Well, folks, it's happened. Everyone who lives in, commutes to, travels through, or even gets near Virginia in a car, bus, or train can breathe a little easier. Yesterday, as expected, the Virginia legislature approved Governor Tim Kaine's changes to the transportation bill, which we detailed last week. The expected revenue certainly won't dig Virginia out of the hole it's in with respect to transportation. But hopefully, it can keep the hole from getting any deeper.

Finally, let's take a minute to recognize that Kaine did something not many Governors have been willing to do: significantly increasing the amount of money that will be dedicated to transit. Good on ya', Guv'nah!

This news could not come a moment too soon, either, as Metro recorded its second highest weekday ridership on Tuesday, with 831,508 passengers. This was just a day after Metro recorded its tenth highest ridership, on Monday. If last year was any indication, we're expecting a few more of these records to fall throughout the summer.

On to the news of the week! Virginia Rep. Tom Davis' Metro funding bill is thwarted in committee, D.C. fire trucks are the new Metrobus, and new radar systems will soon seek and destroy traffic jams. Also, how attached are you to your local bus stop?

Photo by Bsivad

How Many Times Must We Say It: Metro is NOT Pork!
One of the most important parts of the Virginia transportation bill passed yesterday is the provision that dedicates about $50 million a year to Metro for 10 years. Virginia's contribution, along with similar contributions from both D.C. and Maryland are requirements of the massive $1.5 billion Metro funding bill being pushed by Reps. Tom Davis of Virginia and Steny Hoyer of Maryland. The District has already passed legislation that allocates the money (contingent on action by both of our neighbors) and Maryland's transportation secretary is working on funding options.

Since Davis proposed the bill in 2005, there has been a smattering of opposition (ably rebutted, we might add) from those who think investing in one of the region's most important assets is somehow wasteful. That baseless rhetoric came to a head last week, when Rep. Patrick McHenry, a baby-faced-yet-grey-haired Congressional sprite from North Carolina blocked the bill's passage out of committee on procedural grounds.

We wonder, if McHenry conducted an informal poll of his staff asking how they get to work each day, would he reconsider his position? We're guessing a survey of Hill staffers would quickly reveal that without Metro, the federal government would pretty much shut down. (Though McHenry is a Gingrich protégé -- could the new Republican strategy to reduce the size of government be to cut off its source of transportation? Has anyone ever seen Grover Norquist on Metro?) Either way, there are enough of these members on both sides of the aisle that Davis remains optimistic that the bill will be voted out of committee next month.

Where's The Fire?
With several high profile pedestrian accidents, a lot of attention lately has been focused on the safety skills of Metrobus drivers. Now the owner of another fleet of vehicular behemoths, the D.C. fire department, has come under scrutiny as well. According to the Washington Post, D.C. firetrucks are involved in an average of two accidents each week. Whoa.

The consequences have not been anywhere near as dire as the rash of pedestrian deaths at the bumpers of Metrobuses. Most accidents are fender benders, and no fatalities have resulted. But the District government has had to settle more than a few lawsuits at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars for injuries and property damage. What's troubling is the fact that D.C.'s fire trucks are getting into accidents more often than those in comparable cities throughout the country. That only about half of these accidents occur on the way to a fire -- the rest happen on the way back or on other business -- is cause for even more concern.

Now, if we had a souped-up truck painted bright red and equipped with its very own sound and light show, we'd be a little overzealous too. We understand the need for speed on the way there, but c'mon guys - on the way home, let's scale it back a bit.

Follow up suggestion for the Post: how many more accidents are caused by ambulances responding to firetruck collisions?

Connecticut Ave. 2.0
We never stopped to think about it until now, but it's a little amazing that we still rely on something as primitive as a reporter in a helicopter for news on traffic and road conditions. Not to knock the hard work of our friends at WTOP and the Post, but let's face it -- the conditions they report can be completely different when you arrive 15 minutes later. Not for long.

The District has allowed a company called SpeedInfo, Inc. to install 50 solar-powered, wireless radar sensors onto main city streets, which record traffic speed in both directions twice a minute. The data collected by the sensors will be sold to news outlets, GPS on-board navigation services, and other customers to help provide the most real-time traffic reports possible. In exchange for the street space, the city will have access to the data for traffic planning purposes. We have to think that it's only a matter of time before Google jumps on this as well...and the sooner the better!

Love Them Like They're Your Own
It's hard not to develop a special relationship with the particular bus stop where you wait each day -- it's a place to sip coffee and hide from blustery winter winds, to commiserate over lousy service with the same people each morning, and a sure sign that home is right around the corner after a long day at the office. All this can create a special bond between riders and their bus stop.

Metro is banking on this affection to help keep bus stops cleaner and more appealing with its Adopt-A-Bus Stop program, which it launched this week. Similar to several other Adopt-A-__________ campaigns, Metro is seeking sponsors who are willing to keep the stop free of trash, report graffiti, damage, or suspicious packages, and generally look out for helpless bus shelters. Metro will install a plaque bearing the proud parent's name to recognize their efforts, and provide the volunteers with cleaning supplies, safety vests, trash removers, and trash bags. Anyone interested in participating in the program should contact Metro’s Adopt-A-Bus Stop line at (202) 962-1107. With over 12,000 bus stops, that's a lot of proud "parents."