Eric Weiss and Lena Sun
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, November 5, 2007
11:00 AM
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, Nov. 5 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 commuters!
More good news: It turns out that a new study shows that spending time in your car exposes you to harmful pollutants.
So skip the run and have a Krispy Kreme!
Questions? Comments? Drop us a line...
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Adams Morgan: RE: night construction
Last Thursday night I got trapped in a maze of construction between Connecticut Ave., and the construction around Columbia and Adams Mill Rd. There were no warning signs that roads would be closed, no detour signs. Instead, cars would drive up to the road closure see that it was closed and then attempt to turn around while more cars piled into the mess. They had plenty of signs once you got to the spot where the road was actually closed. Why is it so hard to move these signs out a block or two to give drivers a little more notice?
Eric Weiss: Adams Mill Road NW was closed for several weeks after a large fire consumed a condominium building. The road is now open for all traffic. I actually live on the road, so I know how confusing it was, with no detour signs or explanations until it was too late for drivers to find an alternate.
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Bethesda, Md.: What the heck was up with the Red Line this morning? Trains that usually come every 2 minutes were coming every 10 minutes in the direction of Glenmont, while the trains in opposite direction came about very 3 minutes.
There were announcements, but they were so garbled no one could understand them.
I guess I should have remembered what they say about the Red line -- It's not just a commute, it's an adventure...
Lena Sun: Hi Bethesda. Lots of complaints about the Red Line this morning. There was a sick customer on a train at Dupont Circle about 8:08 and Metro had to single-track for that. Then around 8:51, there was a train with a mechanical problem that had to be removed from service, so that caused another set of delays.
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Tysons Corner: I'm submitting early as I will be in a meeting during the actual chat.
Okay, so I travel for work and am not usually able to closely follow the Tysons transit situation. Last I heard, the Virginia gov. submitted the plans for the Federal Government's approval and funding...and then all heck broke loose with the Tysons Tunnel crap and the company who was originally slated to do the work putting all these add-on's to their bill if the work did not start by a certain date.
From what I can tell, when I go home, the work still has not started, we have no Federal money, the Tyson's Tunnel people have succeeded in "derailing" (pun intended) the project, and more building is occurring in the area with no traffic relief in sight.
Just checking -- am I current? Or has something happened that I should know about? Will Metro ever come to Tysons in my life time (and bear in mind that I'm under 40, so I could have another 40-50 years in me...)
Thank you!
Eric Weiss: Right now we are waiting for the Federal Transit Administration to decide whether they will pony up about $700 million toward the project.
In a project of this size and scope, there are always Perils of Pauline moments, and I expect them to continue until any ribbon cutting.
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Red Line, DC: Good morning. Metro has been making a good effort over the last few days about keeping people informed about delays and what is causing them. An idea of the time frame of the delays would be helpful, but I wanted to note their improvement. Also, please log mine as another vote for more vertical poles in the Metro trains for shorter people/children, etc. It is difficult to move to the center of the train if you have nothing to hold on to.
Lena Sun: Hi Red Line. Thanks for your comment. I know a lot of people at Metro are working on this communication thing, but it is not as simple as flipping a switch. It's gonna take some time.
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Wheaton, Md.: Is Metro really expecting us to swallow a fare increase with the horrific performance of the Red line this morning and all last week? I was late for work every day last week and it was all a result of the Red line!
Lena Sun: Let Metro know how you feel. Metro is holding public hearings on the fare increases next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. (Nov. 13, 14 and 15) All the hearings start at 7 p.m. and there is detailed information about the proposal and location for the hearings on Metro's Web site, www.wmata.com.
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Rockville, Md.: Shame on you!
The Washington region is about to experience the greatest fare increase in Metro's 30 year history. Riders have been invited by Metro to speak up, at meetings over three days next week, yet there has not been a single article about this opportunity in The Washington Post. One article was published on The Post Web site, but nothing has shown up in print, except for Metro's legal announcement.
