The Metro can be a boring place. Next stop, yadda yadda, doors on the right, zzz. There are sometimes crazy people on the train, or somebody singing, or something amusing happening, but generally it’s a snooze fest. Thankfully some Metro train operators like to change things up a bit, wishing people a good day or just being funny, rather than the usual “Next stop Judisherary Square” script. And we like that. Better not give this…

The Metro board didn’t spend their entire day on the fare hike issue Thursday. They also voted to spend $450,000 to develop a proposal to add an eastern entrance to the Rosslyn station. Metro says the new entrance would include three new high-speed elevators, an underground station mezzanine and passageway connection, and an emergency stairway. Since the preliminary plans are still to come, the precise location of the entrance is still unknown, especially considering how…

>> The Metro board voted 5-1 to approve officially the largest increase in fares in Metro history. [NBC4] >> Two D.C. developers, William C. Smith Cos. and the Jair Lynch Cos., have been chosen to lead the Sursum Corda redevelopment project. [WaPo] >> An MPD mountain bike officer was taken to the hospital Thursday after being struck by a stolen car in the 4200 block of Ord St. NE. [WJLA] >> Queen of Sheba…

Ever work at a store with an intercom system? “Cleanup on aisle four.” There’s always the temptation to say something funny into it, to make a weird noise or cough or confuse the customers. And there’s the amusement that happens when somebody new uses it. “Uhh… (click, buzz) is this… hey boss, uh, come here.” The Metro intercoms seem to be mostly used for incoherent announcements about “trains… and stations” and things of that nature,…

UPDATE: The Metro Board has put the proposed fare hikes on hold, saying they would like more details about the proposals before they would approve public hearings. They voted to hold a special informational committee meeting on Sept. 27. More than a year ago, then interim Metro Chief Dan Tangherlini began uttering those two little words no transit rider likes to hear: fare increase. At the time though, our favorite transit official was reassuring…

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty may be seen by his constituency as young, technologically savvy and constantly making personal appearances at even the smallest neighborhood events. But unlike his pal up in New York, rarely can he be seen riding public transportation, preferring to be whisked around town in his big, black Lincoln Navigator. And we’re willing to concede that it probably makes more sense for the most part, seeing as how Fenty needs to…

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…

Hope you didn’t stay up too late debating the President’s speech with friends last night, Washington. We stayed up a bit past our bedtimes ourselves, mostly pondering the rhetorical significance of the difference between the phrases “mistakes were made”, and “where mistakes have been made”. Either way, we take full responsibility for any mistakes that were/have been made in this morning roundup, which was completed with the known unknown of the amount of sleep we…

Good morning, D.C. In addition to scattered showers and thunderstorms, today brings news that the Circulator bus line is nearing its millionth passenger. Not too shabby — although the city’s busiest buslines put up those kinds of numbers every month and a half (probably less, given the age of the linked numbers). But officials say that Circulator ridership has been increasing steadily; assuming the service survives the looming Tourmobile legal apocalypse, its planned route around…

An ad on the back of an Express last week caught our eye. While at first it looked like like an advertisement for any other residential condominium development near a Metro station, the precise station caught our eye. “Live Vibrant. Live Stylish. Live Largo.” Yup, Largo Town Center, the Blue Line’s new terminus station. The developers explained that thanks to “great access to work and play” and a “myriad of amenities” there was “nowhere else…