Escalators - Greater Greater Washington

And...

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:34:00 EDT

WMATA has trouble getting people to repair its escalators and elevators. (Examiner) ... Vienna's mayor wants bike access on Maple Ave. (FABB) ... The reason Dorothy Rabinowitz hates Citibike isn't because she's a super-rich aristocrat. (Atlantic)

Comment

Wrong escalator parts

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:24:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Nine escalators won't get repaired as scheduled thanks to a contractor ordering the wrong parts. But Metro officials wouldn't or couldn't identify the contractor to the board. (Post)

Comment

Last in, first fixed

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:47:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Some of Metro's newest escalators at the NoMa station will need to be replaced by 2020. The escelators are unreliable and replacing them will reduce the number of escalator manufacturers in the system. (Examiner)

Comment

And...

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:05:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Metro will replace the escalators at Pentagon. (Post) ... Virginia's dooring bill passes the Senate. (FABB) ... DC leads in LEED, at least if you only compare it to states. (DCist) ... Why are some streets in Columbia Heights at strange angles? (City Paper)

Comment

Where's Bob? McDonnell MIA on Metro funding (Feb 16, 2011)
Pentagon security plan would hurt Metro riders (Jul 6, 2010)
Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)

And...

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:42:00 EDT

by Thaddeus Bell

WMATA reached a deal to replace 128 of its 588 escalators by 2020. (Post) ... Chap Petersen's VA anti-dooring bill made it through a Senate committee on a close vote. ... Ray LaHood is optimistic that the Silver Line will receive TIFIA loans. (WAMU)

Comment

Silver Spring bike station gets planning money (Nov 3, 2010)
Style vs. character determines Silver Spring's future (May 27, 2010)
In the real world: Montgomery BRT, Flower Theatre, Lion Ride, Northeast rail, McMillan sand, and activism training (Aug 3, 2012)
Fenton Street Market moves to Veterans Plaza (Nov 17, 2010)
Capital Bikeshare needs more bike lanes to work in MoCo (Dec 14, 2012)

And...

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 08:26:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Take a look inside Metro's elevator and escalator lab. (Post) ... DC shifts around some funds to pay for $7 million in affordable housing in EastBanc's West End project. (WBJ) ... After 8 months, there is still no replacement for Beverley Swaim-Stanley as Maryland's Transportation Secretary. (Baltimore Sun)

Comment

Take Metro in a wheelchair, just once (Apr 14, 2011)
Metro's escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 2: The news cycle is driving maintenance (Dec 13, 2010)
What should we expect from elevators and escalators? (Oct 13, 2010)
Confusing Metro elevator signs simple to fix (May 26, 2011)
It's not the (escalator) crime, Metro, it's the cover-up (Nov 9, 2010)

Not down with escalators

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 08:31:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Planned escalators in the Main Hall could hamper future expansion at Union Station. Amtrak officials want to know if the holes for the escalators could be easily removed to accommodate passenger flow. (Post)

Comment

Union Station Main Hall redesign is close, but not quite right (Oct 24, 2012)
Amtrak makes no little plans with Union Station vision (Jul 26, 2012)
Amtrak & Akridge imagine the future of Union Station (Jul 25, 2012)
Should Union Station's Great Hall be less great? (Aug 26, 2010)
Union Station Intermodal Transportation Center meeting tonight (May 29, 2008)

Metro escalators keep moving

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 08:20:00 EDT

by Thaddeus Bell

The rate of out-of-service escalators has fallen by half, to under 10%, over the past year. It will take 5 years for Metro to address all 94 escalators targeted for replacement. (WAMU)

Comment

What should we expect from elevators and escalators? (Oct 13, 2010)
Metro's escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 2: The news cycle is driving maintenance (Dec 13, 2010)
Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
Metro escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 1: We still don't know why they're breaking (Dec 9, 2010)
Metro safety presentation still doesn't prioritize (Oct 27, 2010)

And...

