Posts tagged Wmata
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People whine, DC communicates, Metro less so
The region has now broken the all-time snow record, but that hasn’t stopped criticism of nearly every government response, from plowing to transportation to trash collection. We need to be patient with authorities. What separates some agencies from others, however, is the degree of communication, and there WMATA earns a few slaps on the wrist. Chris Matthews criticized… Keep reading…
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Potomac Yard Metro: “We can see the finish line”
At last Thursday’s Potomac Yard Planning Advisory Group (PYPAG) meeting, Alexandria’s Deputy Director of Planning and Zoning Jeff Farner joked that this will “probably” be the last one, which drew a few tentative chuckles from the group. The planning of Potomac Yard seems to have gone on for years if not decades. The goal for the product of over a year… Keep reading…
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Dinner links: It’s starting again
“Snoverkill” coming; Who shoveled?; Don’t drive or plow this trail; Sparks fly on Metro; Don’t wait a year to call Muriel; Taking away their fare share; Saving through a lottery. Keep reading…
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Doug Duncan for WMATA GM?
The AP is reporting that Doug Duncan, former Montgomery County Executive, has expressed interest in the WMATA General Manager position. Keep reading…
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The evolution of Metrorail, 1976-2010
A newer version of this animation is here. During December’s snowstorm, we wrote that the worst December storm since 1982 would (and did) create a Metro system with about the same number of stations as in 1982, as did this weekend’s storm. This raises the question, what exactly did the rail system look like in 1982? Or other years? To answer that, I created a little slideshow: #slideshow… Keep reading…
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The Transit Ombudsman: Watch the language
A few weeks ago, The Transit Ombudsman put the spotlight on Metro’s online trip planner. Readers identified many good issues and provided excellent suggestions on the trip planner and other topics. WMATA staff followed up with us promptly and is working to correct many of the issues. The goal of the Transit Ombudsman is to identify issues that bother riders and then contact… Keep reading…
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Is using capital for operations saving our service or mortgaging our future?
WMATA faces difficult decisions about whether to use capital funds for “preventive maintenance” that is currently paid for by the operating budget. During the recent debate over closing a $40 million WMATA budget gap, Metro Board members Jim Graham and Chris Zimmerman express what seem to be widely divergent public views. Graham said, “The best… Keep reading…
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Metro needs a CEO
The WMATA Board is expected to choose an interim General Manager today. The next step will then be to find a permanent head for the agency. When they do, the Board should look beyond top transit administrators and look for a top manager from the private sector. Many of the problems Metro faces resemble those of large companies. It’s a big organization with many employees and… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Build it and pay for it
Potomac Yard funding solved?; Have developers pay for transit; Housing for Silver Spring; Road debates in MoCo; Republican-only town hall on I-66; Small empty spaces add up; Where buses make their money; Rails to trails, more literally. Keep reading…
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WMATA allowed to release bus prediction API
Michael Perkins was able to get a copy of WMATA’s NextBus contract, with financial information redacted. Tom Lee scrutinized the contract to try to answer a nagging question: Could WMATA release an open, free data feed of the NextBus predictions if it chose? Massachusetts has a trial real-time feed for select buses. That feed provides the locations of buses as well as NextBus’s… Keep reading…