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 writer Lena H. Sun was online Monday, June 2 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.

Discussion Archive

____________________

Lena Sun: Hello folks. Hope your weekends were wonderful and that you weren't caught up in the Wilson Bridge work or Metro track work. Eric will be a little late....he's stuck on a slow-moving 42 Metrobus because the earlier one didn't show up.

_______________________

Washington, DC: I was puzzled by something in the Post article on the doors being opened in the tunnel on 8-car metro trains. The article said 8-car trains just barely fit along the platform yet also cited Metro employees saying that the signs to indicate where operators should stop 8-car trains were sometimes hard to see and read. If 8-car trains just fit the platform, then isn't that big wall at the end of the platform an indication to the operator of where they should stop the train? I've always suspected that 8-car operators forget that they are driving 8-car trains and that's why they stop in the wrong place. Is that possible?

Lena Sun: Hi there. Yes, you are right about operators forgetting they have an eight-car rather than six-car train. Metro only started running eight-car trains last winter, and not that many, so during rush-hour, many more trains are six cars.

The marker for the eight-car train is at the end of the platform, hanging down below. (In order for passengers to see it, you have to lean way over the edge and I would advise against doing that.)

So now Metro officials are considering having all trains pull up to that marker, even if that means customers would have to adjust to moving down the platform to get on. I think customers would rather adjust to that rather than run the risk of doors opening on a crowded car in a tunnel. Don't you?

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: What was going on with Metro yesterday? I was underground for over an hour, for what should have been a 20-minute trip. The delay on the blue line was much much worse than the green line, which I knew about and expected.

Lena Sun: Depends on when you were on the Blue Line. There was an incident at Smithsonian yesterday afternoon because a woman apparently jumped on to the tracks and was struck by a train. She was injured and taken to the hospital but they had to close the station for about an hour, I think.

_______________________

Eric Weiss: Sorry guys for my tardiness. According to my driver on the 42, my 20 minute wait was due to a bus accident at Dupont Circle. Since Dupont is AFTER where I get on, I asked him to clarify. Apparently, the accident occured so long ago that the bus was still there when we went through the circle. A Metro manager, who didn't seem to be in such hurry, was there near his Metro SUV.

Annoying. But that's why we have Lena Sun...

_______________________

Alexandria, VA: Could someone please explain why the express/HOV lanes on I-395/95 were switched northbound Saturday afternoon. The most intense traffic around the Wilson Bridge was focussed on the inner loop, which made I-395 south a reasonable workaround. The southbound lanes should have been given more capacity through the HOV/express lanes, but it did NOT happen.

FWIW, the HOV/express lanes should ALWAYS be defaulted to the outbound direction in the event an evacuation is needed, and should only be northbound during rush hours.

Eric Weiss: WW officials wanted through-traffic to go around on the inner loop across the American Legion Bridge, not through the city, so that may have played a role.

But your point about having the HOV always default outbound in case of an evacuation is a smart idea.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Is there a way to exchange a defunct SmarTrip for a new one? My card works now & then - I can get through a turnstile of the metro after a few tries, but have taken several free bus rides because my card just won't register (and fyi, it has $84 on it). Yeah, I am the annoying one holding you up and not following directly behind someone else with my card! Where do I have to go to get a new one? It may be stingy of me, but I don't feel like having to pay $5 replacement is fair, although I imagine that's going to happen anyway...

Lena Sun: I would take your card to Metro Center first and see if they can check it to see what's wrong. Then you might have to deal with the SmarTrip office--their number is on the back of your card.

_______________________

DC: Why does metro close the Farragut West entrance that fronts on Farragut Square (17th & I) on weekends? This fronts a bus stop that serves the 30s, the 42, etc., as well as a bsuy pedestrian area. The entrance/exit on 18th fronts nothing, is in a desolate area in t4erms of walking traffic, and is a long block from the bus stop at Farragut, discouraging transfers from the Blue Line to DCA.

Lena Sun: There is much lower ridership on the weekends so they don't keep all entrances open, not just for Farragut West, but for some other downtown stations as well. I know, not convenient.

