Transit on Thursday: Safety Dance Edition
This week on Transit on Thursday, good news from DDOT for people who don't like getting hit by cars, and Metro plans on fixin' some things that really need fixin'.
Score One For Pedestrians:
We will soon get to say farewell to annoying sidewalk closures caused by those greedy development projects. No more braving the fury of cars as we find a way around. And no more crossing to the other side.
Builders will instead be required to work around pedestrians by constructing covered walkways much like they do in (where else?) New York City, DDOT spokesperson Erik Linden tells DCist.
"New York is actually the national role model for this issue because there's so much development in and they build covered walkways to keep sidewalks open," he said.
Photo by billadler
Current DDOT construction regulations allow developers to get a permit to close the sidewalk so long as the one on the other side of the street is open and clear. The new regulations, set to be unveiled this month at the end of October, will be much stricter, Linden says, and will require covered walkways instead of closures with virtually no some exceptions.
Some projects already use the walkway system. A good example is M Street SE at Half Street, directly across from the new U.S. Department of Transportation. But the majority don't, and people in D.C., it turns out, like to live through their walking experience. Maybe there's something to this "livable, walkable city" bit? Walking, after all, seems to be a good alternative for people who want to avoid the nation's second worst traffic.
DDOT says they want to encourage such a notion.
"Back in the 1990s, everyone drove and everybody was happy about driving," Linden says. "But now people want to walk and we want to be able to accommodate that."
This new regulation, of course, won't end all sidewalk problems. For example, closures caused by road and walkway construction, such as the work on P Street Northwest between 20th and 23rd Streets that has resulted in serious losses for business that rely on daily foot traffic, would remain.
Metro Has Good News, Too:
If you and your shoes manage to survive the rush hour station escalator ride, your chances of standing on the train with your face crammed into the back of the guy in front of you will soon go down.
By the end of this month, Metro will run only six car trains on the Blue and Yellow lines during morning and evening rush hour, instead of the four car trains passengers are currently forced to deal with, reports The Post.
The Examiner also reports that WMATA plans upgrades to their admittedly spastic electrical system on which they've blamed many of this summer's firey delays. The system is on the receiving end of $35 million in congressional funds for the coming fiscal year, and officials plan to put it towards the much needed repairs.
If all goes well the electrical fixes won't only mean fewer delays –- they will allow the system to run more eight car trains on about a third of the lines during rush hour. That upgrade should hit by next July.
We Saw the Signs:
If you haven't already gotten the memo that Metro hates your ugly shoes, they've got new signs and audio announcements to remind you.
The signs – depicting an croc alligator, warn riders to lift their feet when exiting the escalator.
"You wouldn't know by looking at it, but an escalator — like an alligator — can do some pretty serious damage to whatever gets in its way. Without warning. Without mercy. So don't be fooled by an escalator's mild-mannered appearance," the signs say. You can check them out near the entrance to the station where Metro officials say they are posted.
The new audio announcements carry a similar message – you think the escalator is your friend, but it's not.
Weekend closures and delays:
Games at both RFK and FedEx Field this Sunday are likely to cause some serious insanity on the Orange and Blue Lines. Metro will run six-car trains leading up to each event and six-car and eight-car trains afterwards. The extra cars will run from the Morgan Boulevard and Largo Town Center stations on the Blue Line, from the Landover station on the Orange Line for the Redskins game and from the Stadium-Armory station after the Nationals game.
Due to a time change for the Nationals' last game at RFK (originally scheduled for after 1 p.m.) fans will likely be leaving as Redskins fans are coming. But the double-game means empty cars Metro usually has waiting for fans as they leave RFK won't be there.
If you plan to park at the Morgan Boulevard and Largo Town Center stations anytime between 1 p.m. and two hours after the game Sunday, you'll be shelling out a hefty $25 for the privilege, 'Skins fan or not. And don't forget your SmarTrip card.
Also:
The Red Line will single track because of track work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday between Grosvenor-Strathmore and Medical Center stations. Add up to 15 minutes of travel time to your trip.
The Orange Line will single track, also for track work, between the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU and West Falls Church-VT/UVA stations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. To make things faster into downtown, every other Orange Line train will terminate at the West Falls Church-VT/UVA and return to New Carrollton. Add up to 30 minutes of travel time to your trip.
Delays continue on the Green Line thanks to new continued new railcar testing. Trains will single track between Greenbelt and College Park from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and you should add 10 to 15 minutes of time to your trip.