Comments on Breakfast links: Not open and shut - Greater Greater Washington

Comment by The Civic Center

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:10:46 EDT

I agree with Craig and Michael: the proposed memorial is extravagant. Neighbors who live near the proposed location also oppose it, according to what I heard on the radio.

I suggest a plaque at the main entrance of the Jackson-Graham Building and a duplicate, if necessary, in a location where WMATA employees who don't use the main entrance can see it as they enter the building to begin their workday.

Comment by Michael Rogers

Wed, 09 May 2012 09:01:55 EDT

Metro is broken. Fares are rising and in many places maintenance is sub-standard. So, the new priority is to get s ONE MILLION DOLLAR memorial? Seriously, ONE MILLION DOLLARS?

This is the same crap with the 9/11 memorial in NY.. over 1/2 a BILLION dollars. This really is getting out of control. Perhaps a lovely boulder with a plaque mounted on it would suffice. A million dollars will not bring back the loved ones who were lost. Why on earth is Metro spending money like a drunken sailor?

Who needs to be targeted with an action to counter this stupidity? This is just a bureaucracy letting proposals move from one person to another without someone having the sense to say "wait a minute, what are we doing here?"

Simply put: ridiculous.

Comment by Craig

Tue, 08 May 2012 21:40:34 EDT

The memorial to the victims of the Metro accident is an appallingly disproportionate response. I don't understand why a tasteful plaque would be insufficient to the task. On a national level, we have smaller monuments to thousands of war veterans and victims. I really do not grasp the value to anyone of this gesture.

Comment by Neil Flanagan

Tue, 08 May 2012 21:27:04 EDT

The metro memorial is probably better described as a neighborhood park with a memorial element in it.

It's $1M to build the park, including a play area. $156K is for the actual memorial.

Here is the RFP.

It's in the path of the fort circle park system, so it would be interesting to see how they accommodate future development of that scheme.

Comment by Turnip

Tue, 08 May 2012 19:22:43 EDT

> the memorial itself is expected to cost over $1 million.
[DCist]

At that price, it should have at least two working escalators!

Comment by Adam L

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:14:46 EDT

@MP

No need for fines that would never get enforced. What we need is more vigilante justice on Metro.

Comment by Michael Perkins

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:37:35 EDT

$100 fine for holding the doors open.

We won't be able to enforce it, just like we won't enforce the no eating rule to the extent we probably should.

But the fine would establish a norm: It's not cool to hold open the doors. It holds everyone else up and could possibly break the train.

Comment by LivesinGermantown

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:32:06 EDT

"the surrounding cityscape is so bland"

I love how anything that doesn't look exactly like Dupont Circle is "bland." Germantown Town Center, which is in the suburbs is a very successful walkable business/restaurant/cultural hub, and is packed with people on the weekends. It serves as a model of what every suburban, bedroom community needs to be vibrant and sustainable. It's the exact opposite of Milestone Center, which is the typical poorly walkable, sea-of-parking, big-box suburban center.

The post on Beyond DC is poorly written by someone who clearly hasn't been to Germantown.

Comment by HogWash

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:27:03 EDT

I hate backpacks as well. But as someone who carries one @least 10 x's a week, I do realize that they aren't as cumbersome than having to deal with strollers.

The biggest problem with metro is the inability of it's passengers to be considerate of others. You are not..and I repeat NOT helping your fellow passengers by moving to the "nonopening" door side when there's already 4 people on that end. What you end of doing is standing in the way.

You are not helping by moving towards the center of the train and standing in the CENTER of the aisle.

You are NOT helping by not moving back and allowing people (on the train) to offload so that others can behind them. Move out of the way folks!

Seat hoggers: I could throw a pile of trash on people who (for whatever reason) decide to plop their a**es in the aisle seat and have their junk sitting in the adjacent seat.

Overweight: I feel for you, really I do. But if you take up two seats, maybe you should stand.

Comment by Parking

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:25:13 EDT

Charlie,

Most private parking garages downtown that I've had reason to use are pretty much at capacity from 9-5

And there are a number of them open at night, some choose not to be for a variety of reasons, cost, liability, security etc, but even at 10:00pm I have never found a parking garage that was cheaper, and rarely every more conveneint than street parking.

For all of DC's renaissance, it still isn't a late night town. Most of downtown is empty after 8-9, save for some pockets near popular restaurants/bars.

Comment by Redline SOS

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:47:06 EDT

The problem is mechanical, but it's also the lack of courtesy by customers. I've seen plenty of people try and cram on a Nationals bound train that was filled to capacity.

Comment by selxic

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:04:24 EDT

A lot of door crowding problems would be solved if people simply filled the entire train and didn't stop at the door.

Comment by nathaniel

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:49:09 EDT

@rj, I hate the backpacks as well. As long as we are reuesting announcements, can we ask people standing near the doors to get off the train and get back on so they don't slow down people trying to get off the train. You would be amazed on how much this would help improve on time performance.

Comment by charlie

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:20:15 EDT

Downtown has PLENTY of parking. It is underground. Now, the real interesting question is why it isn't available on evenings or during the middle of the day (try getting your car out of some garages around noon)

I've seen plenty of subways where TV cameras and a monitor give the driver a clear view of every door. I suspect hiring door monitors would also help. BID work?

Comment by RJ

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:11:38 EDT

I think it is time for Metro to start a campaign to remind passengers to "take the backpacks off before entering the train". Besides standing on the left, wearing backpacks on the trains, is my biggest pet peeve.