_______________________

Washington, DC: Just a little rant.

Why is it that so many drivers in the area seem not to understand the function of a turn signal? If you're in the left lane at a red light, then the light turns green and you proceed into the intersection, THEN put on your left turn signal, it doesn't really help anyone. Isn't at least part of the point to give drivers behind you an indication that you are going to turn, so that they can get into the right lane? I see this almost every single time I get in my car.

And also, please don't drive below the spped limit in the left lane of a two lane highway (e.g., the George Washington Parkway). That lane is for passing.

Eric Weiss: The no turn-signal people must all be from Massachusetts, where it is apparently against state law to signal a turn. (ha ha, Red Sox Nation).

The slowpokes in the left-lane is the bane of my existence. I think they get in there because they don't have to think and they don't care about other drivers.

_______________________

Arlington, VA: why does Metro take escalators out of service, surround them with barriers, take them apart, and then leave them sitting like that for weeks and months? Why does it take months to take apart and rebuild an escalator? Shouldn't they finish working on one before they start taking another apart? The situation at Ballston is often unsafe in the evening because the one and only up escalator from the platform on the Vienna side is sometimes shut down for some reason. This forces everyone to walk up the stairs and creates a huge bottleneck of people stuck on the platfrom.

Lena Sun: The escalators are constantly being overhauled, which takes weeks because they often have to gut the entire thing. They have thousands of parts. They have to put up the barriers for safety reasons. There has been a major effort to put up better signs that tell riders how long they're going to be out. So the one that is out at Ballston should say when it is likely to be put back in service.

_______________________

Mt. Vernon, Va: When the Wilson Bridge was being built, there was a promise of a bike trail on the bridge, crossing into Maryland. I haven't heard anything about it lately. Is it still in the cards? And, if so, when will it open? (I see what seems to be a bike ramp leading to the bridge, but it's fenced off.)

Eric Weiss: Yes, the hiker-biker trail is on the new, second span of the bridge, but will likely to be one of the last things to open because they need the space as a staging area for bridge painting. But it is wide and flat and will be super-sweet addition to the running and biking options around the area.

_______________________

Reston, Va.: We went to visit Mt. Vernon this past weekend. We were surprised by the number of bikes riding on the parkway itself, rather than on the bike trail that runs alongside it. Is this legal? (I never see bikes on our end of the parkway in McLean.) It seems dangerous...and unnecessary, since there are both bike paths and streets running parallel with the parkway south of Alexandria.

Eric Weiss: Hmm. That is odd, because much of the hiker/biker trail in that area has been recently repaired and is in good condition (as opposed to say, the trail in Rock Creek Park from P Street north). That said, bicycles are classified as vehicles and are allowed to be on any road (except interstates).

_______________________

Kensington, Md.: I know you've answered this question before, but....how do you find out about crime activity at metro stations? My station (Wheaton) seems to have near-constant police presence. Last Monday evening (Memorial Day), there seemed to be a large juvenile detainment/arrest going on around 10:30 p.m.

Lena Sun: Actually, it is not that easy to find out. Metro does not post that information on its website. And the information transit police posts on the website only includes activity by transit police, not local police who respond to something at a station. Your best bet would be to check Montgomery County police stats by district, which are posted on line.

_______________________

Kingstowne, Va.: I thought Mr. Weiss's article today about the shoulder-sitting crowd was a great. I'm curious if you observed the same thing I do, though, which is that when those clowns pull out into traffic at 6, a lot of them seem to do it rather recklessly--a lot of them don't seem to check to make sure they have adequate space to make the move safely.

I don't really understand waiting on the shoulder in the afternoons anyway. Seems like it would be just as easy, and safer, to pull into the Pentagon car park right across from the slug lines and to wait there until right before 6:00, then race up the ramp and beat the traffic. I've done this two or three times and never had a problem, and I've never seen a sign indicating that it's illegal to use the Pentagon parking. Do you risk a ticket if you wait in their car park in this manner?

