Comment by Ross
I'm generally an advocate of closing a section of line to work more efficiently, rather than spreading the work out over many nights/weekends, at least until the maintenance backlog is substantially...
View ArticleComment by jcp
They should have a yearly 5 day weekday closure of WMATA rail to complete various capital core projects in the system. Bus and Commuter Rail service should run peak service all day during this time.
View ArticleComment by cyco
Great article! The points made are indisputable. Of course, the rub is that years and years of off-peak delays, single-tracking, etc., is very bad for low-income workers, as well – imagine the...
View ArticleComment by Brian
Providing replacement bus service is a great idea. But doing so is going to be a lot easier on a weekend than on a weekday, simply because weekdays are far more busy. If 700,000 people use Metro on a...
View ArticleComment by WRD
I just commented recently on something kinda like this. I agree with this point in an abstract sense. However, this argument tends to be used, in my opinion, a bit like changing the subject. It's a red...
View ArticleComment by LEW
And the smoke came back, the very next dayhttps://www.arlnow.com/2016/03/17/metro-train-evacuated-at-rosslyn-due-to-smoke/
View ArticleComment by Chester B.
They should have a yearly 5 day weekday closure of WMATA rail to complete various capital core projects in the system. Bus and Commuter Rail service should run peak service all day during this time.Is...
View ArticleComment by david vartanoff
spot on on all counts. unsaid, however, is that Metro's rush hour surchargh, distance fares and lack of cross fare honoring between bus/rail all make the system even more onerous for low wage workers....
View ArticleComment by John D
I hope Metro is not planning to make this a regular occurrence - this was an emergency, unplanned inspection initiated while the system is under a watchful eye and relearning the urgency of a safety...
View ArticleComment by Ryan
The New York Subway closes parts of lines every few years for heavy maintenance and inspections - by closing those lines at 10PM and reopening at 5AM instead of running 24 hours. Although New York...
View ArticleComment by kk
Thank you I mentioned this in the post with 100+ comments about Metrorail closing. Metrorail or to an extent the entire WMATA tends to cater to the 9-5 workers; you can see this with the amount of...
View ArticleComment by david vartanoff
The reality is that Metro has a serious maintenance backlog, and there is no magic clean it up by waving a wand. It is, however, entirely possible to (with enough budget) to hire and train crews such...
View ArticleComment by oboe
Our region's poor residents felt Bad Thing X the most...Pretty much apropos of anything.
View ArticleComment by Jasper
@ WDR:I think the transit system should provide safe, reliable transit. That's their goal. Anti-poverty programs should fight poverty, not the Transit Authority.I really wish authors like this would...
View ArticleComment by aces
The headline for the final issue of the Washington Post: WORLD ENDS TODAY; POOR TO SUFFER MOST
View ArticleComment by Arthur
This article raises several valid points, but I think it's a bit too dismissive of buses as an alternative to rail. Yes, it can take much longer (especially for people who would normally take...
View ArticleComment by Scoot
Yes I agree with the others... pretty much any suspension of a public service is going to hit poor residents the hardest. That being said, Metrorail tends to be used by relatively high-income users...
View ArticleComment by Bo Jacks
ive wondered why poor people must waste money on gas, car, insurance, when the rich just ride metro. doesnt make sense
View ArticleComment by Ross
@Arthur - This article raises several valid points, but I think it's a bit too dismissive of buses as an alternative to rail.The largest problem with buses in the region is that there are very limited...
View ArticleComment by Scoot
ive wondered why poor people must waste money on gas, car, insurance, when the rich just ride metro. doesnt make senseThat definitely does not happen. The rich, for the most part, drive.
View ArticleComment by Brian
@kk - "People are usually at resturants and retail stores anywhere from 2-6 hours before and after they close fixing the places up for business the next day. Now if you think about what time these...
View ArticleComment by Scoot
I don't know where this 2-6 hours estimate comes from... but businesses can't afford to pay people to be there for 6 hours (3/4 of a typical 8 hour shift*) when they aren't doing any actual waiting on...
View ArticleComment by kk
@Brian I have worked retail also before and we would stay there until 12 or 1 am sometimes; until the store was completely fixed up or atleast 90 % fixed. If it was really bad like the Thanksgiving...
View ArticleComment by Arthur
@Ross You're preaching to the choir. :) I endure a transfer and lack of signal priority every day. I can only hope things will get better!
View ArticleComment by WRD
@Jasper, Ok, I know this is like 3 days late, but still. And go explain that service worker that got fired for not showing up because metro was closed that it's not up to transit to fight poverty. I...
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