Ask GGW: Why is Farragut Crossing longer on weekends?

Transit

Ask GGW: Why is Farragut Crossing longer on weekends?

by Matt Johnson • November 16, 2011 3:17 pm

Metro recently introduced an outdoor walking transfer between Farragut North and Farragut West. But on Saturdays and Sundays, riders have to walk an extra block to make the connection. Why?

Photo by ElvertBarnes on Flickr.

It's only a block from the southern entrance of Farragut North to the eastern entrance of Farragut West. That's one reason Metro added the free out-of-system transfer for SmarTrip users. But on weekends, riders have to walk an extra block because the 17th Street entrance to Farragut West is closed.

It might seem simple to just have Metro switch which entrance is open on weekends, but that's not an option.

Most Metro stations were built with only one elevator entrance. At stations with multiple mezzanines, only one generally has an elevator to the street, That's certainly the case for Farragut West, where the elevator is located at 18th Street.

Closing the 18th Street exit would make the station inaccessible to wheelchair users on weekends, so that entrance must stay open whenever the station is open.

Opening the 17th Street entrance on weekends, then, means a good deal of expense for Metro. They'd have to pay a station manager to staff the east mezzanine for two additional days each week. Metro does not currently open entrances that are unstaffed.

So, unfortunately, as long as Metro does not have the funds to open both mezzanines at Farragut West on weekends or unless they change the policy on unstaffed mezzanines, patrons will have to walk an extra block to access Farragut West and other stations that have closed mezzanines on weekends.

Riders can, of course, still ride through to Metro Center where the transfer only requires a single escalator.

15 comments

Tags: DC, Farragut Crossing, Metro, SmarTrip, WMATA

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Matt Johnson has lived in the Washington region since mid-2007. He has a Master's degree in Community Planning from the University of Maryland and a BS in Public Policy from Georgia Tech. He has worked in the planning field since 2006 and lives in Greenbelt, where he serves on the city's Advisory Planning Board.

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As a cost neutral alternative, couldn't metro close the second entrance of some station where it currently remains open on weekends (like MacPherson Square) and divert that station manager to keep the 17th ST entrance of F West open?

by Falls Church on Nov 16, 2011 4:12 pm

The very idea that METRO would 'have' to assign someone to the extra entrance is nonsense. It's not as if those folks are normally helpful. Just post a sign that says no attendant on duty and place one of the alleged security guards there for awhile. We are sure paying them all enough to do nothing most days...so nothing lost on a weekend either.

by Pelham1861 on Nov 16, 2011 4:14 pm

The embarrassment. The metro of the capital of the US can't afford to keep downtown stations fully open during the weekend.

by Jasper on Nov 16, 2011 4:16 pm

Mr. Johnson, you wrote: "Metro does not currently open entrances that are unstaffed."

What about the unstaffed station entrance that serves the busy dual street level elevators on 7th Street at Gallery Place-Chinatown? There is also another unstaffed fare gate at Ballston on the eastbound platform outside an elevator that's just a few feet away from a street level elevator. On the opposite westbound platform at Ballston, there's a faregate leading to an elevator that takes one directly up to the street. At both of these two stations, one doesn't have to walk past any station managers/agents to enter the faregates.

Apparently Metro has found the use of surveillance cameras and faregates sufficient for fare inspection purposes at these two very busy urban stations.

by Critical Chris on Nov 16, 2011 4:26 pm

"Closing the 18th Street exit would make the station inaccessible to wheelchair users on weekends, so that entrance must stay open whenever the station is open."

Ha, making entrance decisions based upon elevators working. I'm sure that works all the, uh, sometimes. Maybe.

by Bryan on Nov 16, 2011 4:36 pm

@Pelham, I don't think the public would appreciate if its officers start moonlighting as metro booth agents and vice versa. So the security guard thing wouldn't work - as it wouldn't for basically most businesses.

To your other point, what happens if a person (as they were going through the unattended turnstyle) experienced a heart attack and died or even was hospitalized?

Can you imagine the outrage ensuing over the fact that no one was there? And this is METRO we're talking about? You know it would be armageddon all up in this camp.

I don't think one block is too long to walk. But hey, I walk up/down some stalled escalators while my fellow commuters take the moving ones.

@Jasper, the stations are open so that's not true. One of the entrances to an open station is closed.

The last four DC green line (south) stations are examples of stations that were fully closed and I'm sure there are others closing this weekend.

BTW Matt, the travels were much easier this past weekend than the former--mostly because I knew what to expect. Can't say it was as smooth for quite a few others who were at Anacostia and didn't seem to know about the closures. It made me rethink me belief that "d'uh, everyone has smart phones." Well, surprise surprise! They don't. That's what I get for assuming that everyone can spare $30 bucks for a data plan.

Not so!

by HogWash on Nov 16, 2011 4:37 pm

One other nitpick:

There's one of those blue wayfinding signs right outside of the Farragut North entrance (the one by the Results Gym) that directs tourists directly AWAY from the entrance to the station.

It's almost comical, because it's directly next to the escalators. It's basically:


______________      ____________

|             |    |    Sign    |      

|  Station    |    |            |

|  Entrance   |    |Farragut -> |

|_____________|    |North    -> |

                   |____________|

by andrew on Nov 16, 2011 5:16 pm

@Jasper- The metro of the capital of the US can't afford to keep trains running every 3-4 minutes during the weekend either.

by ah on Nov 16, 2011 5:56 pm

Install intercom. Post sign. profit.

It's reaaaaally not that hard guys.

"but it's never been done that way!"

Yeah, platinum argument right there.

Quite frankly HogWash, your heart attack theoretical is just that, HogWash. Plenty of systems in the US have stations and indeed entire rail systems that are unstaffed.

by JJJJJ on Nov 16, 2011 6:46 pm

I'm kind of embarrassed that I totally missed this reasoning. I've long wondered why they choose to keep the 18th St entrance open, when the 17th St entrance is the one with all the bus connections (in particular the 42, which makes an easy way for the hoards from Virginia to get to Dupont and Adams Morgan).

by Esmeralda on Nov 16, 2011 6:57 pm

This does explain the mystery why the 17th St entrance is closed on the weekend, but not why the elevator wasn't place there.

by Rich on Nov 16, 2011 11:41 pm

Move the employee staffing the north entrance of the NY Ave Metro to Farragut West. There's not much to do around the north entrance on a weekend, and it really isn't a very far walk to the M St entrance (plus, there are no roads to cross).

Problem solved.

by schmod on Nov 16, 2011 11:59 pm

The Rosslyn elevator entrance is not staffed. Just staff the 17th street entrance and leave the elevator access open too..

by Paul Derby on Nov 17, 2011 6:05 am

@Jasper maybe if congress kicked in funds they could since most of its usage during the week is for federal worker and contractors

this also beings back the issue of decdiate funding for the transit system

by Jerome on Nov 17, 2011 9:40 am

Classic case of give an inch and they want a cadillac.

It is a one block walk. One block. WMATA: Don't study how to open a new entrance, and don't change anything.

I am sure humanity can walk one block. I mean - think of the walkable urban spaces the walker will pass on this ardous journey - not to mention gaining an extra 3-5 minutes of cardio. Bonus!

by greent on Nov 23, 2011 1:17 pm