway north, and then Dulles Toll Road.

b. 50W, beltway south to Wilson Bridge, and then Dulles Toll Road.

c. 50W, 295S to SE/SW Freeway, 66 to Dulles Toll Road.

d. Drive and park at New Carrollton metro to Rosslyn, 5a bus at Rosslyn to Herndon kiss-and-ride for Fairfax City Connector to job? Estimated time is almost 2 hours for public transportation.

Out of pocket expense seems higher for the public transportation option d. Does anyone out there have experience riding the 5A bus from Rosslyn to Dulles? Is this bus held up on I66 inside the beltway?

I plan on leaving at least 5:30 a.m. in the morning, and would probably take the same route returning home.

Eric Weiss: I hesitate to recommend the Beltway, but you probably would be okay with "a" that early in the morning. Much of the a.m. traffic flow is on the outer loop heading from Maryland to the Tysons area.

Anyone else take that route or have advice?

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"VDOT recently retimed left-turn lights along 50 to try and help traffic flow": Eric,

Do you mean to say that with all of the electronics and smart light technology that VDOT couldn't have those lights switch into a rush-hour mode ?

I agree with the previous poster about the congestion. The problem seems to be the smart lights that feed onto Rt 50.

Like I said, a rush-hour mode certainly does not seem an impossible feat. Since northern Virginia pays the most for roads, why can't we get the service that's needed ?

I'd like to hear from VDOT directly, to see what their response is.

Eric Weiss: Paging VDOT, paging VDOT...

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Silver Spring, Md.: The email alert system never gave me anything more than a "20-minute delay" message about the derailment. What is the point of this system if it doesn't give useful information?

Eric Weiss: Good point. I will add that to the list of questions I am compiling for Metro for tomorrow's paper.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Instead of sticking it to those of us that use the train to get to work, why not have "full fare" at all hours? The tourists use our system but at a discount. These are the same people that stand on the left and clog up the aisles with their suitcases. Metro shouldn't penalize it's best customers.

Eric Weiss: Better they fumble at the fare gate and cause delays on the escalator. Or would you rather have even more of them on the region's roadways, going 15 mph on the Memorial Bridge and going round-and-round Dupont Circle?

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Columbia Heights: Scary derailing aside, I was thrilled to take the Green Line this weekend and discover that my wait time (up to 15 minutes on weekends) has been cut in half by the extension of the Yellow Line. (I don't use Metro on a daily basis, so this was the first time since Jan 1.) I don't know what it cost, or what the overall system implications are, but I'm really pleased that it happened.

Eric Weiss: The $5.75 million cost for the pilot program will be paid by the District government. Metro board representatives from the District said they were confident that the service will attract enough riders to make the extension permanent.

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Rt. 50 congestion: Eric,

Another comment on the congestion. I have yet to see anyone along Rt. 50 doing a traffic survey during rush hour.

When did they supposedly do this retiming ?

Eric Weiss: In October, VDOT changed the order of several traffic lights between Pleasant Valley Road and Fairfax County Parkway so that the left-turn green arrow will be activated at the end of the cycle instead of at the beginning. Traffic engineers said the current system was creating inefficient gaps.

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Behind a line of cars: I'm writing to request some clarification... what's up with those drivers who come to dead halts at the "Yield" signs? Every day, there are people creating congestion because they're not seamlessly merging onto the bigger roads... they sit and wait forever for traffic to clear, even when the closest lane (of the four-lane highway) is wide open.

Eric Weiss: Yield means yield. That could mean a complete stop if traffic conditions warrant, or a rolling slowdown (what most Washington-area drivers seem to think Stop signs means).

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Columbia Heights, D.C.: My husband and I were on a northbound Yellow Line train at about 9 p.m. on Saturday, in approximately the same location as yesterday's train derailment. The train stopped between the Gallery Place and Mt. Vernon Square station because there was a red light signal farther up the tracks. The train driver made an announcement that there was a red signal due to a switch problem and that he would be leaving the train to attempt to fix it. We heard the front train door close (we were in the first car), then heard loud hammering noises from the tracks, which we assumed was caused by the driver trying to fix the switch by hitting it with something. Eventually, he came back, apologized for the inconvenience, and we continued on our way, going very slowly through the red light. My husband even commented that he was glad we didn't derail. We made it home without further incident, but were surprised to hear about a derailment yesterday in the same area, apparently caused by a switch problem.

We thought Metro must have known about the switch problem and authorized the driver to go out and try to fix it, but then we've been frequent Metro riders for 15 years and neither of us have ever seen the driver leave the train. We know Metro monitors this chat and just wanted to let someone know in case it's related -- maybe the problem recurred or the driver damaged it in his attempt to fix it?

Eric Weiss: Hmm. Could you email me at weisse@washpost.com? I'd like to find out more details.

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Washington, D.C.: Is Metro safe? The derailment yesterday of a train near Mt. Vernon Square coupled with a huge requested fare increase suggests to me that Metro managers might be deferring system maintenance longer than it should be. If you have kids, would you entrust them now to Metro?

Eric Weiss: Those are questions for the National Transportation Safety Board, which is now investigating yesterday's derailment. There have been problems with the 5000 series of rail cars and derailment, and I am sure officials will be closely looking at the safety record of those cars.

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Dupont Circle: Eric,

Was there any reason why Metro needed to extend the Yellow Line instead of doubling the number of Green Line cars during off peak times? Were they really all that concerned with getting people from Alexandria to Columbia Heights?

I feel like it probably was done in conjunction with developers who want to avoid certain associations that come with the Green Line.

Eric Weiss: District officials pressed for the change, to try and provide a direct route to Reagan National for the residents of newly revitalized neighborhoods such as Columbia Heights. Also, additional Yellow Line service essentially halves the wait time during the weekends, when shoppers and partiers crowd the newly energized U Street corridor.

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Rosslyn, Va.: This is for Bowie traveling out to Dulles. I think option C is the best at that time of the morning. Route 66 West to the Beltway is crowded outbound, but not until later. He will encounter some backup on 66 inbound in the afternoon, however. This will be a lousy commute no matter which way. But that Beltway section in option A (the dreaded Maryland to Tysons part) is miserable. I'd avoid that option altogether. Good luck!

Eric Weiss: Advice to the earlier Dulles commuter...

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Washington, D.C.: Wow, I feel sorry for Bowie, MD. Being on the beltway for 2 miles is more than long enough, but going from one end to the other. I think that comes close to actually driving all the to hell and back...

Eric Weiss: More advice...

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Washington, DC: Along with Silver Spring's question about e-mail alerts, I did not receive any alert from DCEMA's AlertDC text alert system which is supposed to notify about any major metro problems. We don't have emergencies on weekends?

Eric Weiss: Good question. I'll add that to my list.

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Stolen Clean Fuel plates: This morning on the HOV lane, I spied an old red Ford pickup truck with clean fuel plates. Roused out of my early morning stupor, I looked closer. The truck was obviously not a clean fuel vehicle, and had a sign on the back advertising (obviously stolen) clean fuel plates!

Eric Weiss: If true, not the smartest criminal in the world. Stealing license plates is probably a bigger crime than an HOV lane violation.

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Dulles Commute Ooops!!: I mean option C!!!

Eric Weiss: Thanks folks for all of your questions. I'm going to hop into my old Ford pickup and head out now...

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