Transit on Thursday: Ups and Downs Edition

Another Argument For Secession?
Earlier this week, DCist Martin looked at some recent polls showing an increasingly sharp divide between residents of Northern Virginia and the rest of the state. Though his suggestion that NoVa might consider seceding and joining the District to form the 51st state did not go over so well, today The Post reports yet another poll today that suggests Northern Virginians are at odds with their SoVa counterparts. After Northern Virginia voted down a regional sales tax increase to fund transportation and other priorities four years ago, the Post found that 76 percent of likely Northern Virginia voters would like to vote again on a local tax increase. About half those voters would approve increases in taxes, fees, and tolls that were dedicated to transportation. As a Manassas resident put it, "I'd like to pay more taxes. The time you're wasting [in traffic] is more valuable than the tax money you would pay."

Other interesting poll results: 55 percent of those polled blamed the state legislature, especially Republicans, for the ongoing transportation debacle. Only 11 percent blamed Governor Tim Kaine. While only 21 percent of Northern Virginians and 15 percent of all Virginians specifically favored tax increases, a full two-thirds of respondents in the rest of Virginia were willing to allow regions to raise their own taxes to fund transportation.

Of course, those legislators in the Assembly who blocked any action on transportation have their own polls that show just the opposite of the Post's findings. Maybe it's just time to add polls to the list along with lies, damned lies, and statistics.

Delays At Dulles Grow To A Full Year
For months we waited to see which way the Metro extension to Dulles would go: up, up and away onto elevated tracks, or down, deep down into an underground tunnel. Well after 5 months, a lot of debate, a few threats, and a blue ribbon commission, Governor Kaine pulled the plug on the tunnel and the project has begun to move forward. Unfortunately, that 5 month delay apparently pushed the start date for construction back by a full year. Subway construction between West Falls Church and Reston will now begin in late 2007 or early 2008. County supervisors and members of the Virginia legislature from Fairfax initially wanted to break ground before next November's elections, hoping to appear as an exception among state officials who wasted months bickering over transportation. Who knows though; maybe "Metro to Dulles: Almost There!" will resonate with voters anyway.

A Recurring (Tunnel) Vision
They say that those who refuse to learn from mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them. Maryland has apparently never heard this adage. The Examiner reports that a coalition of groups from Chevy Chase and Bethesda are pressuring Transportation Secretary Robert Flanagan to consider sinking the Purple Line, the proposed transit link between Montgomery and Prince Georges counties, into a tunnel to spare the Capital Crescent Train from the noise and intrusion of a transit line.

Some transit activists in Maryland feel that the effort to drive the Purple Line underground is actually a ploy to kill it altogether. Reports studying several routes between are due out in the spring, and Secretary Flanagan has included tunneling options in the analysis. Ben Ross, president of the local Action Committee for Transit, which supports an above-ground Purple Line told the Examiner, “It is obvious insisting on tunneling will kill the Purple Line.” We've never been mush for conspiracy theories. If Flanagan wanted to kill the Purple Line, he'd just tie up all the state's transportation money somewhere else. Or get the Governor to nix it. C'mon! How likely is that?!?

Waiting for the NextBus
Anyone who has ridden on Metrobus knows that those little schedules Metro posts at bus stops aren't worth the paper they are printed on. As the scheduled arrival times come and go, a frustratingly long wait (for an S bus, for instance) can become even more infuriating. However, if Metro can't yet get the buses to run on time, they figure they can at least give you and idea of how long you really have to wait.

Back in January, Metro contracted with NextBus, a private firm that will use GPS devices to track the city's hundreds of buses. Riders can then access that info online or via a NextBus hotline.

While there is no word on exactly when the system will be fully operational, things do seem to be moving along and Metro told us they are hoping for a full roll-out "soon." The company and WMATA have been installing signage at bus stops for a while now. Back in June, a someone left a comment letting us know that the Pentagon stop was sporting NextBus signs, and DCist tipster Jason202 snapped this photo (right) of a sign recently added in Woodley Park. Rumors that WMATA is planning on installing LED displays similar to those at rail stations and coordinating them with NextBus seem to be true as well, considering this picture of a Farragut bus shelter (left) taken by ethorson at the beginning of the summer. All we need now is WiFi at bus shelters and we'll be all set!

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Metro Weekend Work to Impact Service
Track maintenance on the Orange and Blue lines, and rail car testing on the Green Line will cause travel delays this weekend.

Orange Line Track Maintenance
On Saturday, October 21, and Sunday, October 22, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Orange Line trains will share one track between Vienna/Fairfax-GMU and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations so that Metro personnel can perform track maintenance and conduct an annual inspection of the rail bridge. Passengers traveling along this portion of the Orange Line should add 15 minutes of travel time.

Blue Line Track Maintenance
On Sunday, October 22, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Blue Line trains will share one track between Franconia-Springfield and Van Dorn Street due to track maintenance. Passengers traveling along this portion of the Blue Line should add 20 minutes of travel time.

Green Line Rail Car Tests
On Saturday, October 21, and Sunday, October 22, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Green Line trains will share one track between the Greenbelt and College Park Metrorail stations while Metro tests railcars. Passengers traveling along this portion of the Green Line should add 10 minutes of travel time.