A happy Friday to you, Washington. Hopefully you all made it in to work on time despite Metro having reduced the speed of their rail cars in several areas this morning. Speed restrictions were in place until 8:10 a.m. along portions of the Orange line in Maryland and Virginia, the Red line from Union Station to Silver Spring and from Shady Grove to Grosvenor, and the Green line from Branch Avenue to Congress Heights... more ›

If you’re a regular reader of Transit on Thursday, you’ll have noted week after week of Green line delays over the past few months caused by the testing of new rail cars. Good news – those delays could soon cease. Metro is getting ready to stop testing and starting using, reports WTOP. The new rail cars, featuring two different designs, will be brought into service by Christmas. The first design is carpetless, with lots of... more ›

Friday has arrived at last, Washington. Despite the federal holiday on Monday, it's been a rather long week for many of us - though of course, we couldn't hold a candle to the week that D.C. CFO Natwar Gandhi has had. The Post writes about yesterday's lengthy D.C. Council hearing into the tax office scandal, which lasted until 9 p.m. and where it was apparently revealed late in the evening that authorities are investigating the... more ›

Good morning, Washington. Recent increases in gun-related crime in the city seems to be today's main topic of news, just as the Supreme Court may announce today whether it intends to take another look at D.C.'s handgun ban. D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty has scheduled a press conference this morning to address the District's position on its gun safety law, but in the meantime the Washington Post is questioning the law's effectiveness and just last... more ›

Commenter Nate asked if we would look into what's been happening on the Red line lately, which he describes as having been suffering from "morning and/or afternoon delays every day for nearly two weeks now." Indeed, we've heard others grumbling about the Red line of late, which is usually one of Metro's speediest rush hour options. WMATA explains that the current Red line delays are due to ongoing work needed to replace pieces of... more ›

Nobody enjoys having to muscle through a dense crowd of people on the metro platform. Especially on those days when everyone is so eager to get on the train that they don't even wait for anyone to get off before surging onboard. Times like that, we wish we had some magical power to transport past the crowd, but then again if we could do that, we wouldn't be taking metro to begin with, now would... more ›

Happy Thursday, and welcome back to another post full of the best in transit news. This week, we consider whether Virginians would rather obey traffic laws or pay more taxes. It's a real Sophie's Choice, we know. Also, a few words on the latest Metro fare hike proposal from Metro. We also have Metro's schedule of weekend track work and maintenance, which will cause delays on some lines. Photo by christaki... more ›

We're all familiar with The Rules. You know, that iron clad system by which every woman can land herself the man of her dreams and keep him, if only she's willing to act like the most obnoxious kind of person you've ever met. Of course, men have rules, too. They just don't publish them. They've been passed down in locker rooms, cigar-choked men's-only clubs, and fraternity houses for time immemorial. The fact is, I could... more ›

Here at Transit on Thursday, we love giving good news, and we've got some for you today. New rail cars! Also this week, Governor Kaine works to rile up support for changes to Republican transportation legislation. Finally, maintenance and rail car testing will cause some delays on the Red, Yellow and Green Lines this weekend. Also, MetroAccess is now offering eAlerts with information on major service disruptions due to inclement weather and other emergencies.... more ›

Last May we pointed to a Post article detailing the troubles WMATA was having with Metro's ubiquitous platform lighting. According to the paper, the light-bulbs -- over 25,000 throughout the whole system -- lasted but three months at a time, requiring late night replacing that could involve as many as 13 employees working seven three-hour shifts to cover a large station. At the time, we asked if the expense was really worth it. Given all... more ›

After talking about it (or not talking about it) for months on end, the Virginia Legislature has finally sent Governor Tim Kaine a package of transportation legislation. Now the question is, does he have the stomach to sign it? Also this week, a reality check for the Purple Line and ticked-off drivers take parking enforcement into their own hands. Photo by andertho... more ›

As Metro emerges from yesterday's deep freeze, it's getting mixed reviews on its transportation response. Mayor Fenty is also under the microscope for his response to the snow according to local media. But with a power outage reported to have knocked out traffic lights throughout downtown earlier today, we're clearly not out of the woods yet. Meanwhile, the big news at Metro is the roll out of brand spankin' new information display screens outside... more ›

You asked for it, Short Stuff! In addition to Metro's latest experiment with spring-loaded handles on overhead grab bars, it looks like Virginia reads DCist, we have yet another twist in the Tyson's Tunnel fiasco, and Maryland is talking transit but building highways. Photo by xaosDC... more ›

Is it just us, or are political campaigns a little like the Christmas season? They seem to start earlier and earlier each year. The hats are flying into the ring fast and furious right now, and one candidate may have managed to kill his chances with an ill-fated public statement already. That's gotta be some kind of landspeed record, not to mention it would have made a great Overheard had he not, well, been speaking... more ›

What's more fun than scraping snow off of a windshield or sidewalk? Scraping snow covered by a layer of ice! Now we remember the exciting potpourri of precipitation that makes a mid-Atlantic winter what it is. We hope your morning commute wasn't too much of a hassle. We also hope that many of you used the weekend to submit some more fantastic photos for DCist Exposed! With the deadline now passed, we can hardly wait... more ›

