Yeah, Zimmerman’s walk-off was memorable.
And, okay, the beer selection could use some sprucing up. (Where’s the local flavor?)
But, the real questions on our minds here at Transit on Thursday were as follows:
1) Did Metro work well?
2) Will it continue to work well throughout the summer?
3) Finally, how can it get better?
To answer these questions, there were the big media reports, but they left us wanting a little bit more. Something authentic — what would someone you bump into at a bar tell you about the ride?
Well, what better source to go to than you, our chatty readers, for such quasi-inebriated perspective. We perused your comments the morning after, waiting for word from those lucky folks that got a chance to experience Opening Night — or more accurately, getting to Opening Night — first-hand. Your answers to our questions?
1) Yes, 2) yes, and 3) with some easily made upgrades, like pushing SmartTrip cards.
RJ “moved on and off quickly,” while ces12 says, “I love the SmartTrip express lanes. I wish there were more and they were more clearly marked prior to getting close to the metro. But, if that’s my biggest complaint, then it was a job extremely well done.”
OldPosterKnownAsCranky was pleasantly surprised: “Metro: I was astounded. I had minimal hopes for Metro’s performance. I was expecting broken down trains, long delays, broken escaltors, etc. Instead, the trains seemed to be timed to coincide with connecting trains. There was tons of Metro staff and cops at Gallery Place and Navy Yard. The trains were nice and clean and fully functional. The Green Line train operators even held the doors open long enough so that trains would be full going to Navy Yard.”
Fairgurl might have just summed up the sentiment: “I echo the utter surprise (and delight) at the Metro. They were efficient, courteous and on time. Shocking.”
Yeah, the parking is an issue for another time. For now, let’s just give a hand to Metro succeeding on something that was a ginormous challenge for an agency consistently under fire.
Good work, Metro. Now do it 80 more times, please.
After the jump, illegal parkers will face the wrath of the bow-tied councilman, plus a whole boatload of odds and ends for the weekend ahead.
Photo by picture perfect.
