Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown said government funding probably won't cover the more than $2 billion price tag.
Transit advocates got a mixed bag of news about the Purple Line, a proposed light rail system that would connect Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. Gov. Martin O'Malley pledged $280 million from the state's gas tax hike for the project Thursday, but over the weekend Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown said the transit project would probably need private dollars going forward, WTOP.com reported. The $2.15 billion Purple Line would operate rail stations between Bethesda and New Carrolton, with connections to existing stations on the Metro rail system. Brown, who announced that he will run for governor in 2014, told the news agency that he's been looking for companies to help pay for the project. State officials originally proposed a 50/50 split…
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Three stations will be closed along the Green Line in Prince George's County the weekend of May 17-19, according to WMATA.
If you were hoping to avoid some of the traffic along Route 1 this weekend, when thousands of University of Maryland students and their families will be on campus for commencement, take note that three Metro stations will be closed along the Green Line. According to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, College Park metro station will be closed this weekend along with the Greenbelt and Prince George's Plaza stations while crews perform track upgrades—"including tie and insulator renewal, interlocking maintenance and work associated with construction of a new test track for 7000-series railcars." The stations will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday and will reopen Monday morning. However, if you must use metro to …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Silver Line appears on new map, but when might the Purple Line appear?
The Maryland Transit Authority has scheduled a series of five open houses to update citizens on the status of the much-discussed Purple Line, according to a Washington Post story. The Purple Line is a proposed light rail extension of the current Metro system and would run for 16 miles between Bethesda and New Carrollton, and connect with the existing Red, Orange and Green Lines. Among issues that have been discussed is how the line’s construction would be funded. A February Post article stated that for Maryland to receive federal funding, the state must demonstrate that it can pay its half ($2.15 billion) of the costs. The gas tax and public-private partnerships have been talked about as possible sources of funding, but no decisions have …
Monday, April 15, 2013
After explosions at Boston Marathon, WMATA takes extra security measures.
Metro Transit Police day shift officers are being held on duty until further notice, running extra security patrols of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority bus and rail systems through rush hour, according to WMATA's official Twitter account. The news comes in the wake of two explosions which occurred as runners were crossing the finish line at the Boston Marathon. Boston Police have told the Associated Press that there were three people killed and at least 22 injuries as a result of the explosion. For up to the minute information about the Boston Marathon explosions, check Back Bay Patch. WMATA has also taken to Twitter to remind commuters of the phone number for the Metro Transit Police, which is 202-962-2121. WMATA …
Agency decides against overhaul of old cars for purchase of new.
The Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) recently announced that it will spend $215 million over the next five years to replace some 4000-series rail cars made by Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie with brand-new 7000-series cars from Kawasaki, according to The Washington Post. The rail cars will not have the ubiquitous orange and brown color scheme, and will add additional signs, brighter lights and more handholds. WMATA ordered a total of 428 of the new cars, at a total cost of $886 million, according to the report. The 4000-series cars have caused WMATA problems since they were first brought into the system in the early 1990s, but have not been the only cars with issues. The Post has detailed that part of the braking system fell …
Friday, March 29, 2013
The work will cause a 10 minute delay between the Greenbelt and College Park stations.
Although no track work is scheduled for this weekend on the Green Line, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said that starting Sunday night there would be late night repairs that could affect some commuters in Prince George's County. According to WMATA's website, Metro riders should expect a 10-minute delay between the Greenbelt and College Park stations starting at 10 p.m. until closing every day Sunday, March 31 to Thursday, April 4. Tell Us: Does weekend track work affect your plans?
Friday, March 8, 2013
Due to daylight savings time, the last Sunday trains will leave around 1 a.m. or 2 a.m.
The Green and Yellow Lines will be single-tracking this weekend, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's website. The single-tracking will allow for track maintenance and ceiling tile replacement. Green Line trains will operate every 20 minutes between Branch Avenue and Greenbelt stations. Customers should plan for the changes and give themselves a cushion of 10 minutes, according to WMATA. In addition to the single-tracking, due to daylight savings time, customers should expect the station to close an hour earlier on Sunday. "Daylight-saving time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 10. At that time, all clocks are moved ahead one hour. When that happens, it will become 3 a.m. EDT, and the Metrorail system will …
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Metro is aiming to give two hours advance warning should bus service be suspended.
Metro is operating on a normal weekday schedule Wednesday as the Washington region braces for a potentially major snowstorm. MetroAccess service and certain Metro commuter bus routes have been canceled. Metrorail customers are advised to plan extra time for their commute. “You may encounter minor delays due to snow and ice clearing efforts, as equipment that removes snow and ice from the third rail operates between regularly scheduled trains,” Wmata said in a statement. Some Metrobus routes may be detoured and bus service may be reduced or suspended as conditions deteriorate, according to Metro. Metro is aiming to notify Metrobus riders two hours in advance if service is suspended. Metro is advising checking your route online ahead of time…
Friday, March 1, 2013
Three stations will be closed on the Red Line and Reagan National Airport Station closed on the Yellow Line.
If you're planning on traveling along the Green Line this weekend from Greenbelt through Prince George's County and Washington DC, well you're in luck. The Washington Metropolitian Area Transit Authority has not scheduled any work along the Green Line, however WMATA has scheduled work on every other Metro rail line. Several stations will be closed along the Red Line including—Rhode Island Ave, Brookland and Fort Totten. Shuttle buses will also run between Takoma and NoMa-Gallaudet. The Reagan National Airport station will also be closed along the Yellow Line. However the Metro rail will be single tracking in other parts of Prince George's County like on the Orange Line between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly to allow for platform …
Friday, February 22, 2013
Scheduled work was cancelled, so the Green Line will run normally.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced that the Green Line will not be single tracking this weekend, although it was initially scheduled for this weekend. "Service will operate at regular weekend intervals between Greenbelt and Branch Avenue," according to a metro alert. Plan your trip from the Greenbelt Metro station on WMATA's website.
Pachacutec
2:31 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013
OK, Metro has to do their work, but really - who at Metro figured that closing the College Park station on the same weekend that commencement activities were due to take place was a good idea? I mean, it's not like this doesn't happen every year around the same time, right? Nobody at Metro - nobody? - said "hey, maybe we should check on this" before scheduling the work? Unbelievable. Or maybe … more ›