Dear Virginia Railway Express Operations Board: I don’t live in Virginia, and I don’t take the VRE in to the District each day, but I sure wish I did, because of the enhanced service you have decided to offer: Riders can now carry firearms and concealed weapons on the train!

Read More “Dear VRE: Thanks for Letting Us Bring Our Guns on the Train” »

The general manager of the D.C. Metro, John Catoe, says riders on the Red Line should expect delays for at least a year because of the ongoing investigation into last month’s deadly crash and repairs connected to it, the Washington Times reports.

“If this is an issue dealing with the safety of the system, I’m not going to restrict the repairs to nighttime. I’m going to get it as soon as I can get it done. And we will look at ways to do that, but that will impact the service on the Red Line,” he said.

“Now that we’re getting into heavy revamp of the system, it will be impacting services for the next several years,” Mr. Catoe said. To lessen disruptions to the system, Metro will rethink how it schedules maintenance. Suggestions include doing large repairs on holidays or specific days of the week like Tuesdays and Thursdays.

In a wide-ranging interview with the paper, Catoe also suggested that problems with a 30-year-old computer system that is being investigated as the possible cause of the crash could impact other transit systems across the country.

“With this, depending again what they ultimately find, could be much larger. It’s an issue, depending upon what they find, not just for [the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]. We’re not the only one with this type of system. Most rail operations around the country have a similar system to this,” said Mr. Catoe, who insisted he was speculating and distanced himself from the NTSB investigation.

“If they find, let’s say, that there’s a defect in the part, then you have to look at all the parts around the country because there’s only two manufacturers of those parts,” he said.

Whoa—big story just posted by Washington Post reporters Lena Sun and Lyndsey Layton:

The train control system designed to prevent Metro crashes is malfunctioning across the railroad, suggesting that a technological failure at the heart of last month’s fatal crash may be widespread, according to officials and documents.

At least one-half dozen track circuits on four of the five lines of the transit system have failed to properly detect the presence of trains.

Six circuits have been shut down in addition to the one thought to have caused last month’s Red Line crash. Some of them—including ‘circuits at Greenbelt on the Green Line, Grosvenor on the Red Line and Foggy Bottom on the Orange/Blue line’—have been shut off, meaning trains can only pass through them one at a time, at 15 mph.

And double whoa:

[D]ocuments show that Metro technicians have detected malfunctions since at least July 11. Metro General Manager John B. Catoe Jr. said publicly as recently as July 16 that the agency has inspected all 3,000 circuits and not noted any problems.

So on Wednesday morning, the lovely people at WMATA issued a press release stating that the Takoma station will continue to close at 10 p.m. every night until July 19th.  They amended the statement with another one this morning, stating that tonight, the station will stay open until 3 a.m., the normal closing time on weekends, making travel slightly easier for a day.  It’s understandable that the NTSB needs as much time as possible to investigate the June 22 crash.  What makes less sense is the announcement for an overhaul of the Red Line that was planned prior to the crash.  Because what is being fixed, according to The Washington Post, does not seem immediately necessary, especially if it’s going to cause even more delays on system’s busiest line. Read More “Seeing Red on the Red Line…Still” »

Fresh from DDOT:

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is advising motorists that the 2600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, NW is closed to eastbound traffic because of a sinkhole. A square hole, approximately 4 feet by 4 feet, and 5 feet deep, has developed in the roadway near the bridge over Rock Creek (see attached photo).

DDOT crews are on the scene to make repairs. They are also working with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to try and reopen a lane for eastbound traffic, but delays are likely and motorists are advised to take alternate routes if possible

Any readers got pics?

UPDATE, 5:35 P.M.: WUSA-TV has a photo.

Fire Chief Dennis Rubin with Adrian Fenty at a press conference yesterday

Fenty is expected to make remarks on the red line crash this morning at 8:00 a.m. We’ll be live-blogging the press conference here.

8:01 a.m. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Fire Chief Dennis Rubin, Councilmember Jim Graham step up.