(As a practical matter, I've found that if you enter the express lanes at 5:58 you're probably OK on the ticket front. You know how most cops allow a bit of tolerance on speed to reflect speedometer error. I suspect most of them allow a minute or two either way on HOV given the way that no two clocks ever seem to agree on the current time....heck, looking around here I see that my computer, phone, wall clock, and watch all disagree.)

Eric Weiss: Thanks, Mom, for the compliment.

Waiting in the Pentagon parking lot is not an option because the Pentagon police are trying to move traffic and shoo the waiters away.

I bet you are right about not getting penalized for getting on at say 5:58 p.m. That would also be easily challengeable in court, where most judges would give your dashboard clock the benefit of the doubt.

_______________________

Alexandria, VA:"So now Metro officials are considering having all trains pull up to that marker, even if that means customers would have to adjust to moving down the platform to get on. I think customers would rather adjust to that rather than run the risk of doors opening on a crowded car in a tunnel. Don't you?"

Well, yes, but hopefully those aren't the only options. I switch to the red line at Gallery, and while they usually run 8-car trains, lately they've been throwing a few 6-cars into the mix. The electronic sign is way up front (hard to read from rear-train platform position--and spends more time flashing elevator outages than next train arrivals, anyway) so you can't necessarily tell from the sign if the next train is 6 or 8 cars without heading up the platform. So people can spread out for an 8-car train then have three cars worth of people crowd onto the last car of a 6-car train, or all head up the platform waiting for a 6-car train and leave the last two cars empty when an 8-car shows up. Neither is particularly efficient.

Lena Sun: Excellent point. There would also be safety risks from having two or three cars worth of people scrambling down the platform to get into the last car of a six-car train. Steven, if you are monitoring the chat, maybe you could suggest to Dave Couch (infrastructure projects) and Dave Kubicek (chief of rail) that Metro put up some more electronic signs at the really crowded stations?

_______________________

Arlington, VA: Actually, this rider would prefer that Metro fire an operator who can't remember he is driving an 8 car train. It doesn't appear to be any rocket science involved in operating the train. Don't they have reminder signs in the cab that say "Hey buddy, this is an - car train"? Why inconvenience all of the thousands of riders who know where to board the train for optimum exit location because a couple of train operators aren't smart enough to know how long their trains are?

Lena Sun: Yep, they do have signs in the cab that say "8-car," and supervisors and other personnel are supposed to remind the operators each time they get an 8-car that it is a longer train. There have been at least 21 such incidents since the beginning of the year, and one operator was indeed fired. The remainder were suspended. Two of the most recent incidents are pending investigation.

_______________________

Clifton, VA: There will always be folks who need a full size pickup or SUV for work or their hobbies.

BMW has a protype X5 diesel hybrid that gets 36mpg. A Silverado or Tahoe/Surburban that gets 30+mpg is only a few years away.

Greens who think the days of these vehicles are numbered are mistaken. They will evolve.

Will sales ever hit the glory days no but they will still be out there squashing Smart cars into smithereens!

Eric Weiss: Buying a BMW to save money on gas? Ok.

_______________________

Huntington VA: Regarding people jumping on the tracks, has Metro changed the procedures for dealing with these incidents? Both the incident last week at Wheaton and yesterday at Smithsonian seem to have been resolved much more quickly than the mystery man someone reported seeing on the tracks (who was never actually found) at Van Dorn back in February.

Lena Sun: No, they haven't changed their procedures. In that incident back in February, witnesses saw the man and it is possible, Metro officials say, that he scrambled out of the way. (Hey, are you the same guy who emailed me several times about this incident??)

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: What are you hearing about Metro's proposal to re-route some inbound Blue line trains from Virginia so they go directly to L'Enfant Plaza instead of via Rosslyn?

I am concerned about this because I transfer at Gallery Place and that station already is so packed at rush hour that I don't think any more passengers can fit!

