Posts about Transit
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Don’t permanently slow Metro for minor added safety
A driver slammed on his car’s brakes on the Capital Beltway yesterday after coming too close for comfort to another car in front. The maneuver successfully avoided a collision. In response, AAA called for all drivers to travel no faster than 40 mph indefinitely. Of course, this didn’t happen, because it’s silly. Drivers come a little too close for comfort… Keep reading…
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Sarles focusing on “basics” of safety, reliability, finances
WMATA General Manager Richard Sarles sat down with bloggers from Greater Greater Washington, Unsuck DC Metro, DCist, and We Love DC last night for an on-the-record chat about Metro’s challenges and his short-term 6-month plan to address them. Mr. Sarles presented his plan (PDF) to improve the system’s safety, reliability and financial stability over the next… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Colors and signs
Stand over there; Green means park; New signs for New York; Local AAA now says “share the road”; Yes! to Fairlawn; Since when is it about accountability?; Purple Line will run big in election; McDonnell backs tolls. Keep reading…
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Metro’s terminal-based wayfinding confusing for visitors
For out-of-towners, navigating the Metro system can be a daunting task. Metro could make directions easier and improve wayfinding in the system by providing more information about train directions on signs. The system’s use of colored lines and destination station to identify train direction works fairly well for Metro, especially given the structure of the system,… Keep reading…
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Metro analyzes “peak of the peak” options
WMATA staff have formulated two alternatives for implementing a “peak of the peak” charge that is more closely targeted at the congested core of the system, as advocates and some Board members requested. In addition to the 10¢ and 20¢ systemwide alternatives presented earlier, they evaluated one option that charges only for riders exiting at central… Keep reading…
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AAA not at war, just concerned about process?
The backlash against AAA firebrand Lon Anderson’s anti-bike-lane diatribe has gotten the attention of his colleagues at AAA Mid-Atlantic. WashCycle, the Bike League, FABB, WABA, Martin Austermuhle in the Examiner, myself, and others all criticized the inflammatory press release, which got picked up uncritically by Fox 5, Newschannel 8, and (mildly critically)… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Suburbs change, state DOTs don’t
Not your parents’ suburbs; VDOT is hot, Halsey is cold; Fix Metro funding, and not by pulling it; Transportation Row?; Cost of killing Holden: $4.3 million; Paris “reconquering the Seine”; NYC and Boston like to share; Do cities need more density?. Keep reading…
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UMD tries another Purple Line route
As reported yesterday by the UMD Diamondback and Rethink College Park, the University of Maryland has proposed yet another alignment for the Purple Line on campus. Under the title “Purple Line may be built partially underground”, the Diamondback reports on a meeting between the campus administration and the University Senate. The author reports that a deal is… Keep reading…
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Fully wireless streetcars feasible soon, but not today
Are wireless streetcar technologies ready for DC to build a fully wire-free system? Not yet, but in a few years, they might be. A panel of streetcar experts from Houston, Portland, and other cities gave a matter-of-fact, balanced overview of the state of streetcar technology last night at a forum sponsored by DC Surface Transit. Based on the presentations, it appears that… Keep reading…
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Get station names back to short and sweet
Over time, Metro’s station names have gotten longer with the addition of nearby sites and neighborhoods. This “name sprawl” has gotten out of hand. Metro should return to the original 15-character limit on station names. Station names range in length from Takoma’s 6 letters to 44 characters for U St/African Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo. In fact,… Keep reading…