So you've got a problem with Metro, eh? Want to have your voice heard about hot cars, out of service escalators and elevators, extended maintenance over holiday weekends, SmarTrip card reforms, ridiculously long station names and the like? Well, here's your chance to be a part of the process. WMATA is looking for customers who can fill eight vacant seats on the agency's Riders' Advisory Council, a 21-member body which communicates with Metro about all things buses, rail and MetroAccess from the viewpoint of the rider. There are openings in most jurisdictions, and applications for membership on the Council are due by October 15. It is a volunteer position, but, hey, at least you'll never run out of things to talk about. more ›

Good morning, D.C. With much of the hot political action this week taking place at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, it's our job to pull your focus away from trivial issues the mainstream media seem obsessed with, like global climate change, and bring it back down to what's really important at the local level, like complaining about how gasoline could be about to get really, really expensive in Maryland. What's that you... more ›

Another week, another set of transit headlines. This week we've got "controversy" over the new Taxicab Zone Map, Metro's contribution to the, er, local economy, and questions about the new rail cars Metro's been bringing on line. Also, yet another story of inaction on Metro funding...but by Maryland. Worth noting: The Metro Riders Advisory Council is holding an event this evening at Metro's 600 5th St. NW headquarters to take suggestions on transit improvements... more ›

If you follow the comments on this site at all, you've probably noticed that one of the topics that stirs up much digital debate is Metro. Be they lovers or haters, DCist readers love to complain about it, compare it to systems in other cities (especially New York), suggest ways to improve it, etc., etc. Well, here's your chance to take your comments offline and address them to someone who can actually do something about... more ›

Under the leadership of former WMATA Chief Richard White, the transit agency wasn't known for being particularly user-friendly. And while steps were taken to open the agency to commuter advice and scrutiny in White's latter years -- townhall meetings were hosted, online chats occurred and the Riders Advisory Council was created -- Metro seemed somewhat insulated from the day-to-day troubles that its many riders experienced. more ›

These days, if you haven't seen Butterstick in the flesh, well, you may as well not even be alive. Ever since the District's favorite new celebrity was born just over six months ago, residents from across the region have watched as Butterstick grew from grotesque rat-looking thing to the mound of cuteness we see today. And ever since the National Zoo started handing out free tickets to see the 'stick, attendance at the Woodley Park site has doubled, according to NBC 4. Of course, just a trickle of that stream of visitors has expressed any interest in those other animals, which, from what we hear, are just itching for the day that Butterstick gets sent back to China. How cute will that precious little panda be then? more ›

It's been rumored for the better part of the last month, and today it has finally come true -- WMATA Chief Richard White is being replaced. According to a reliable DCist source, White will be replaced by District Department of Transportation head Dan Tangherlini. more ›

Transit on Tuesday went on sabbatical recently, taking a chance to break from the daily grind of both commuting and writing about it. But today we return with the privatizing of area highways, a firing foretold, bomb-proof trash cans, and an update on the Riders Advisory Council. more ›

Today in Transit on Tuesday we have the Zipcar-hating Washington Times, the number of applicants for the newly-formed Riders Advisory Council, and the Great Streets workshops.... more ›

Today's installment of Transit on Thursday focuses on the soon-to-be-reality Riders Advisory Council, whose application process ends Monday afternoon. The council -- which will include six seats for people from each of the three jurisdictions served by Metro, two at-large seats, and a seat held by the head of Metro's Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee -- will afford ordinary Metro riders the opportunity to offer insights and opinions on the transit agency's operations.... more ›

Today Transit on Thursday will focus on one issue -- public officials and public transit -- to allow for an exclusive interview we are finishing up for tomorrow. We caught up with Dennis Jaffe, a Sierra Club volunteer whose tireless work all but created the newly-formed Riders Advisory Council. We're picking his brain, and we'll have that on tap tomorrow. In the meantime, can anyone guess to what metro system the above picture belongs?... more ›

Yes, we know -- "Transit on Wednesday" doesn't really roll off the tongue, but this being a particularly heavy day for transit-related news, we decided to bite the bullet and publish on a day that doesn't lend itself to catchy titles. Inside you'll find updates on the Riders Advisory Council, ridership increases on both Metrorail and the D.C. Circulator, and a tidbit on a new addition to WMATA's security team.... more ›

DCist was pleased to hear last week that WMATA has finally agreed, some ten years late, to create a Riders Advisory Council, where regular commuters can offer their experiences and suggestions to the troubled transit agency. Given WMATA's experience in dealing with crowding, broken escalators, and other such difficulties, an injection of real-world opinion may do wonders for the agency's performance. Who better to judge Metro than those who use it most often? more ›