Lena Sun: The board of directors wanted Metro staff to get some more input from riders on the Yellow and Green lines before they make a recommendation on this proposal. I'm thinking we'll know more by the end of June. If the Dulles project gets the green light, there will be a lot more pressure to do the Blue Line realignment to relieve the congestion at the Rosslyn tunnel.

_______________________

Reston, VA: I find it incredibly disheartening to read stories along the lines of "Compromise in Doubt For Va. Roads Funding." I can't help but think that our state leaders are simply giving up on the transportation problem because it is too difficult? Are the ideological differences between NoVA and the more rural parts of the state so great that no compromise can be reached, or is neither side willing to put forth an honest effort to look for a middle ground?

Eric Weiss: These are hard-core ideologues on at least one side. It's hard to compromise when one side feels they would be giving up their core political values.

The result: gridlock.

Like today's story by the talented Anita Kumar points out, this standoff will likely be settled by the voters one way or another.

_______________________

Mt. Vernon, Va. : Washington, DC, writes, "And also, please don't drive below the spped limit in the left lane of a two lane highway (e.g., the George Washington Parkway). That lane is for passing." While I'm with him/her in spirit, I wonder if she knows what the speed limit on the Parkway really is. It's 45 in most places, and less than that others. I rarely see people going under that speed limit. I definitely see slower drivers in the left lane...but, they are going the speed limit.

Eric Weiss: The speed limit is irrelevant in this context. It is all about traffic flow. Slower traffic to the right, faster traffic to the left. If you are a good citizen and going the speed limit, you are likely to be on the slow side of traffic flow. The proper thing is to stay to the right.

Let the police handle the leadfoots and do your part to facilitate traffic flow.

_______________________

M Street NW, Washington, D.C.: Nevermind what a preposterously stupid idea it was for Metro to rely exclusively on escalators in so many stations to get commuters to the surface, but WHY does Metro insist on compounding that same mistake by using escalators in so many stations to get people to and from the platform level? Metro, put in more stairs where possible!

Lena Sun: This question comes up at least once every coupla chats. Metro officials floated the idea of putting in stairs to replace some shorter escalators. But when Dave Lacosse, the head honcho for escalators and elevators raised this with the Metro board, the idea was immediately shot down in no uncertain terms. I'm guessing you are young and in good health, so walking up stairs is not a problem.

But lotsa folks in this region are not as young and would have a hard time huffing and puffing up a long flight of stairs, especially if they are hauling luggage. That's why.

_______________________

Manassas, Va.: It is my understanding that the HOV exemptions for Hybrid vehicles on Rt 66 (and others) ends on June 30. While I think it's stupid to end the exemption, could you clarify what the rules will be?

Eric Weiss: The General Assembly, in its infinite wisdom, has extended the hybrid exemption until July 2009. That way, hybrid drivers can drive alone, even though traveling at highway speeds does not give such a large mileage advangtage over a small, regular-engine car.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: On the bike trail parallel to the GW Parkway between Roosevelt Island and the airport, I notice countless people riding their bikes at sections where the signage says they must dismount and walk their bikes. When I've asked how often these people get ticketed for failing to follow the law, I get curses and other sneers that translate to "never." Seems to me I'd hate to be that bicyclist who falls over the drop into, well, the GW Parkway.

Eric Weiss: They should dismount and walk their bikes. that is a dangerous area. Maybe they are afraid that drivers will make fun of their silly, skin-tight outfits advertising European products.

_______________________

Undershooting the Platform: I've suggested this to Dr. Gridlock, but I'll try again: Wouldn't the solution to the undershooting problem be to stop ALL trains at the 8-car mark? So what if people have to walk back a few yards if they're on a six car train? At least they wouldn't step out onto the tracks!

Lena Sun: Yep, Metro is considering that as well. But as an earlier chatter pointed out, if you have one or two cars worth of people waiting at the end of the platform to board where they THINK the six-car train will stop, and then it doesn't stop there, there will be a mad scramble to get on the train.

But all you riders are smart enough to figure that out after one or two rush hours, right?

