Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Car Pushed Into Anacostia River By Train
Morning Roundup: Black Friday Edition
Devendra Banhart @ 9:30 Club
Yesterday's Post Metro section was all over the influx of federal stimulus funds making their way into the District, Maryland, and Virginia, and the jobs that said money is providing -- complete with all the colorful graphs and maps you'd expect.
While it's spectacular that people are landing new jobs on infrastructural road projects around the Mid-Atlantic region, you'll have to forgive us for really salivating over the list of funds allocated to mass transit and other non-gravel-based projects across the landscape.
There's the run of the mill stuff, which you'd expect: $27 million for new buses, a whole bunch of cash for track equipment, a couple million here and there for document management upgrades. And then there's the simply necessary, like power tool equipment replacement. But the real meat of the list is pretty sweet -- how about $3 million for "bus real-time, route and schedule systems"? With those kinds of funds, there's really no excuse left for Metro to get a system like NextBus up and running after so many false starts and stops. There's the $12 million to update the three oldest stations in the Metro system (Farragut North, Judiciary Square, Metro Center, Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood, Union Station all opened on March 29, 1976.) Even projects that we already knew about -- like funding to add 40 more SmartBike kiosks in the District -- are nice to see in writing.
Frankly, the most reassuring item on the list is probably monies for "replacement of crumbling platforms" -- seemingly a pressing issue, but one we've been hearing about for some time now.
The itemized list of stimulus-based Metro improvements, after the jump.
• Replacement of oldest buses - $27M
• MetroAccess expansion, replacement - $3.8M
• Service vehicle replacement - $6M
• Bus replacement components - $2.8M
• New bus body and paint shop - $30M
• Replacement of southeastern bus garage - $30.6M
• Bus garage restroom rehabilitation - $7.6M
• Replacement of crumbling platforms - $16M
• Update platform real-time signs - $2.5M
• Metro Center sales office replacement - $1M
• Bus garage security upgrade - $3M
• Equipment for operations control center - $3M
• Emergency tunnel evacuation carts - $1M
• Underground communications radios - $1M
• Additional station alarm/chemical sensors - $4M
• Heavy duty locomotives for maintenance - $7M
• Power tool equipment replacement - $1.9M
• 60-ton crane for track work - $4M
• Heavy-duty track equipment - $11.6M
• Track welding program to repair defects - $3.9M
• Track pad/shock absorber rehab - $1M
• Upgrade 3 oldest stations and systems - $12M
• Additional SmarTrip fare machines - $3.5M
• Bus real-time, route and schedule systems - $3M
• Bus engine fluid alert system - $1.5M
• Kiosk and train control computers - $0.8M
• Sensitive data protection technology - $4.9M
• Document management system - $2M
• Financial system integration - $5M
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
'• Replacement of oldest buses - $27M'
Sweet baby Jesus I hope this includes the X2 buses that ride like that old white wooden roller coaster at Wild World.
" Bus garage restroom rehabilitation - $7.6M"
" Heavy duty locomotives for maintenance - $7M"
Wait, what?
Since when do toilets cost more than train locomotives?
Yea, that's about what they quoted me to rehab my bathroom...they must be getting the crystal salad bowl basins...
$1.5M for new 'transformers' - are they playing with toys or operating a metro here?
It is good to hear they're replacing crumbling platform tiles - I accidentally kicked one loose at Rockville the other day. I also love that they're putting in more 'bumpy tiles' - they're so much more comfortable to walk on!
Those 'bumpy' tiles are there for a reason: they assist the blind and serve as a warning of a dropoff/street/danger. You will also find them placed at busier intersections throughout the city for the same purpose.
I don't mind walking on a couple of uncomfortable floor tiles to help make someone else's life a bit easier.
Ooops, you left one off:
• Prevention of Escalator outages - $0
And a couple more:
• Urine Scented Air Fresheners - $750K
• Use of Metro Personnel for platform crowding control - $0
• Non-bumpy tile wax for inclement weather - $100K
• Electro-Shock for people who can't 'remember' to take their newspaper with them - $0
That $7m for "restroom rehab" at the bus garage sounds pretty damn fishy to me and I'd sure like to know more about that! How can it possibly cost 7 million to fix a few bathrooms that are only used by employees anyway!? The general budget should be able to handle laying down new tile, replacing some pipes and maybe a new fixture or two. Way to be shady WMATA!
I am glad to see improvements in other areas that Metro is definitely lacking in. I also hope they spend a few bucks to remove the underground vegetation growing out of the lighting pits at Woodley Park and Tenleytown stations... it's really kinda freaky to see green leaves and vines sprouting out of the walls in two of the deepest stations in the system.