Major traffic jams accompany Metro’s derailment
Traffic is very, very bad right now, especially across the Potomac, NBC reporter Adam Tuss pointed out on Twitter. The Metro service disruption from a train derailing this morning surely contributed.
Image from Google Maps at 10:00 am on August 6.
The frequency of service disruptions on Metro is extremely frustrating, and it’s fairly clear that maintenance is still far behind where it needs to be. Tuss points out how this problem affects not just Metro commuters, but drivers as well.
Transit often faces a political problem where many voters who won’t personally use transit just don’t care about it and don’t support funding maintenance or expansion. Most people drive sometimes, so broadly they support fixing roads and often adding new ones even if they personally won’t use that road every day. But it’s not the same for transit.
It should be. Metro makes it possible for everyone to get to and from their jobs. So do bridges, and buses, and bicycle facilities, and sidewalks. Completely shut down any one mode of transportation and everyone will suffer.
The Washington Post is reporting that problems on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines could stretch into the evening commute.