_______________________

Oxon Hill, MD: Has a decision been made on what to do with the 6th lane on the new Wilson Bridge? All of the news reports have discussed that there will be 5 lanes crossing in each direction, but there are 6 available. Taxpayers spent an awful lot of money to not use every square inch of that bridge deck! I don't care if it's HOV, rapid bus, cabs, bikes, or general car traffic, but that space needs to be used, and we need to work through plans NOW, so those lanes are utilized when they become available in the fall.

Eric Weiss: The bridge was designed to carry heavy rail, i.e. Metro, but there has been no decision made on what they are going to do with it.

_______________________

Washington, DC: The story about the 6:01 commuters was an interesting one. I do wonder though, what hazard are drivers standing on the shoulder for five minutes really posing. I also wonder if the lady who said she was legitimately on her cell phone was supposed to do (keep driving distracted). This seems like one of those double-edged sword situation, where drivers who are actually trying to follow the rules and not enter the HOV until the restrictions end but end up getting a ticket for trying to follow the rules.

What's next, cops are going to write loitering tickets to people standing in line outside of Best Buy on Black Friday?

Eric Weiss: Stopping on the highway is dangerous and against the law unless you are broken down.

_______________________

bicyclist: Here are some answers for the person who wanted to know why some cyclists choose to use a vehicle (car/bike) road instead of a pedestrian/bike trail that parallels it. It is actually quite simple.

For a cyclist, both the road and the trail are legal options.

Some cyclists choose the road because (1) the pavement is smoother, (2) in some cases, e.g. Sligo Creek Parkway where I live, the grade is more consistent (3) pedestrians with earphones on who do not hear our warning bells, and young, poorly supervised children, do not move to the side of the trail, and thus create hazards for cyclists and for themselves.

Other cyclists choose the trail because their priorities are different. These cyclists are willing to sacrifice a smooth road free of obstacles in return for a more leisurely ride and freedom from dangerous drivers. On days when I am not in a hurry to arrive at my destination, I often choose the trail for these reasons.

I hope that this gives you the info you were looking for!

By the way, I drive sometimes too, so when I cycle I understand and respect drivers' feelings. I don't weave dangerously, I signal my planned movements, and I stop at stop signs.

Eric Weiss: Thank you Bicyclist.

_______________________

Rockville, Md.:"The General Assembly, in its infinite wisdom, has extended the hybrid exemption until July 2009. That way, hybrid drivers can drive alone, even though traveling at highway speeds does not give such a large mileage advangtage over a small, regular-engine car. "

And my limited experience, 66 is not a highway-speed road during rush hour (HOV lanes or regular). Therefore, there is a benefit.

Eric Weiss: Good point. But the main advantage to a hybrid is in city driving, where the electric motor is more active. People who buy hybrids to use on the HOV lanes are less interested in mileage and the environment and more interested in taking advantage of a loophole to drive alone. Then there are some angels who drive a hybrid and still carpool or pick up slugs. But in my experience, the former is the rule.

_______________________

Falls Church, Va: re: they (SUVs) will still be out there squashing Smart cars into smithereens!

And SUVs driven by young and/or inexperienced and/or reckless drivers will still be turning upside down on the highway and endangering EVERYONE.

Eric Weiss: Ya ever notice when it snows or it is icy there seem to be an awful lot of SUVs overturned or stuck on the side of the road?

_______________________

Silver Spring, Md.:

The escalators are torn apart for months at a time because WMATA only knows how to completely rebuild escalators in the stations. Thousands of wires, nuts, screws and steps must come apart and be put together to rebuild an escalator.

WMATA, the worldwide leader in escalators, has yet discover modular design which would allow large sections of escalators to be rebuilt in climate controlled buildings. The finished sections could be hauled into the stations for final assembly which would only take a couple days, greatly reducing downtime.

Excuse me, I have to go. Toyota just sent over two employees to my driveway where they are completely rebuilding my transmission - I hope it doesn't rain for the next 4 weeks.

Lena Sun: I'm forwarding your message to Dave Lacosse.