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 09:24:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

China is urbanizing at an astounding rate. (Atlantic Cities) ... Don't try sliding down Metro escalators. (City Paper) ... University of Maryland students save a campus shuttle route. (Patch)

Comment

China proposes car-straddling buses (or are they trains?) (Aug 4, 2010)

Escalator snag trips 5

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 08:30:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Five Metro riders fell on an escalator at L'Enfant Plaza, after a loose panel caught a bag or piece of clothing (though reports conflict), tripping one woman who then tripped up 4 others. Nobody had serious injuries but 3 went to the hospital for checks. (DCist)

Comment

It's not the (escalator) crime, Metro, it's the cover-up (Nov 9, 2010)
Metro's escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 2: The news cycle is driving maintenance (Dec 13, 2010)
Metro escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 1: We still don't know why they're breaking (Dec 9, 2010)
Lessons not learned: The Tenleytown escalator failure (Jan 12, 2011)
Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)

And...

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 08:34:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Arlington maps out capital spending for the next ten years, including more money for Metro and the Columbia Pike Streetcar. (Patch) ... One Bethesda restaurant has a painting of the Bethesda Metro escalators painted by a Boston artist who admires the system's efficiency. (Robert Dyer) ... British cabinet ministers are not happy they have to take public transportation to the Olympics in London. (The Independent)

Comment

Tell Arlington to build the Columbia Pike streetcar (Jul 20, 2012)
Columbia Pike needs streetcars, not articulated buses (Jun 18, 2012)
Development aside, Columbia Pike needs streetcars (Jun 20, 2012)
Columbia Pike streetcar is a bargain versus new highways (Dec 14, 2011)
Virginia's answer to DC's streetcars (Dec 18, 2009)

FoBo finally done

Thu, 17 May 2012 08:51:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Work on the Foggy Bottom Metro station entrance is finally complete with the opening of the staircase after nearly a year of construction. The project replaced the escalators and added a canopy overhead. (TBD)

Comment

GW redeveloping another square; second Foggy Bottom Metro entrance should be priority (Oct 25, 2010)
Take CaBi during this weekend's Metro trackwork (Oct 8, 2010)
Time to fast-track the southern Bethesda Metro entrance (Nov 2, 2010)
Ask GGW: Why is Farragut Crossing longer on weekends? (Nov 16, 2011)
Expanded mezzanine planned for Union Station Metro (Jul 29, 2010)

Long escalators aren't worse

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:45:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Metro's longest escalators have about the same downtime as the rest of the system. WMATA is also looking at adding concrete stairs, even though they are not as durable as existing granite ones. (Examiner)

Comment

Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)

Many reasons

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:41:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Reason TV blames Metro's escalator troubles on in-sourcing maintenance 20 years ago that stifled competition. But they forget that the escalators are now 20 years older, difficult to maintain, and Metro still uses some contractors. (Post)

Comment

Metro's escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 2: The news cycle is driving maintenance (Dec 13, 2010)
Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
Metro escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 1: We still don't know why they're breaking (Dec 9, 2010)
What should we expect from elevators and escalators? (Oct 13, 2010)
Lessons not learned: The Tenleytown escalator failure (Jan 12, 2011)

Sustainability can save WMATA money, if it's a priority

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:41:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Organizations of all types are talking about being "greener," partly because it's the right thing to do, but also because it can save money. Amid regular budget shortfalls, WMATA can benefit from every cost savings, and is considering a number of sustainability projects.

Pilot test of new platform lights. Image from WMATA.

Tomorrow, the WMATA Board will hear about the agency's sustainability initiatives. Sustainability could make a big difference in the budget.

According to a November memo to the Board, more efficient lighting in parking garages could save $1.5 million per year. Doing the same for stations and tunnels could save $5-8 million per year. New lights also generate more light and need less maintenance than the old.

Lighting isn't the only way that being green could help get rid of the red ink and improve operations at the same time.

Many escalators around the world stop when they're not being used, and have more efficient motors than Metro's aging escalators. Solar panels or solar laminates could cover the roofs of Metro railyards, maintenance facilities, and garages.

Other transit agencies have trained operators to accelerate and brake more fuel-efficiently. Many have installed tire pressure gauges that actively and constantly communicate tire air pressure data to the maintenance facilities. That lets them keep buses at optimum tire pressure and fuel efficiency, which saves significant fuel. Fuel is a very large cost item in Metro's budget, especially with fuel prices rising.

WMATA already has set a standard to make new facilities LEED Silver, like the Shepherd's Parkway bus garage under construction. Its new buses are cleaner and more efficient than the old, and the 7000 series railcars use LED lights, regenerative braking to get energy back like hybrid cars do, better HVAC systems and a design that reduces the need for some polluting processes to clean them.