As we look back over the wreckage of another spent year this week, we take a moment to honor the kinds of quotes that are the bread and butter of this column. Namely, the odd things seen and heard on mass transit, and the reliable adorability of lost and/or confused tourists. But remember, Karma always comes back around, so every time you have a chuckle at the expense of an exasperated commuter or weary... more ›

We're not too proud to admit that we here at DCist have been on a few blind dates. After all, who has time to let fate decide who we meet? This is D.C., and we have to approach l'amour the same way we do anything else: proactively, with a strategic plan and a list of action items. But we have always operated according to one simple and abiding rule on such liaisons: no matter how... more ›

We know that rock 'n' roll has now been around long enough to be the subject of serious academic study. We can accept college level classes devoted to the cultural impact of punk, the influence of the artistic fringe on the work of the Velvet Underground, and the inventive and complex harmonies in the collected work of the Beatles. But doesn't there have to be a line somewhere? What I really want to know is... more ›

After years of reproach from transit watchdogs accusing Metro of wasting millions on an antiquated system of bus routes that served the wrong places at the wrong times, Metro is finally cutting some routes. Will one of them be yours? More after the jump, as well as one rider's proposal for a new kind of Metro car, and information about weekend track work that could affect your ride. Photo by wageslaves... more ›

Well the Democratic race for mayor is over, and the newly-annointed Adrian Fenty must now dive into the job and begin figuring out the details of his potential administration. Following the drop of a surprising mention for city administrator that could have significant influence on District transportation policies, we are looking forward to seeing what else shakes out of Fenty's brain in the lead up to the general election. Also this week, the power... more ›

Before we get into this week's installment of the inane, insane, and profane, I first want to acknowledge the incredibly funny parent of this little feature, Mike Malice's Overheard in New York. He has graciously allowed us -ists to borrow the concept as long as we throw a little love and a link his way, so here's a big DCist smooch to our paterfamilias. As for our version, it is only as good as the... more ›

It is time once again to take a look at the strange, funny, and baffling things you’ve heard around town. As always, this feature depends on your keen hearing, so keep on sending your stuff to overheardindc (at) gmail (dot) com. In this edition, incest is never not funny, Mike Tyson strikes again, chickens beware, and Pamela Anderson’s breasts. Quote of the week Metro, near Eastern Market: Two teenage boys sitting next to each other... more ›

The Back of People's Heads: It invariably happens to us all. For one reason or another, we get stuck on a Red Line train from Metro Center to Shady Grove with nothing to read, nothing to distract our attention from staring out into the darkened tunnels or straight ahead at the back of the person's head seated in front of us. So we stare. We start judging the health of their hair, the quality of... more ›

We didn't think we'd have enough fodder for two installments of our transit column this week, but the Washington Times really is the gift that keeps on giving. Today, we confirm that they do in fact hate car-sharing. And in other news, the Beltway may soon feature toll lanes, and Metro is trying to de-mystify the costs of commuting.... more ›

Today will be positively depressing - cloudy with patchy drizzle with highs in the low 60s. What do you have planned for the weekend? Dropping by the New Pornographers (or the Foo Fighters)? Stopping by the D.C. Flickr group's Georgetown show? We'll have our full picks later today. Preparations for 'Millions More': Area officials are preparing for crowds for this weekend's Millions More Movement, an anniversary commemoration of the Million Man March. A number of... more ›

Photo from the archives of Drew McDermott OK, you may be getting sick and tired of DCist writing about transit. Please blame Jo Becker and Lyndsey Layton and their cohorts at the Post for bringing into the public record so much great information about the ailments of the region's transit system -- ailments we've been looking at in one way or another since DCist launched last summer. Today, the Post's in-depth series comes to... more ›

WMATA Plans Extra Rail Service for Saturday. There will be extra trains available before and after Saturday's Wizards and Nationals games, WMATA has announced. Expect crowding in the evening because the Nats play at 7:05 p.m., with the Wizards playing at the MCI Center an hour later. And for the first time, WMATA will run shuttle buses from RFK (at Lot. No. 3) to Union Station following a Nats game ... but only as... more ›

WMATA: Stay Tuned! Skip-Stop Service May Be on Horizon.Say whaa? Could some sort of express service be coming to metrorail? According to WMATA's "Straight Scoop" -- where the transit agency seeks to correct or clarify media accounts related to WMATA -- we learn that D.C. may be looking to New York's J and Z trains for inspiration to possibly introduce some sort of express service. From WMATA:While it may be a challenge to operate express... more ›

Tourist Time. They're here. Yes it is high tourist season and with it, comes heightened stress for locals. So with metorail during the tourist season, it is advisable to have your SmarTrip filled at all times, just to avoid long lines at farecard machines at some of the busier stations. Besides the main downtown transfer stations, Smithsonian, Union Station, Rosslyn, Pentagon City and Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan stations seem to have the worst tourist crowding on... more ›

Terror Threat Lowered: We aren’t in an orange mood any more. The Department of Homeland Security has lowered the terror threat to financial institutions in Washington, New York and northern New Jersey. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the terror threat has gone away, the Department of Homeland Security reminds us. That move has let the Capitol Police to dismantle security checkpoints on roadways leading to Capitol Hill. Also, the AP, via WTOP, reports that... more ›