_______________________

I-395 HOT Lanes: Wait, wait, wait. Just read the 6:01ers story and was beyond shocked to read that the proposed HOT lanes on 395 are going to be 24x7 toll lanes once they are built...with the tolls going to private companies? What the is that about? I understand toll roads -- I lived and worked in Philly for a while and took that toll road frequently. How on earth is this supposed to help traffic congestion during non-rush hours? And why would the tolls not go to at least fund state projects, etc?

Eric Weiss: Don't be shocked, be prepared to dig into your pockets. Yes, they will be 24/7 toll roads. There will a one-time payment to the state to pay for transit improvements, although the latest plan for spending the transit money would pay for VRE train storage in Fredericksburg, among other questionable expenditures.

_______________________

Capitol Hill: I just moved to Capitol Hill, and one of the first things that struck me is how much the timing of the traffic lights favors east-west traffic, rather than north-south traffic. Seriously, it's insane how much faster it is to go east or west. Has there ever been any talk of fixing this? It seems only to favor commuters getting out of the District.

Eric Weiss: Capitol Hill might set the world record for traffic signals per square foot. And none seem to be coordinated, and it seems every light has a "No Turn on Red" sign. I could take a series of small naps trying to drive around Lincoln Park.

True? False?

_______________________

Purpose of Shoulders: For those saying that waiting on the shoulder is no big deal, just think about why there are shoulders. They are there for emergencies, breakdowns, and accident avoidance. Not for staging for the HOV lanes. Stop being so self-centered and look at the big picture.

Eric Weiss: It is especially dangerous in the area around the Pentagon, because it is so confusing and the signage so bad.

_______________________

Red Lights: What are the red lights on subway platforms for?

Lena Sun: So how long have you been riding Metro? The lights flash to alert riders that a train is approaching or leaving the station. The original design was for them to be white, but Metro has been replacing the burned out bulbs with new LED red ones to reduce energy use and maintenance costs.

_______________________

Montgomery Village, Md.: The "6:01" story today reminded me of a counterintuitive suggestion. I have thought about regarding HOV lanes after observing morning and afternoon rush hors on the Beltway and 270 for some time. What if we SHORTENED the hours of HOV use, thus making more lanes of highway available for more hours to ALL cars? By moving a greater volume of traffic over those additional lanes sooner, the number of cars squeezed into the other lanes would be reduced. In the morning HOV hours could run 7:30 to 8:30, clearing out more traffic earlier while still offering some benefit to carpoolers (although from my observation, many of those currently using the HOV lanes on 270 are cars with one driving age person and one or more younger children). Shorten the hours in the evening as well and you can reduce the outgoing backups. Notice what happens when the lanes open to all vehicles at 6 in VA or 6:30 in MD. The traffic jams clear very quickly.

Your thoughts?

Eric Weiss: My thoughts? The HOV lanes would turn into regular lanes in about two days with no advantage for anyone. We should reward carpoolers with a quicker ride and allow transit vehicles to keep to their schedules. If you want to drive alone, stew in traffic.

_______________________

Bicyclists Dismounting: While we're on the subject, what about the idiot cyclists who ride across the Key Bridge, hogging the narrow sidewalk and nearly driving pedestrians into the road? I thought the law was that cyclists have to dismount on bridges. Can't we see some ticketing for that?

Eric Weiss: I don't know of any rules requiring bicyclists to dismount while crossing the Key Bridge. My favorite Key Bridge experience are the groups who walk three abreast, not allowing anyone by.

_______________________

Washington, DC:"Stopping on the highway is dangerous and against the law unless you are broken down."

So you're not allowed to pull over to take a call? If that's the case, than driving while on the cell phone laws are all USELESS! You can't drive and talk, and can't pull over to take a call. Why bother building shoulders?

Eric Weiss: Ever hear of a speakerphone or hands-free device?

_______________________

Eric Weiss: Thanks everyone: bikers, hybriders, ride-aloners, legislators, left-lane hogs, no turn-signalers.

See ya next time.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.