If no one shows up for these meetings, then it's a done deal. However, the Metro Board of Directors at their meetings said that they truly want to know what riders think. The Washington Post needs to run a series of articles in The Post, the Express, and editorial pages to give riders ample time to plan to attend these meetings, and to remind them about the deadlines for submitting written testimony and for participation at the six meetings.
Michael Snyder, Chair
Metro Riders' Advisory Council
Lena Sun: Hi Michael. I wrote a short story with this information last week and it is waiting to run in the paper this week. But you and other riders should know that we are devoting an entire page--the Commuter Page--to the subject on Sunday Nov. 11, with charts and graphics. That is typically our biggest circulation day, and it will be two days before the hearings. So the editors are hoping that lots of people will see that information.
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Jack Corbett (Washington, D.C.): I am sure you plan to do this already but ... please remind your correspondents today that their comments on the many elements in the proposed Metro fare increase can be accepted via email (public-hearing-testimony@wmata.com) through November 25 and that links to the description of the fare proposals and process are available on the front page of Metro's web site. Thanks.
Lena Sun: Hi Jack. That's a good point and may be easier for folks than trooping out to those public hearings.
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Washington, D.C.: Today's Post reports that Red Line Metrorail service was disrupted for over four hours yesterday after a deer was found in the Wheaton station at 7:30 a.m. Do you have any idea how a deer managed to walk at least 1.5 miles through an underground tunnel without being electrocuted? Or did it just go down the escalator and decide to ram through the farecard gates?
Lena Sun: Well the deer had a SmarTrip card and it got tired of waiting for a train since Metro was single-tracking that day. So it decided to hoof it down the rail.
Seriously, Metro officials aren't sure how the animal got there but suspect it might have entered the system at one of the above ground stations and then made its way to the Wheaton station.
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Silver Spring, Md.: Why doesn't Metro allow you to put weekly passes onto your SmarTrip card? For the distance I travel to work, I would be able to stretch my transit subsidy farther if I could get use the weekly fastpass. In any other city I've ever lived in, the ONLY way to use a weekly subway pass was to use it on whatever that system's little plastic card was.
Lena Sun: Hi. This is a big frustration for a lot of you, I know. It's because the SmarTrip technology has to be updated to allow these kinds of discounts to be figured out electronically. I believe Metro has committed to getting that done, but of course, it's going to take some time. I think it might be another year, if my memory serves.
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Washington, D.C.: What goes on at the public hearing? What are the kinds of statements people will make?
Lena Sun: The public hearing is the public's chance to give your feedback to Metro officials about the proposals to increase bus and subway fares and parking fees. You need to let Metro know in advance that you wish to speak so they can establish a list in advance. Individuals can speak up to three minutes. Public officials get to talk first and they have up to five minutes.
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I spent 2-1/2 weeks in Japan recently...: and coming back to the D.C. Metro was almost depressing. On the other hand, I'm going to submit one main idea for the D.C. folks to consider that I really think could help, and it should be easy to implement: work on stopping the train in the same spot in every station so the train doors open in the same spot and the platform is marked so people know where to wait for them (this can alleviate the blocking the door issue, lots of folks can't -- or won't -- move out of the way if they realize they're in front of a door). Marking would need to be done for the various-length trains, but could be workable. Any thoughts?
Lena Sun: It sounds like a good idea. Sometimes the trains are on automatic, which means the stopping is controlled by a system where devices on the track communicate with the train and direct it when to stop. Sometimes the trains are in manual, which means the operator is in charge of putting on the brakes. Neither system seems to deliver the kind of precision you are talking about. At least not yet.
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Alexandria, Va.: I know you have mentioned this before, but could post how to contact WMATA regarding bus routes? The 11Y express in VA is getting increasingly more crowded and while many have written to WMATA regarding more/bigger buses, no one from WMATA has responded.
