As anyone who reads this blog regularly knew, this morning's Metro commute was going to be a tough one for a lot of people. Being the curious bloggers we are, we were actually looking forward to seeing how people were responding out there during this morning's rush. more ›

Sometimes, it's far easier to portray these things with maps. more ›

Did you forget about this weekend's extensive Metrorail disruptions? Don't worry, we're here to remind you. (We're very, very sorry.) The chunk of maintenance work, which Metro is undertaking all at once -- much like they did during Labor Day weekend -- to save money and time will have a serious effect on this weekend's commuting and on Monday's rush hour. Do you have to report to the office on Monday? Better pay close attention to this list and make sure you can get to where you're going on time. more ›

Did you enjoy that Labor Day Red Line shutdown? Well, that was so successful, WMATA is back at it again. Over the Columbus Day weekend -- between 10 p.m. on Friday, October 8 until closing on Monday, October 11 -- both the Farragut West and McPherson Square Metrorail stations will be closed and there will not be any Blue or Orange Line service at Metro Center. The closures will be in place so that WMATA can perform another massive, National Transportation Safety Board-recommended maintenance project: replacing four track switches which comprise the rail interlocking at McPherson Square. Several other smaller projects are also being planned so as to get the most out of the downtime. more ›

This coming Monday is Columbus Day, which is technically a federal holiday. That being the case, WMATA has announced as it always does that it will be following a holiday schedule for the day, meaning the Metrorail system will operate on a modified Saturday schedule, opening at 5 a.m. and closing at midnight. In other words, there won't be any peak service during rush hour. But how many of you actually have Monday off? More of you than, say, get Veterans Day off? About the same? We're curious. more ›

Good morning, Washington. It's Columbus Day, the least observed of all the federal holidays -- or is that Veterans' Day? Unless you work directly for the government or your job is absolutely dependent on it being open for business, odds are about even you're sitting at your desk at the usual time this morning, as a trade-off for getting to take the Friday after Thanksgiving off. It's also, of course, a controversial day, and is... more ›

We've been expressing a lot of optimism about the possible Senate floor vote on the voting rights legislation this week, but it bears clarifying that what's expected tomorrow afternoon will not in fact be an up or down vote on the bill -- in case you were hoping for hot, hot Senate action right away. The Senate will proceed to the cloture vote tomorrow as planned, in an attempt to record the 60 or more... more ›

We were bummed when the U.S. Senate decided in late July that legislation granting the District a voting seat in the U.S. House of Representatives would have to go on summer break with the rest of Congress. But now that they're all back, so is the push for D.C. voting rights. more ›

Though they left us with a good deal of thunder and lightning, the storms that hit our area yesterday cut a deadly path through other parts of the country, particularly Tennessee. We're not in the clear yet, though -- there is a wind advisory for the District and surrounding areas in effect until 1 p.m. today. D.C. Smoking Ban Really Goes Into Effect Today: Ahhhh, government efficiency. There has been some confusion to date... more ›

Ahh, it's been so nice to disconnect from our computers this Memorial Day weekend. We hope you were able to do the same. But the DCist crew was busy this weekend. DCist not only joined Rolling Thunder on our Harley and snapped this photo, we also shared drinks with Jessica Cutler aka Washingtonienne. And then on our way to an East Carolina-style barbecue in Columbia Heights, we bumped into Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld eating at... more ›

In the nation's captial, among the subcategories of workers -- the civil servants, the lawyers, high-ranking administration officials, Starbucks baristas, congressional staff assistants, etc. -- there are the hundreds of events planners. In a city where official events are usually so well-scripted and logistically planned out, it is surprising that tourism and events officials had to cancel the annual Taste of DC because they failed to realize that there were other events taking place in the capital this weekend. more ›

The Columbus Day pseudo holiday has caused a few random problems in a municipal-sense. If you are a District resident, be advised that garbage pickup will be off schedule. According to the District: "Once-weekly Supercan trash collection and citywide recycling will 'slide' one day for the remainder of the week, beginning Tuesday. Households that receive twice-weekly city trash service will have Monday’s trash collected on Tuesday, and Tuesday’s trash collected on Wednesday, with normal collections on Thursday and Friday." more ›

Good morning, Washington. more ›

DCist realizes that a lot of you out there probably have today off for Columbus Day. So enjoy your day off if you do have it off, if not, have a good day at work. WTOP has a fully run-down of what's open and what's closed. And WMATA is running train and bus service on modified schedules. more ›