8:02 a.m. Fenty says he wants the country to know that his first efforts are with the families and friends of the victims. 76 people were taken off of the train to the hospital. Yesterday, six were confirmed dead. This morning, the number of confirmed dead is seven. Not nine as previously reported.

Read More “Fenty Press Conference #3: Liveblog” »

When it comes to public transportation, residents of the greater Washington area are relatively fortunate.  Metro trains and buses come with relative frequency, they are clean (for the most part), and they can accommodate the masses of commuters and tourists that congregate in this city.  But since Saturday, four people have died at local transit stations.  Shouldn’t this be cause for some concern about the system? Read More “Public Transit Woes: How Safe Are We?” »

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UPDATED: 3:08 p.m.

The victim was a male, there was no age available at the time, and the preliminary investigation indicates it was intentional, according to a WMATA spokesman. There were several witnesses and authorities will be reviewing surveillance footage from the station.

UPDATED 3:05 p.m.

A person was struck and killed by blue line train at the McPherson Square Station, according to Cathy Asato of WMATA’s Office of Media Relations.

The event happened at about 1:15 p.m.

There is currently no blue or orange line service between Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle, and passengers should expect delays throughout the afternoon, said Asato.

From Alert D.C. -

Blue and Orange line riders face delays after person hit by a train

Buses called in to shuttle passengers around incident

Blue and Orange line riders are facing delays this afternoon after a person was hit by a train at the McPherson Square station around 1:15 p.m. The Blue Line train was headed to the Franconia-Springfield Metrorail station at the time of the incident.

There is no train service to the McPherson Square station while emergency crews respond. Metro is setting up free shuttle bus service from the Foggy Bottom Metrorail station to the Federal Triangle Metrorail station to help passengers around the incident area. The buses will stop at Foggy Bottom, Farragut West, McPherson Square, Metro Center and Federal Triangle.

Passengers can expect delays throughout the afternoon as Metro continues to investigate.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

Over at why.i.hate.dc, a local D.C. blogger has declared war on local D.C. blogs, and written a sarcastic list of tips for creating a successful neighborhood blog (which if you follow, “you should find yourself linked by DCist and The Washington City Paper in no time!”).

One anonymous commenter joked that he/she was “so inspired I’m going to start a Brookland neighborhood parody blog.”

My first post will ask readers to join me in an email writing campaign to Whole Foods corporate headquarters asking for our own store.

Next, I’ll review the new coffee shop opened by two gay men who just returned from wintering in Vieques, and who import “fair trade” Ethiopian coffee direct from the source.

Jokes aside, it raises a legitimate question: where is Brookland on the blog scene? Both the Brookland Blog (which has an old post about the ever-entertaining Brookland listserv) and stop, blog, and roll have been inactive since the summer, leaving a huge gap for an intrepid blogger to fill. Sure, there’s the Brookland Heartbeat, but that only comes out every other month. Read More “Where the Brookland Bloggers At?” »

In an article about ways in which people are trying to beat inaugural transportation hassles, the Washington Post mentions the situation at Cap Hill’s Capital Segway:

“Calls have flooded Rep Burks’s Segway rental store in the District. “People get excited about taking a Segway to the inauguration,” he said. A Segway is one of the few private vehicles that will be allowed, like bikes, on city streets and across bridges. “But then they find out they can’t get inside the secure zone with it, and they realize it’s not such a great option.” Segways, like bikes, strollers and other wheeled vehicles, are not allowed near the Mall or parade route.”But even if they were, Burks’s Segways have all been snapped up by Obama’s people.”

Capital Segway General Manager Steven Orr says yes, the phone has been ringing a lot and yes, “Obama’s people” have reserved the business’s thirty electric chariots.”They may or may not need all of them.”

Orr assumes inauguration volunteers asked to travel long distances will be mounting the vehicles.

Obama’s peeps are scheduled to pick up ten machines today. Won’t it be a cold ride? Obviously it’s going to be a little colder on a Segway, Orr says, but the vehicle only goes up to 12.5 miles an hour, so there’s not a lot of wind.