Sustainability faces obstacles

It's often difficult for transit agencies to energetically adopt sustainability programs. Some agency staff think of transit as intrinsically pro-sustainable, compared to other modes of travel, so they might not feel that sustainability is the higest priority. There can be resistance from the rank and file to newfangled, ivory tower ideas that don't recognize the rough reality of engineering and operations.

Transit agencies also, perhaps understandably, end up prioritizing the day-to-day crisis management over strategic programs. At the moment, WMATA's the overwhelming emphasis is on system safety and renewal capital projects. That means that "soft," "green" projects can find it hard to compete for the capital funds available, even when there's a powerful economic business case behind them.

Another obstacle is the relationship between labor and management. Many sustainability programs might involve changes to people's job responsibilities, which means that management has to negotiate for a change rather than simply establishing and implementing the program.

For example, if WMATA monitored the fuel efficiency performance of each bus driver to help them save fuel, would the union oppose this as another form of management breathing down workers' necks? Would WMATA be able to reward employees that saved the most fuel and money?

Even for non-union workers, transit agencies lack many of the tools private sector companies have to reward individual initiative. A private sector employee responsible for annual cost savings might get a bonus as a result, in a transit agency that same employee might simply get an employee appreciation mention in a weekly newsletter. Weighed against the possibility that any given sustainability initiative might "rock the boat" for bosses or colleagues, a public pat on the back doesn't offer enough to outweigh the possible headaches.

Sustainability initiatives that come from one department might create savings in another department. But the department that initiated the program might not benefit from the savings, reducing the incentive. Also, divisions within public or private sector organizations often covet the size of their respective budgets and the control that spending authority gives.

A department which saves money might view this as reducing "their budget" instead of looking at the benefit to the agency's bottom line. The affected department could well resent the sustainability initiative and the employees elsewhere in the organization who pushed the idea through.

Making sustainability happen takes leadership from the top

Despite all these barriers, it's more important than ever that WMATA take a strong leadership role in sustainability, backed up by strong management policy and action. In a budget season when the agency is asking for substantial fare and subsidy increases, the public needs to hear that WMATA is taking every possible action to provide transit services more cost-effectively (not to mention more safely and reliably).

WMATA is also entering negotiations with its labor unions for the next round of labor contracts. It's critical that the issues of efficiency and productivity be on the table in a central, pivotal way. It's not unreasonable for labor to ask for wage increases; it's completely unreasonable to ask for such increases without also committing to improving productivity and efficiency in quantifiable ways.

WMATA management could start most sustainability initiatives without any Board action. Richard Sarles and his management team could unilaterally adopt many measures and communicate the values described here. But, perhaps for many of the reasons listed above, Metro's management has not yet made sustainability the visible issue it could and should be. That means they need support, and pressure, from the region and the board.

To date, only 2 WMATA Board members have expressed much interest in sustainability: Tom Downs and Mary Hynes. They should both be commended for trying to make this issue a priority for the agency, and hopefully they will continue to do so. Their colleagues should join them in pressing for more sustainability, productivity, and efficiency.

16 comments

Leftover capital money could save Metro service (Apr 14, 2010)
WMATA Board, JCC still silent on bus priority, rider input (Dec 18, 2009)
WMATA budget deep dive, part 6: Are there capital projects that can be deferred? (Mar 1, 2010)
WMATA faces $90 million budget gap (Nov 1, 2010)
WMATA budget deep dive, part 8: Other ideas (Mar 2, 2010)

How long should Dupont take?

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:26:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

Though other transit agencies from Montreal to Moscow expressed doubt that escalator replacement should take 8 months, the extremely complicated work required for the Dupont escalators may just call for that much time. (Post, charlie)

Comment

Metro plans 99 express bus on new route to Dupont (Sep 27, 2010)
Lessons not learned: The Tenleytown escalator failure (Jan 12, 2011)
Metro escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 1: We still don't know why they're breaking (Dec 9, 2010)
Why are Rosslyn-Dupont Circulator stops where they are? (Sep 10, 2010)
Fence will cut off park from Dupont Metro, 42 bus stop (Aug 16, 2011)

Weekend links: The end

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:18:00 EDT

by David Alpert

This article was posted as an April Fool's joke.

Photo by thisisbossi on Flickr.

