Posts by Kurt Raschke — Guest Contributor
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Will WMATA get cell service online or lose funding?
Since late 2008, WMATA has been working to deliver modern wireless phone service throughout the underground portions of the Metrorail system. It faces a deadline to finish by October 16 or possibly lose federal funding, but it’s unclear whether they will get the project done in time, and have not shared any news of their progress with reporters or riders. Unlike some mass… Keep reading…
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Sometimes, less is more from trip planning tools
Matt Johnson argues that transit trip planning tools should show riders a wider range of options, illustrating how the schedules of connecting services (like bus and rail) mesh. That’s often true, but for for a transit system with high-frequency routes, the best way to improve the usability of transit may be to show fewer times, not more. If a person is traveling between… Keep reading…
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RAC member’s resignation a symptom of WMATA’s opacity
On November 7, WMATA Riders’ Advisory Council member Christopher Schmitt tendered his resignation to the WMATA Board. Schmitt resigned after being frustrated at the failure of a series of information requests. This leads to some hard questions about transparency and oversight at WMATA and the role of the RAC. Schmitt first requested information of the agency… Keep reading…
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MTA to hold Purple Line open houses in November
MTA Maryland will hold a series of open houses on the Purple Line in November. These open houses will give residents an opportunity to learn about the Purple Line, and share their views on the project with MTA Maryland staff. Keep reading…
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Ask GGW: Where are “SPECIAL” Metrorail trains going?
It’s the weekend, and there’s track work taking place on the Metrorail system. Trains are running on reduced headways, and after an extended wait, a train finally rolls in — but the side destination sign says “SPECIAL”. Where’s it going? Should you get on? And why does it seem like the train itself has no particular… Keep reading…
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Metro’s Vital Signs a small step towards transparency
Since Richard Sarles took the helm, WMATA has started releasing more statistics through the monthly Vital Signs Report and Metro Scorecard. These are models for measuring a transit agency’s performance, but WMATA could go further and provide more raw performance data to the public, more frequently. At the August meeting of the WMATA Riders’ Advisory Council,… Keep reading…
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Open payment, open standards are in WMATA’s future
In the last post in this series, we examined the history of the Metrorail fare collection system. Today, we’ll explore open standard and open payment — two recent innovations which have played a big part in the design of WMATA’s next-generation fare collection system. Open standards make it possible for a transit authority to use fare collection equipment… Keep reading…
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Regional 511 could help riders amid patchwork of agencies
A natural disaster or man-made crisis could snarl traffic and disrupt bus and rail routes. Even transit riders who have planned a backup route might find it disrupted as well. Travelers could better deal with disruptions if they could get information for multiple agencies and modes at the same time. The DC metropolitan area is served by many modes of transportation, which are… Keep reading…
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A brief history of Metrorail fare collection
WMATA has embarked on an ambitious program to revolutionize the way it collects fares from riders, allowing them to use a credit or debit card to pay their fare directly. This will increase convenience for riders, and lower the agency’s costs for fare collection. But many riders wonder why they have not seen more changes in fare collection, and sooner. The answer lies in… Keep reading…
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Montreal shows the way for Metro Forward
Montreal’s subway and bus operator undertook a six-year modernization effort, rebranding itself, rebuilding stations, replacing track, buying new buses, and developing new ways to communicate with riders. Hopefully WMATA’s newly-minted Metro Forward campaign can emulate this success in the Washington region. Last month, WMATA launched Metro Forward,… Keep reading…