The Manhattan Project
Morning Roundup: Second Helpings Edition
Compromise Uncertain on Same-Sex Marriage Law
Fire at 17th and L NW Forces Evacuations
Sculpture Garden Ice-Skating Rink Remains Closed
Hey Virginia, are you taking notes?
Encouraging transit developments are happening in Maryland these days - mostly revolving around the MARC system. MARC's facing many of the same challenges that every other local transit system is: booming ridership, infrastructure in need of improvement, less than stellar performance, and waning public confidence. But lo and behold, things aren't grinding to a halt. First, MARC's administrator, Paul J. Wiedefeld, admitted that the public deserved a better way to get around - and now his state is following up on that promise. Word is that the state has approved $369 million in improvements for the MARC system, including brand new cars, trains, and tracks. The plan is an ambitious strategy to quadruple ridership from 27,000 to 103,000 by 2035, while keeping service at similar levels to 2006, when every MARC line was running at around 90 percent efficiency.
The cash influx is imperative for the system-at-large. For example, there's a dedicated section in the MARC FAQ which claims that used train cars purchased from Chicago to replace the currently 50 year old cars in use are "virtual spring chickens."
Another good sign: MARC is negotiating to try and improve their awkward symbiosis with freight carrier CSX, which owns the tracks that MARC (and Amtrak, for that matter) uses between Baltimore and Washington. And to round out the good news, the approved improvements to MARC come on the heels of the alteration of plans in Maryland to further integrate mass transit into the state's long-term plans. According to the Baltimore Sun, another $340 million over the next 20 years has been reallocated to transit projects after Marylanders demanded a shift from highway funding.
Photo by yorktronic.
We're In Yr Escalators, Ruining Yr Morning: Calling it the “the singularly worst-designed Metro station...in the system,” We Love DC ran video from Monday’s huge bottleneck on the escalators at Foggy Bottom station. Dr. Gridlock also has the complete roundup. Of course, escalator-based backups not an uncommon situation at other stations, like Dupont Circle. But the difference is that Foggy Bottom only has one entrance where all traffic flows in and out. (Our personal favorites are the folks who ran up the down escalator to avoid the traffic. Phew.) The good doctor's conclusion: just another example of Metro's older infrastructure causing crises from seemingly simply problems. So, were any of you stuck in the station on Monday morning? Better yet, did any of you run up the wrong way?
Telecommuting Update: After reading Tuesday's post which mentioned the lack of telecommuting done by federal employees, a couple of you emailed to point out that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria actually encourages less driving to work. According to a USPTO press release, more than 40 percent of that agency participates in at least some telecommuting in 2007. It's an encouraging number which we hope other governmental agencies notice.
Engines and Cabooses: What happens when Metro inexplicably closes the faregates at Farragut West during an afternoon rush hour in the middle of a heat wave?... John Catoe's monthly internet chat is tomorrow at noon, so start prepping those questions now... Tyson's Tunnel crowd is still sticking around... Following the lead of Chevy Chase Village, Montgomery County speeding cameras have caught almost 20,000 speeders per month... Track and switch maintenance to cause delays on the Red, Blue and Yellow lines this weekend.
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there was a proposal for a second entrance to the foggy bottom station in the square 54 development (the old GW hospital). did that fall through?
The plan is an ambitious strategy to quadruple ridership from 27,000 to 103,000 by 2035, while keeping service at similar levels to 2006, when every MARC line was running at around 90 percent efficiency.
Someone's been dipping into the Berwyn Heights mayor's reefer. How is quadrupling ridership when you're at 90 percent efficiency supposed to work? Where are those three new riders supposed to sit? You're better off sextupling ridership while keeping service at 1920 levels. Better yet, quintuple your boudoir performance while keeping your penis at 1980s levels using All-Natural Dr. Monkey's Cruelty-Free Liniment Poultice Salve®. Just whip it out and rub it in! Send your partner screaming for a restraining order. Guaranteed to put the cut in your strut and the glide in your stride or DOUBLE YOUR SEMEN BACK!
[*Offer void in most States and the District of Columbia.]
THAT is an awesome photo, great job, yorktronic.
MARC can start by running on weekends - they've been promising this for ages.
The MTA system is shamfully dysfunctional - the subway doesn't really go anywhere (I think it only has 11 stops), runs parallel for the most part with the light rail, and does nothing to connect or service the city - it doesn't even connect to the train stations.