Scandal rocks Draft Wells campaign: The nascent campaign to draft Tommy Wells for mayor in 2014 has been suspended amid new allegations that under Wells' oversight, DC Public Libraries has been blatantly allowing people to use its books for free. The US Attorney is probing similar conduct at the Department of Parks and Recreation. (City Paper, Todd)

Evans eyes Georgetown for Redskins: A new plan from Councilmembers Jack Evans and Michael Brown would demolish Georgetown's campus and move it to Hill East. The current campus would become a practice facility for the Redskins. Some Georgetown neighbors immediately endorsed the plan, because the new facility will create almost no noise and attract very few people to the area. (Post)

Pedestrian safety solved: A new policy from the Montgomery County DOT will make it illegal to cross any arterial streets in the county, eliminating dangerous crossings. People without cars needing to traverse a roadway can get on a bus and ride it to the end of the line and back again. (Gazette, Ben Ross)

Escalator reliability reaches 100%: Metro has achieved a new milestone for escalator maintenance. They have now reached a reliability rate of 100%; all escalators are currently broken at the same time. (Examiner, Matt Johnson)

Hop on I-395 PE: With Virginia's new program to sell naming rights to roads, Sudafed has proposed sponsoring all of Northern Virginia's congestion. (WBJ, Steve Offutt)

LOV-0 coming to a road near you: Google is reportedly working on a new program to design "passengerless cars," which will transport no people at all. In anticipation of this breakthrough, VDOT announced a plan to implement "Low-Occupancy Vehicle" lanes for their exclusive use. (Wired, Neil Flanagan)

DC4D4Thomas: DC for Democracy has endorsed Harry Thomas, Jr. as a write-in candidate for the Ward 5 special election. Members cited Thomas' consistency in talking about revitalizing the ward's main streets without making anything happen, creatively moving around money dedicated to serve youth, and his plan to solve transportation problems by setting up a series of Audi dealerships. (Geoff Hatchard)

Norton targets Wyoming: After several unsuccessful efforts to lobby state legislatures to support DC statehood, Eleanor Holmes Norton announced a new strategy to try to remove statehood from Wyoming, as it is smaller than DC. (DCist, Nick Clark)

9 comments

Car-centric and walkable instincts vie within evolving Thomas (Mar 20, 2009)
Residents unimpressed by non-answers on Redskins "plan" (Mar 23, 2012)
On the calendar: Biking west, retail/zoning north, buses east (Mar 2, 2011)
Gray administration holding up Reservation 13 for Redskins (Feb 16, 2012)
Greater Greater Washington is now Greater Greater Wells (Apr 1, 2012)

Less entrance, more closing

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:46:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Since closing the south entrance at Dupont Circle, Metro has twice needed to shut off access to the station entirely, once to prevent overcrowding when a train had to be offloaded and once for a false fire alarm. (Examiner)

Comment

GW redeveloping another square; second Foggy Bottom Metro entrance should be priority (Oct 25, 2010)
Ask GGW: Why is Farragut Crossing longer on weekends? (Nov 16, 2011)
Take CaBi during this weekend's Metro trackwork (Oct 8, 2010)
Time to fast-track the southern Bethesda Metro entrance (Nov 2, 2010)
Confusing Metro elevator signs simple to fix (May 26, 2011)

And...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:05:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Why do more escalators go up than down? It's all about the traffic flow. (Post) ... Los Angeles considers plan B in case they can't get federal funding for their transit plans. (Streetsblog) ... NCPC approves designs for a Bethesda intelligence campus. (WBJ)

Comment

Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
Time to fast-track the southern Bethesda Metro entrance (Nov 2, 2010)
Transit First recommends Maryland restore Ride-On, speed buses (Apr 2, 2009)
Breakfast links: Mo' train money, mo' problems edition (Oct 1, 2008)
Guess the location: pedestrian street (Oct 21, 2008)

No south exit at Dupont

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:34:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Starting February 1, Metro will close the south exit at Dupont Circle for eight months while new escalators are installed. Metro advises riders to take the Q St. exit or exit at Farragut North. (Post)

Comment

Ask GGW: Why is Farragut Crossing longer on weekends? (Nov 16, 2011)
Adding places to station names creates unnecessary transfers (Sep 16, 2011)
Reconfigure L'Enfant escalators for an easier transfer (Aug 31, 2010)
Dupont Circle, 1887 (Jul 20, 2009)
Why are Rosslyn-Dupont Circulator stops where they are? (Sep 10, 2010)