Photo by PetroleumJelliffe

Yesterday, the Washington City Paper’s own Darrow Montgomery asked an important question in the comments section of a post focusing on the flood of RSVPs (as of now, over 1,300) the Washington Area Bicycle Association has received for its Inaug-Day bicycle-parking service: “What happens to bikes locked up outside these areas?”

Seeking an answer, City Desk contacted Kevin Griffis, spokesman for the Presidential Inaugural Committee. “As long as [a parked/locked bike isn't] obstructing traffic, it should be fine,” Griffis said, but suggested we contact MPD to be sure.

D.C. police spokeswoman Traci Hughes had this to say about the subject via email: “If your readers want to park and lock outside the parade perimeter as they would on a normal day that is fine.” Hughes then added that bikers should, “Keep in mind there may be theft issues considering the number of people.”

An email from First District Commander David Kamperin was similar in nature, except the officer had his own keep-in-mind. “Keep in mind [bikers] are prohibited from securing to official signs, posts, etc.”

James R. Sebastian, the District Department of Transportation’s bike program manager, also offered up some advice on inaugural bike parking: Read More “Not Using the Inaugural Bike Valet? You Can Still Park Your Cycle” »

WHYY reports on the baker’s dozen of SEPTA officers (who, despite the sound of their organization’s name, do not work for Philadelphia’s water department) who’ve volunteered to help keep Metro safe during the Inaugapolypse. Apparently WMATA’s paying for it.

Update: How to Use the Inaugural Bike Valet

WABA program-assistant Henry Mesias, who has provided City Desk with all sorts of timely scoops regarding the free bike valet service the association will offer on Inauguration Day, says the non-profit is fully prepared for a “bikepocalypse.”  And why might he predict one?  Around this time last week, the organization had received some 650 RSVPs, whereas, by yesterday, it had received over 1,100 (a jump of 450 cyclists).

Considering RSVPs aren’t required, and the inauguration is still seven days away, you can bet there will be more than eleven-hundred two-wheelers rolling into stations on Jan. 20. (Back in December, WABA imagined there would be a max of just a thousand.) No sweat. WABA can handle it. “We’re prepared for the worst, I mean…er…the best,” Mesias says.

Not only is the group ready for the worst-er- best, they’re ready to supply the multitudes who stream into one of two (plans for a third were scrapped) stations–located north and south of the National Mall respectively– with snazzy commemorative claim tickets and spoke cards. The spoke card design is pictured below. Read More “Inaugural Bike Valet Station RSVPs May Be Sign of Bike-pocalypse” »

On Inauguration Day, Mt. Vernon Square/7th St Convention Center will close at 7:30 a.m. and Judiciary Square will close at 4 p.m., Metro has announced. This is because of the stations’ proximity to many balls. The more balls that will be held in your area, the more you can expect to be inconvenienced.

According to Washington Area Bicyclist Association program assistant Henry Mesias, it’s official: WABA will be setting up bike valet stations at the Capitol on Inauguration Day. “Locations are still TBA,” he writes in an email, “but there will be designated bike valet areas north and south of the event.”

The nonprofit had been waiting for approval from various government entities so that it could offer free bike parking (and guarding) on January 20.

Mesias says more info will be released later today, through the organization’s Web site, www.waba.org, and WABA is “asking folks who think they may use the valet to RSVP on our website to help us get an idea of how many bikes to expect.”

Update: Asked to confirm the District Department of Transportation will be working with WABA to place bike valet stations at the inaug, DDOT spokesman John Lisle doesn’t give up the goods.

“I know they’re working on it and today may be launching a page asking people to RSVP so they can get a sense of how many people might bike to the inauguration.  From our standpoint, officially nothing’s changed.  We think it’s a great idea to offer people an alternative way to get to the Inauguration and we’re working with WABA on the logistics to try and make it happen.”

Mesias says he isn’t surprised DDOT is refusing to confirm. “I don’t think DDOT will do a press release until all the exact details are pinned down.” But, he assures, an email WABA received from the department says the bike stations are approved.

Photo courtesy of Washington Area Bicyclist Association