Baltimore isn't even a walkable city - the neighbrohoods are bisected by some of the worst urban planning and aggressively anti-pedestrian streets and intersections.
The terrible MTA system and city infrastructure show an absolute disregard for humanity and apathy towards city living.
Amtrak does not use CSX tracks between DC and Baltimore. Amtrak owns their Northeast Corridor tracks all the way up to NYC and much of the tracks to Boston that it uses. MARC Penn line runs on these Amtrak tracks between DC and Baltimore along with the Amtrak trains. The MARC Camden line runs on CSX tracks between DC and Baltimore with the freight trains.
The terrible MTA system and city infrastructure show an absolute disregard for humanity and apathy towards city living.
Well, yeah. It's Baltimore: DC's Cheaper, Fatter Roommate.
At least you've got gondolas. Can't get that s**t in DC.
what inloganO said.
Its unlikely we're going to get those stupid gondolas. and they are for the touristas anyways.
actually as a homeowner in Baltimore in Baltimore City its not so cheap given the crazy ass taxes we pay.
thbaltimore, I can't say that I've ever noticed that baltimore's streets and intersections are aggressively anti-pedestrian. It's a grid, with sidewalks. Darned those anti-pedestrian sidewalks and... intersections? What do the intersections do that are anti pedestrian? Indicate "walk" on green lights... just to eff with people? Open into dugout bear traps? Now, the MTA and city infrastructure are both agressively underfunded, but I don't understand the purpose of criticizing a poor man with an empty wallet for not donating to charity. It isn't really a character or management issue.
Well, how about these gondolas?
Dude, quit complaining. Charm City's got pit beef, gravy fries, and you're getting TWO kinds of gondolas. Yet DC still refuses to spend the $1.2 billion on the feasibility study to implement the Flaming Gaylord Poop Chute. Probably because Fenty keeps breaking his foot on it.
Actually its not really a grid - it more stocking with runs and tears. Try getting from Mt. Vernon to Bolton Hill through State Center or crossing President Street to get from the Harbor to Harbor East/Fells Point/Little Italy (drivers rarely give pedestrians right of way) or walking from the West side to the East and running into jFX and the prison. These are things I need to do to get to work.
If it isn't a character or management isuue its certainly a poor planning issue.
Baltimore is a great city and I enjoy living here. Its just a hassle to get around without a car is all. Hopefully this will change.
When will Marc start to permit bikes on its trains? What's with the prohibition?
Come on, I saw the trailers for Step Up II, The Streets. State Center is bumpin and full of B-Boys spinning on their heads. You never see that shit at Metro Center, plus they don't even let you drink water. Screw that. Give me a single track full of dancing B-Boys over a fully integrated system full of government workers ANY DAY. You don't know how good you have it.
;)
I was stuck in that escalator clusterfuck on Monday. It was awful, especially since the Foggy Bottom station hasn't had working air conditioning since I started a new job nearby in June. It took me 15 minutes to get out of the station, and I was sweating the entire time. (Also carrying three bags since I spent the weekend catsitting)
The best part is that once I finally got on the escalator, the one mechanic hanging out on the blocked off one told us we were walking too fast and had to slow down. I sent metro a really pissed off comment once I got to work with no response. It was insane.
sophiagrrl, I don't ride Marc, but from the one time I did, I remember the aisles being really narrow and hard to navigate. Bikes would add to that mess. They could step up and get bike cars (like Caltrain, a commuter train from San Jose to San Francisco), which removes seats from half the car to give you a place to park. Until then, look into a folding bike? I think those are permitted on all trains (and they usually fold up to the size of a rolly suitcase).
metro building stations hundreds of feet underground and wasting money on elevator/escalator repair instead of actual improvements:
just one more reason D.C. suxxor
Amtrak does not use CSX tracks between DC and Baltimore.
funfriends, they do. Just not on the Penn Line.
funfriends, whoops. I read you wrong. I correct myself. You're right.
Yes, thank you everyone for noting that Amtrak does not use CSX tracks for Northeast Corridor trips between Baltimore and D.C. Amtrak does use CSX tracks in western Maryland and in the immediate vicinity of Union Station, but not between the two cities.
is it THAT hard to walk up a set of stairs? There should be no reason for that amount of backup, regardless of how poor the place is designed.