Escalating escalator replacement

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 09:49:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

Metro wants to replace more escalators than rely on rehab. They aim to replace 94 and overhaul 98 across the system. (On Foot)

Comment

Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
Metro escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 1: We still don't know why they're breaking (Dec 9, 2010)
Metro's escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 2: The news cycle is driving maintenance (Dec 13, 2010)
Lessons not learned: The Tenleytown escalator failure (Jan 12, 2011)
Reconfigure L'Enfant escalators for an easier transfer (Aug 31, 2010)

Music of malfunction

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 11:10:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

Escalators break and wear down, but the sounds they make can be beautiful in their own way. As one podcast puts it, it can be the music that defines the place. (99% Invisible)

Comment

Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)

What to do about Bethesda's escalators?

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Montgomery Councilmembers will talk about escalators tonight. Chaos ensued when all 3 escalators went out at Bethesda, and many worry this will happen more often when Metro begins planned rehabilitation on the escalators, shutting one down for long periods of time. (Post)

Comment

Time to fast-track the southern Bethesda Metro entrance (Nov 2, 2010)
Bethesda will lose farmers market (Mar 8, 2010)
The high cost of free parking in Bethesda (Oct 17, 2010)
Montgomery considering Bethesda parking rate increase (Apr 20, 2009)
Bethesda garage only needed if you ignore all the other parking lots (May 7, 2008)

Elevator problems plague NYC

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:59:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

New York's subway suffers its own escaltor and elevator problems, too. In fact, the elevator at Flushing Avenue is broken 91% of the time. (NYT)

Comment

Triboro RX lives again (Mar 8, 2008)
Take Metro in a wheelchair, just once (Apr 14, 2011)
Confusing Metro elevator signs simple to fix (May 26, 2011)
Cuts spur new New York subway map (May 30, 2010)
Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)

And...

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:27:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

The grace period for new Prince George's traffic cameras is over. (Examiner) ... WMATA can now monitor 24 escalators remotely. (Examiner) ... A psychiatrist will use CaBi to study how physical exercise influences patients' health. (Post) ... In another Washington, Georgetown is like H Street. (City Paper)

Comment

Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
Greenbelt advocates educate bus riders on changes (Dec 16, 2010)
Readers finding success bridging Metro gap with CaBi (Oct 10, 2010)
Dinner links: You should go to Monday's hearings edition (Jul 8, 2008)
New hospital a prime opportunity for TOD in Prince George's (Aug 9, 2011)

ACT: Build Bethesda entrance faster

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 08:20:00 EDT

by David Alpert

The Action Committee for Transit is raising alarms over a plan to rehab Bethesda elevators one year before Montgomery County adds a new entrance to the station. They want the new entrance's timeline moved up. (TBD)

Comment

Time to fast-track the southern Bethesda Metro entrance (Nov 2, 2010)
Do elevators or underpass come first for Medical Center? (Dec 6, 2010)
Montgomery considering Bethesda parking rate increase (Apr 20, 2009)
Pedestrian Metro access suddenly turns into grade-separated interchange (Sep 15, 2009)
Ped access at Medical Center now secret "traffic and pedestrian" project (Sep 17, 2009)

Metro morsels

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:28:00 EDT

by David Alpert

150,000 riders can now add value to SmarTrips online. ... If you're riding at Wheaton, prepare for a long walk. ... 88 WMATA managers get to take agency vehicles home. ... Union members get their pay raises. (Post, Examiner)

Comment

Metro morsels: SmarTrips and Gallery Place art (Jul 8, 2010)
Judge says Metro can pay workers more... if it hiked fares (Aug 2, 2011)
ATU 689 responds to overtime article (May 15, 2011)
Metro passes will work with SmarTrip (Jul 19, 2008)
What would you ask the transit union? (Jun 17, 2011)

Dupont may lose an entrance

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:21:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

WMATA may close the entire south entrance of the Dupont Circle station for a year to replace all 3 escalators. The agency will install a spiral ~~escalator~~ stair in a vent shaft for emergencies. (Post)

Comment

Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
Time to fast-track the southern Bethesda Metro entrance (Nov 2, 2010)
There are no reported elevator outages at this time (Dec 9, 2009)
Lessons not learned: The Tenleytown escalator failure (Jan 12, 2011)
GW redeveloping another square; second Foggy Bottom Metro entrance should be priority (Oct 25, 2010)

And...

