Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Metro says system-wide capability not possible until 2015, but the Congressional deadline is Sept. 30 of this year.
Metro got a break this week on its Congressional deadline to install cellphone service system-wide; a continuing resolution pushed the due date from March 30 to Sept. 30, The Washington Examiner reports. But don't get your hopes up, Metro has said system-wide service will not happen until December 2015. Among other requirements to continue receiving $150 million in federal funding each year, Metro is supposed to offer cell phone service throughout the transit system. Metro's 20 busiest stations were wired for internet service in 2009, but many tunnels between stations and many stations still do not have cell phone or internet service capabilities. Currently AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless have mixed levels of service throughout…
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Traffic information for Northern Virginia commuters, including traffic jams, delays, Metro, ART, DASH, Fairfax Connector and more. Click on the grey tabs below for more information.
Problems on your commute today? Tell other readers about it in the comment section below. Updated traffic information: Delayed Metro trains, buses and cars sitting in endless traffic on I-66 and the Beltway—even a 10-minute commute in the DC metro area can be extreme some days. In fact, a March 2013 report from the Census Bureau shows people in the DC metro area have the second-worst commute in the country. That report came on the heels of a Texas Transportation Institute report in February that DC area commuters face the worst traffic in the country. Patch is here to help! Click on any of the grey tabs above to expand it and get more information about congestion, delays or other traffic alerts. On the Metro rail map, click on any …
Friday, March 8, 2013
WMATA will answer questions about bus and rail service at Reston event.
Reston-area residents will have another chance to ask questions about upcoming changes to bus and rail routes happening in conjunction with Metro's Silver Line opening later this year. WMATA will hold an open house from 5 to 8 p.m. on March 14 at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. There will be informational exhibits about the Silver Line, as well as opportunities to speak with representatives and offer feedback about changes to bus service. There will also be activities for kids. The Silver Line's Phase 1, which will run from Tysons Corner to Reston's Wiehle Avenue, is slated to open in December. WMATA is seeking public comment through March 18. You can also submit feedback online at www.wmta.com/silverline. More: New Routes for …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
How to get around Washington on Inauguration Day, including Metro rail, bus, driving, biking and walking.
Click on each transportation mode above to reveal more information and links to resources about each. For additional District and Maryland transportation information, click here.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
WMATA credits aggressive cost cutting for savings.
Cost-containing measures have left Metro with a $28 million operating surplus for the fiscal year that ended June 30, the organization announced Monday. Fiscal controls included a successful health care audit and fuel hedging, which locked in a favorable rate for fuel that saved the authority money, it says. The fiscal year ended one day before Metro raised fares for riders and increased taxpayer subsidies to meet a projected shortfall in the budget. “I am pleased to report that we ended the year with a surplus and we continue to identify cost savings opportunities to ensure we are operating efficiently,” Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles sais in a statement. “We anticipate applying the surplus to offset budget challenges we …
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Supervisors begin work sessions before final vote to determine whether Loudoun will participate.
The biggest revelation Tuesday night regarding Loudoun’s potential participation in Metro’s Silver Line extension appeared to be the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s expectation that the county would cover operation and maintenance costs as well as participate in Metro’s capital program, even if the Board of Supervisors opts out of the project. WMATA is the entity that operates Metro, while the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is the entity constructing the project. While MWAA, which also controls Dulles Airport and the Dulles Toll Road, has been tasked with construction and will participate in phase two of the Silver Line project, it will not be responsible for operation and maintenance costs. Shiva Pant, Metro’s…
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Clements: Phrase designed to capture 'magnitude of anger' at health care reform.
Independent filmmaker Logan Darrow Clements said Wednesday that his decision to use "Go to hell Barack" in a Metro advertisement was borne out of his anger at the state of America's healthcare system -- and where he feels it's headed. "It was designed to express the magnitude of anger over our move toward socialized medicine," Clements told Patch in a phone interview. "I'm extremely upset the government is going to take over health care. I'm not mildly upset. I'm extremely upset." An advertisement for Clements' movie "Sick & Sicker" in the Clarendon Metro station states, "Barack Obama wants politicians and bureaucrats to control America's entire medical system." It adds: "Go to hell Barack." The language has drawn the ire of U.S. Rep. Jim …
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Board discusses several ways to close budget gap in 2012 as ridership decreases, costs grow
Though the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority raised Metro fares last summer, riders could see another increase as soon as this July in an effort to make up for lost revenue and rising costs. The Washington Post reports Metro needs to close a $124 million shortfall in fiscal year 2013, a combination of growing expenses — including overtime and health care costs — and fewer riders: while bus ridership is expected to increase, a 2 percent decrease in those that use the subway system will cost the system $3 million, according to the Post. The fiscal year begins July 1. The last rate adjustment occurred during the summer of 2010, introducing a controversial tiered system that charged more for "peak" and "peak of peak" rides during rush…
JP
2:33 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
It is ironic that the open house is scheduled for a time of day when most of us who will be using the Silver Line are still commuting... more ›