Posts tagged Wmata
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Dinner links: Delays due to broken systems
Why no breakfast links today?; Montgomery traffic signals go out; Metro communication systems go out; Pay for park parking if you don’t park in the park; Transit Score; And…; “Roads” now includes transit?. Keep reading…
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Metro board discussing PARP fees in secret
Today’s Metro Board executive session includes a discussion of the Public Access to Records Policy (PARP), their analogue to FOIA. According to sources, they’re discussing whether to raise fees for requests, including those from the press. Keep reading…
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SmarTrip office didn’t communicate “use it or lose it,” delays, or contract changes
Metro will put a band-aid on the problem of SmartBenefits going back to the employer at the end of the month by letting employers opt out of the new SmartBenefits arrangement and stick with the current system. Under the current system, an employee “claims” SmartBenefits by downloading them onto the SmarTrip card at a fare machine. Any unclaimed benefits will go back… Keep reading…
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Is Metro misinterpreting IRS rules on SmartBenefits?
Metro officials will be answering tough questions about the upcoming SmartBenefits change at tonight’s Riders’ Advisory Council meeting and tomorrow’s Board meeting. Last week, they announced that beginning January 1st, SmartTrip will contain three “bins”: one for fare money you put on the card directly from a machine, and one each for… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Harebrained approaches to traffic
The right to drive distracted?; Debate tolls thoroughly! Now don’t!; Making transit more accessible; Talk long-term; Jaydriving worse than jaywalking; Buffett Northern Santa Fe; And…. Keep reading…
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How jurisdictions share the cost of Metro, and what it means for riders
With limited budgets, DC, Maryland, and the various jurisdictions in Virginia will probably not be contributing more to Metro next year than they did this year. If that’s true, bus service in Maryland is likely to suffer. That conclusion stems from the funding formula, which divides operating contributions among each jurisdiction. Individual jurisdictions have the… Keep reading…
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The Price of Safety, part 3: Prior investigations show organizational weakness
Prior to the June 22, 2009 crash on the Red Line, Metro had experienced two other serious collisions. These incidents both occurred on the Red Line, one in 1996 near Shady Grove, and another in 2004 at the Woodley Park station. The crashes raised several concerns, including questions about the crashworthiness of Metro’s railcars. In both of these collisions, the impacting… Keep reading…
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Ride-On now on Google Transit
Montgomery County’s Ride-On bus service has joined Google Transit. Keep reading…
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Many buses stop too often
Taking the bus in Washington often requires quite a lot of patience. Some buses top at every corner, seeming to take an eternity to go only a few blocks. Removing some stops could improve travel times without negatively impacting ridership. Closely spaced stops reduce the efficiency of bus lines. Keeping the number of riders constant, a bus with fewer stops would spend similar… Keep reading…
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Metro indecision previously delayed SmarTrip three years
Recent revelations that Metro has again delayed SmarTrip upgrades by one year have sparked tough questions from many directions. The news took members of the Metro Board by surprise, and they are asking questions, including whether Metro really has to delay this upgrade. RAC Chair Diana Zinkl is pushing hard to get a presentation on SmarTrip and the delays at next week’s RAC… Keep reading…