I feel like everytime an escalator is out, people freak out
no_pants_mcgee,
There is actual some validity to the maintenance workers complaint, as people walking on the escalators is a major reason why they break down so often. Originally these escalators where not designed to have dozens of people galloping along the stairs. When you have a large amount of people on the escalator it puts a tremendous stress on the gearbox and once in awhile it gives a little and the escalator stairs shift; and if it shifts enough it will trigger a safety switch and shut it down.
Maryland is assuming that the influx of military, DOC civilians and contractors coming into the state due to BRAC are going to increase demand for public transit and especially MARC.
I just don't see it happening. If there is one thing that military bases have, its parking. This is one of the reasons why the Navy Yard stop used to be one of the most underused in the Metro system. Why take the Metro there when every (or at least nearly every) employee is given a free space? The same goes for Fort Meade and Aberdeen. Plus, neither of those bases can be reached by MARC without a shuttle bus and commuting to Aberdeen will require an increase in MARC's "reverse" direction service. As for the contractors and other support services that BRAC will bring, they will favor office towers in office parks (ever been to say, Lexington Park?)that are not really conducive to transit.
"metro building stations hundreds of feet underground and wasting money on elevator/escalator repair instead of actual improvements"
You do realize that one begets the other, right? What, pray tell, would be a "real improvement" versus fixing an escalator for a station hundreds of feet underground?
Bitching About Metro: the new adult kickball.
RJ, I get your point, but at the time, the escalator we were walking up wasn't working. And we weren't galloping so much as resignedly trudging up.
And I agree with you, ces12, it's not hard to walk up a broken escalator without freaking out. I do it frequently, usually at Foggy Bottom. However, when you have 300 people trying to get onto an escalator that can maybe hold 40 people taking the stairs slowly, it's going to take a while. It shouldn't be hard to take metro to a Nationals game either, but that's still an overcrowded, claustrophic nightmare, even when they have all the escalators working. (I'm not saying the station saw as many people as Navy Yard does when there's a game, I'm just saying - crowds and order are not friends)
I started commuting using MARC service 3 months ago to commute to Fort Meade. When I started, service was basically on time and the ride pleasant.
In the past 3 months, the number of people reverse commuting like me has doubled. Instead of filling 2 trains, we fill 4.
In the past week, only ONE day were my trains within a 5 minute window of being on time. I've had 2 trains canceled, a 45 minute delay, a 30 minute delay, and a bunch of 20 minute delays. When there are only a few shuttles that run to Fort Meade, that's an hour of leave I have to burn when MARC messes up.
When I get to Union Station at the end of the day, the people going back to Baltimore are waiting. A thousand of them. They honestly need riot control police in the station, because the stampeding, yelling masses are dangerous. So many people fill the waiting area that the trains can't empty into Union Station and have to fight their way through the aggressive crowds waiting for their delayed trains in the heat. Then I have to sneak past the panhandlers and inhabitants of the street that wait for me every day when I walk home.
I don't know how MARC is going to quadruple ridership, as there are only 3 tracks on the Penn Line. And for all of its failures, MARC is already one of the most efficient ways of moving commuters. The trains to DC are standing room only, not because standing room only is legal/allowed, but because the have to, the trains are so full
In the past 3 months, the number of people reverse commuting like me has doubled. Instead of filling 2 trains, we fill 4.
Welcome to the Magical Land of $4-a-gallon Gas. Kinda sucks, but just wait until you get over the hill to Five-a-gallon-ville where the roads are paved with gutted Escalades and overweight DoD contractors ride to Crystal City on circus clown dwarf bicycles.
clearly, we, as a country, need to build more rail lines if this is the way we're going to roll going forward. we've built nothing but freeways and 6 lane arterials for 50 years. we won't have decent passenger rail infrastructure overnight
Dude, you're forgetting the Congressional mantra:
Rubber wheels good, steel wheels bad.
What "train lobby?" Heavy rail makes all their money off long-haul freight. They don't give a fat rat's fart about passenger rail. Their only competitors are long-haul truckers or even their more retarded northern brethren, the ice road truckers.
And will you PLEASE stop running that AA ad with the freckled model in the booty shorts? All the blood rushing from my head has made me faint and hit the desk three times so far, and I haven't even had my Scrambled Egg and Sausage Hot Pocket yet.
monkey: well, if there is no train lobby, then someone has to step in a fill that niche. nature abhors a vacuum, right?