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:55:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

It's taking longer to inspect and modernize Metro's escalators. (Examiner) ... Drunk driving wasn't always considered a serious danger. (TBD) ... A third farmers market opens east of the Anacostia. (DCist)

Comment

Bethesda will lose farmers market (Mar 8, 2010)
Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
Zoo tram an opportunity to not need parking (May 28, 2008)
Reconfigure L'Enfant escalators for an easier transfer (Aug 31, 2010)
Metro escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 1: We still don't know why they're breaking (Dec 9, 2010)

Contractors will fix escalators

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:17:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Metro will hire contractors to do some escalator maintenance, speeding up the process. Some question if that's better than hiring more people on staff. (Post)

Comment

What should we expect from elevators and escalators? (Oct 13, 2010)
Metro's escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 2: The news cycle is driving maintenance (Dec 13, 2010)
Metro escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 1: We still don't know why they're breaking (Dec 9, 2010)
Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
Sarles talks safety, escalators, bag searches, funding & more (Feb 3, 2011)

And...

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:46:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

15 candidates are running to fill Leslie Johnson's Prince George's Council seat. (Examiner) ... Metro has installed bright lights at the bottom of newly-rehabbed escalators. (DCist) ... Bike parking is a must-have for many New York condo buyers. (NYT)

Comment

Congratulations Hans, Vince, Phil, Tommy, Mel and others (Sep 15, 2010)
Hear from the District 4 candidates (Mar 16, 2009)
Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
Metro's escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 2: The news cycle is driving maintenance (Dec 13, 2010)

Metro morsels

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:24:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

Metro is preparing for the Aug. 28 MLK Memorial dedication by prohibiting bikes and shutting down escalators. (Examiner) ... See how workers replace ties and weld rails. (TBD) ... What happened to the benches at Gallery Place? (DCist)

Comment

Metro morsels

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:46:00 EDT

by David Alpert

New cameras on buses have caught drivers using cell phones and other infractions; the union isn't pleased. (Examiner) ... Some lucky riders got to try new seat coverings for future railcars. (Post) ... Stats show escalators less reliable than in the past, but actually, it's just that they're being inspected more often. (TBD)

Comment

Take Metro in a wheelchair, just once (Apr 14, 2011)
Sarles talks safety, escalators, bag searches, funding & more (Feb 3, 2011)
Compare mode share across Metro stations (Aug 3, 2009)
Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
Public unions need to stop defending the bad apples (Dec 3, 2010)

And...

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:35:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

Metro will replace the lengthy, unreliable escalators at Bethesda in 2014. (Post) ... Mayor Gray is expected to name transportation consultant Ron Linton as chair of the Taxicab Commission. (Post) ... Flight from DC schools is uneven across the city's neighborhoods. (City Paper)

Comment

Would Gray maintain or reverse DC's momentum? (Jun 21, 2010)
Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
Time to fast-track the southern Bethesda Metro entrance (Nov 2, 2010)
Fix the Taxi Commission, or abolish it? (Jun 28, 2011)
Metro escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 1: We still don't know why they're breaking (Dec 9, 2010)

Metro morsels

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:34:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Mike Barnes, recently-appointed WMATA Board member from Maryland, wouldn't mind stepping down if it could make the board smaller (Post) ... Metro installed a new escalator at Foggy Bottom, the first new one in 15 years (Post) ... The new 7000 series rail cars will have fewer seats but space for more riders. (Examiner)

Comment

WMATA delays 7000-series order to make it larger (Mar 29, 2010)
The 7000 series: Not your father's railcar (Apr 26, 2010)
Give input on new railcars, WMATA governance (Jun 30, 2010)
Letter: For WMATA Board, think Greater Greater Washington (Jun 9, 2011)
Sarles talks safety, escalators, bag searches, funding & more (Feb 3, 2011)

Metro morsels

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:09:00 EDT

by David Alpert

More than 100 escalators were out in May, putting reliability short of targets (WTOP) ... Bus on-time performance is low as well (Examiner) ... Ken Cuccinelli is considering suing MWAA for doing a deal with a union (Post) ... New bus routes will go to BRAC sites. (Examiner)

Comment

The Metro Express (Feb 19, 2009)
Army chooses least transit-accessible site of three for 6,400 jobs (Sep 30, 2008)
Breakfast links: suburban changes edition (Jul 23, 2008)
Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
Public unions need to stop defending the bad apples (Dec 3, 2010)

