Posts tagged Paul Wiedefeld
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Metro needs late night service, and to not catch on fire
On Thursday, the WMATA board will vote on whether or not to extend the current suspension of late night Metro hours, which is set to expire next summer. Chair and DC Councilmember Jack Evans has threatened to veto any move that will push back the return of late night Metro service. Keep reading…
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Opinion: Why should we trust the wealthy who deride transit about Amazon?
Hundreds of city managers across the US view HQ2 as a golden ticket, but it’s a decidedly less clear proposition to the rest of the people living in the possible recipient cities. Many of these places are grappling with sky-high housing prices, deferred transit backlogs, and ever-steepening inequality, and it seems unlikely that Amazon will solve these issues. Keep reading…
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Metro Reasons: WMATA’s draft 2020 budget could be good news for riders
A Metro press release issued early Monday morning offers something that Metrorail riders haven’t had very much of recently: potential good news. The agency’s General Manager is proposing to extend rush hour service and reduce weekend fares, among several other rider-friendly proposals. Keep reading…
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Metro is a public service — its leaders need to run it like one
Several members of Metro's Board of Directors appear to have given up on trying to attract its former riders back and are content with relegating it to a 9-to-5 commuter rail system. This goes against everything the board — and local elected officials — should be trying to do. Keep reading…
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Metro gave white supremacists special treatment, despite its earlier promise
Metro brought white supremacists downtown to the Unite the Right 2 rally in what was functionally a private railcar on Sunday, August 13, despite earlier statements saying it wouldn't provide special trains or cars to rallygoers. Keep reading…
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A letter from DC Council chairman Phil Mendelson and five colleagues could imperil the Metro funding deal
A letter, released yesterday from DC Council chairman Phil Mendelson and five other council members, argues DC shouldn't pay what Virginia expects. That could lead Virginia or Maryland to pull back on their own contributions, leaving Metro with not enough money for needed repairs and upgrades. Keep reading…
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Virginia approves historic Metro funding, but cuts to other transportation may be a painful consequence
Local transit advocates in Virginia and elsewhere in the region are happy about the breakthrough in funding, which the system has lacked since it opened in 1976. However, much of the money is being pulled from transit, roads, and pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements in Northern Virginia. Keep reading…
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Wiedefeld says Metro’s woes won’t go anywhere without dedicated funding
Last Wednesday, Metro’s General Manager released his plan to pull WMATA out of its downward financial spiral and make operations sustainable. The plan focuses on Metro’s big, multi-year safety and capacity projects as well as properly scheduling and and completing them on time. Addressing funding for both means both raising new money and getting costs under control, and if that doesn’t happen, Metro service could worsen and ridership could keep dropping. Keep reading…
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Thanks for another great birthday party!
102 people (and a baby in a train dress) came together to celebrate on Wednesday evening at Greater Greater Washington's 9th birthday party. Thanks to all of the readers, contributors, volunteers, and supporters who joined us! Keep reading…
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Cell service in tunnels, junking old rail cars, getting finances in order. Here’s what’s in Metro’s Back2Good plan.
On Wednesday, WMATA General Manager Paul Wiedefeld unveiled “Back2Good,” his road map for getting trains running safely and reliably during 2017. There isn’t all that much by way of new information— most of the efforts the plan mentions are already underway— but it does group ongoing projects together so it’s easier to understand what Metro is up to and verify that it’s… Keep reading…