January 18, 2008
Transit on Friday: Delays, Delays, Delays
In case you missed this story yesterday, the Washington Post reported that federal officials are still skeptical of the plan to extend Metrorail to Dulles International Airport and might reject it, even though their consultants recently found that the proposal meets requirements for full funding.
What's the problem? The Federal Transit Administration thinks this project could end up being another Big Dig, Boston's famed $14.8 billion boondoggle that was helmed by Bechtel, the same contractor in charge of the Dulles rail line.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which is managing the first leg of the 23-mile Metro extension, plans to begin utility work in Tysons Corner without waiting for federal funds to be approved, a decision which has already received bitter criticism from the Fairfax County Supervisor.
After the jump, major Metro delays, and bus tokens make a comeback.
Photo by erin*carly
Metrobus Token Sales Resume:
Despite Metro General Manager John Catoe's commitment to encourage each and every D.C. resident to make the switch to SmarTrip, WMATA has announced they will start selling bus tokens again. The decision comes only two weeks after the agency stopped selling the tokens to anyone except students and paratransit riders.
“We were looking to cut some operation expenses with the eventual phase out of tokens. However, we have since heard from many charitable organizations and social service agencies, which distribute tokens to the needy, that eliminating them is too burdensome,” said Catoe in a statement released to the press.
Major Delays Due to Metro Center Work:
Metro plans to perform major platform structural rehabilitation work on the Red Line bridge at the Metro Center Metrorail station because the bridge is sagging. The work will take place over the next two holiday weekends, starting with this one tonight at 10 p.m. and ending Monday at midnight, and then resuming Friday, February 15 at 10 p.m., lasting through President's Day Weekend. Check out Metro's announcement for the full details, but Red, Orange and Blue line passengers are being told to add an extra 30 minutes to their trips over the course of both weekend.
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Looks like the Tysons Tunnel crowd won. To them, it was never about "smart solutions," it was about prolonging the process long enough for some Fed to step in and pull funding. Lesson learned: avoid painful choices for as long as possible so that every solution becomes too horrible and too expensive.
Like going to the dentist.
I have a lot of extra tokens that I don't use anymore because I switched to Smartrip. I wonder if I could donate them to the charities or agencies?
This is kind of silly.. the Post has a background source (sigh) "concerned about the specter of another Big Dig" but gives absolutely no justification for that, aside from the fact that it's a large transportation project. Yes, Bechtel also did the Big Dig, but if they're going to use that as a reason, then Bechtel should never have been in Iraq, shouldn't have been involved in Katrina recovery, and should never again get a federal project. Obviously, this is not reasonable.
IMO, there are two real reasons behind this.
1. They're pissed that they got overruled by their consultants. It's the standard Bush administration mentality where the first decision is always the right one, no matter what other information comes out.
2. They hate anything to do with public transportation.
I don't ride the Red Line, personally. But is it just me, or has there been a delay on the Red Line pretty much every day this week. I seem to recall hearing an announcement pretty much every day. Nothing like upping the fare and then delivering even worse service. I know it's naive to expect immediate improvements, but it seems that Metro has just really mismanaged this whole post-fare hike period (even crappier service, unveiling hideous looking logos and cars, etc.)
You can just hear them at the FTA, holding hands in a circle in the basement around a pentagram, chanting: Rubber Wheels Good, Steel Wheels Bad.
justjack75, it's not just you. I've had at least two or three days this week I had to let a couple of full trains pass by before I could board. This morning was fun too. I walked into Woodley Park just seconds after they unloaded a train having technical problems, so the platform was jam packed. Then had to wait for three trains to come through and pick up all the poor folks who got booted off that train.
anyone know why the orange line was DEAD this morning? not that i'm complaining, as i didn't have to battle the sardine can . . . but still, it was a little creepy. i kept wondering when the zombies would come . . .
MikeB - Sounds like they had a lot of technical problems this morning. I was unloaded from a red line train at Metro Center this morning for the same reason, and got to wait with three million other folks for a new, supposedly technical-difficulty-free train. Good times.
"I know it's naive to expect immediate improvements"
It's naive to expect improvements, period. The fare hike is just catching up with inflation, increased energy costs, increased health costs, etc.
"...then Bechtel should never have been in Iraq, shouldn't have been involved in Katrina recovery, and should never again get a federal project. Obviously, this is not reasonable."
Au contraire. This is absolutely reasonable. There ARE companies that can handle large projects such as this, provide a high-quality finished product, get the job done on time, and NOT overcharge the gummint (taxpayer, that is) by a factor of 20 or more.
The reason Bechtel and Haliburton are in Iraq and whoring taxpayers with their inflated no-bid contracts is that they line the pockets of the Bush family and friends. Damn right they shouldn't be in Iraq, or on ANY federal or state project.
Not that there's any oversight or accountability demanded, but that's a whole 'nother issue. Or maybe it's actually the cause of the topic at hand...
Sorry for the rant. I always liked the tenets of the OLD Republican party: smaller gov't; no trade defecit; pro-environment; fiscal, corporate, and personal responsibilty. For Christ sake, Lincoln was a Republican. I have no idea what GWB and his cadre of ass clowns are doing. Dammit, I've ranted again. Time for my Xanax and a moonshine colonic.
"There ARE companies that can handle large projects such as this, provide a high-quality finished product, get the job done on time, and NOT overcharge the gummint (taxpayer, that is) by a factor of 20 or more."
Examples? There are few projects with a scope the size of the Big Dig.
BTW, Bechtel bid on their Iraq contract, and the Big Dig was an overrun by a factor of 2.5, when you account for inflation. Obviously still a disaster, but far from a factor of 20. It's also unclear how much money will be recovered through court action, though it's likely to be 0.5b or less.
As usual, just talkin' out my ass, Politburo. I don't know how many, if any, companies are in a position to take on such a huge project, but I'm pretty sure that if fiscally irresponsible companies were excluded from the bidding process, other outfits would emerge or expand their skill set to grab a piece of that pie. Free markets work. Also, I'm pretty sure that the $680B Bechtel Iraq contract was awarded in either a sole-bidder or, even worse, a secretly bid process.
Sorry--$680 million, not billion, contract to replace/repair Iraqi infrastructure.
seriously, if people were to protest and not use metro this weekend, it would probably be the first convenient boycott in history.
Also this morning there was a sick passenger at Judiciary Square so they one-tracked the train from JS to Rhode Island Ave.
I think a good story would delve into all these "sick passengers" and find out how often it disrupts service. Are these unconscious people? Someone throwing up? Homeless sleeping? Why does it seem to happen more frequently than in the past? Is that impression correct? Do you have to hold up service if it's a sick person on the platform instead on the train?
UUGHHHHH...the sick passengers! if i'm sick just pull me out of the car and leave.