Union asked about transit operations

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:35:00 EDT

by David Alpert

As last night's ATU Local 689 town hall, questioners seem mostly to have asked the transit union questions not particularly related to the union, such as about broken escalators, safety, and whether MTPD is becoming too militant. (Post)

Comment

What would you ask the transit union? (Jun 17, 2011)
Sarles talks safety, escalators, bag searches, funding & more (Feb 3, 2011)
Richard Sarles will make safety top priority, ride Metro (Mar 4, 2010)
Sound off on WMATA bag searches tonight (Jan 3, 2011)
Take Metro in a wheelchair, just once (Apr 14, 2011)

Wells suggests escalator contracting

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 08:39:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

WMATA board member Tommy Wells suggests contracting out Metro's escalator maintenance work. Contractors could better ensure reliability and compete among themselves for the best performance. (Dr. Gridlock)

Comment

Tommy Wells gets transportation chair, WMATA Board (Dec 22, 2010)
WMATA Board ponders cutting late-night service (Feb 10, 2011)
Wells concerned about parking in bike lanes (Jun 20, 2008)
It's not the (escalator) crime, Metro, it's the cover-up (Nov 9, 2010)
Metro's escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 2: The news cycle is driving maintenance (Dec 13, 2010)

Metro morsels

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:38:00 EDT

by David Alpert

To really repair the escalators, Metro needs to add 55 mechanics. ... A Metrobus rear-ended another in Anacostia. ... Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli hopes the Silver Line is canceled in phase 2, to Dulles and Loudoun. (Examiner)

Comment

Metro isn't always the best option for transit expansion (Sep 21, 2010)
Rail to Dulles, Loudoun has a silver lining (Sep 23, 2010)
How would Dulles's rail compare to European airports? (Mar 21, 2011)
MWAA considers moving Dulles Airport Metro stop (Aug 11, 2010)
Metro escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 1: We still don't know why they're breaking (Dec 9, 2010)

And...

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 08:24:00 EDT

by Erik Weber

Watch your toes this summer on the Metro escalators. (DCist) ... TBD On Foot will be back in full force with a new writer later this month. (TBD) ... See what Capitol Hill and DC's monumental core probably looked like two centuries ago. (DCist)

Comment

Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
A ghost, a bicyclist, and a streetcar (Oct 31, 2009)
The statehood movement needs a widely visible symbol (May 10, 2011)
South Capitol: L'Enfant strikes back (Feb 17, 2008)
WalkingTown DC schedule (Apr 11, 2008)

And...

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:33:00 EDT

by Erik Weber

7 years after SmarTrip cards were introduced, the city's most Metro-accessible university will start selling them in its bookstore. (WMATA, Gavin) ... Want to see the escalator collapse that happened at L'Enfant Plaza after the Rally for Sanity in the fall? (DCist) ... One block of New York's SoHo neighborhood has gone through numerous transformations to reach its current status as an upscale, design district. (Aidwatch)

Comment

Is Metro selling SmarTrip at a profit? (Nov 8, 2008)
What do SmarTrip cards cost? (Dec 12, 2008)
Smartrip available at CVS just in time for Christmas (Dec 18, 2008)
CVS will start selling Smartrip cards (Nov 17, 2008)
Is blocking negative SmarTrip balances really necessary? (Aug 25, 2010)

Things collapsing

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:59:00 EDT

by David Alpert

A few steps collapsed at the bottom of an escalator at Foggy Bottom, dropping a woman a few feet. Nobody was injured. (TBD, DCist) ... Wind knocked over the National Christmas Tree, which will have to be replanted. This happened twice before. (DCist)

Comment

Metro escalators are worse than they used to be

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 09:05:00 EDT

by David Alpert

You're not just imagining it; Metro's escalators really do break down more often than they used to, and repairs take longer. Increasing age is part of it, but not all of it. (Examiner)

Comment

Mapping Metro's escalators (Aug 20, 2010)
What should we expect from elevators and escalators? (Oct 13, 2010)
Sarles talks safety, escalators, bag searches, funding & more (Feb 3, 2011)
Reconfigure L'Enfant escalators for an easier transfer (Aug 31, 2010)
Metro escalator repairs are unlikely to work, part 1: We still don't know why they're breaking (Dec 9, 2010)