Thanks!
Lena Sun: Hi. I can probably find a phone number for the guy who oversees the Virginia routes, so if you email me directly, I can send it to you later. My email is SUNL@washpost.com
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Annapolis, Md.: I enjoy Metro, but there is no Metro rail from Annapolis, and buses only travel as far as New Carrolton. I work in Crystal City, so door-to-door transit time is 1 hour 38 min; I can drive it in 45 min. I commuted for a month and finally cried uncle.
My commute begins at 5:15 a.m., and it is nearly bumper to bumper. If there was a bus that traveled to the Pentagon, I would take it. If Metro rail had a station in Davidsonville, I would take it. I believe that of all those people on Rte 50, some of them would commute if commutable transportation was available. Please, why can't the capital of Maryland have train service and buses that travel across District and Virginia boundaries?
Lena Sun: Let's post your cry for help and maybe some regional or Metro bus planner will have a light bulb go off.
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Rockville, Md.: Lena, thanks in advance for doing the spread next Sunday. But, to have maximum impact, riders need to know that they must submit their comments in writing beforehand to assure themselves an opportunity to speak.
We all have very busy schedules, and all the events are so tightly clustered during a three day time period, so out reach activities must be repeated to allow patrons ample time for planning, registration, and reminders prior to and during the week and days of the events.
Eric, I look forward to a spread in the Express, as well!
Much Thanks,
I. Michael Snyder, Chair
Metro Riders' Advisory Council
Lena Sun: Okay Mike. Posting this comment from you but don't want you to hog up all the chat time.
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Washington, D.C.: The Metro's mobile Web page (accessed by cellphone) has been down for about two weeks now. Have you heard anything about this? This is a great service that Metro has put into place, and it is frustrating that it has been down for so long.
Lena Sun: Hi. I checked with Metro and they said they have not having problems with that service. Have you checked with your cell phone service provider to make sure your Internet browser is working properly? If that's not the issue, and you want to email me directly, at sunL@washpost.com, I can try to get a telephone number for you for someone in that section.
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Spellcheck: I was riding on the Orange line the other day and was pleasantly surprised to see the next station signs working on the train (the signs in the car that show the next stop). Unfortunately, the programmers spelled Minnesota Avenue wrong (they spelled it Minessota). Can my fare increase dollars go towards spell check?
Lena Sun: I'm posting this one. Should be an easy and quick fix.
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D.C.: I have guests driving in from out of town for Thanksgiving and wanted to have them metro into the city (as I live in Dupont and parking would likely just be in an expensive garage). My reading of the
Lena Sun: I asked Metro to check with the parking folks and they said Franconia-Springfield is your best bet. The extended parking spaces are on the bottom floor of the garage, and are marked with those signs. The earlier you get there, the better. If those are full, your next bet would be to try the Huntington station, on the Yellow Line, which has extended parking on the south side of the surface lots.
If not, 'fraid you might have to find a garage.
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Sick passenger: Why do they so often unload the whole train instead of unloading the "sick passenger"? Make no sense.
Lena Sun: Lots of questions about sick passengers today. Metro has to unload the CAR where the passenger is sick, not the whole train. But the car has to be closed off, and figure on at least a 20-minute delay if someone is sick.
Trains have to single-track around the affected train, and if the passenger needs medical assistance, Metro has to wait for medical personnel to arrive. And that takes even longer.
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Annapolis, Md.: The poster from Annapolis who goes to Crystal City surely can find someone to carpool with for that route -- that would let them use the HOV lanes. I cannot envision where the funds or space would be found to build a train JUST to connect Annapolis with the District. New Carrolton isn't that far -- the potential for a bus service to NC isn't unreasonable, however.
Lena Sun: Here's a suggestion for that poster from Annapolis.
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Lena Sun: We're out of time today and sorry about not getting to all the questions. There were a ton of 'em today. We'll try to type faster next time. Thank you.
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