Go back, Theresa! You skipped the safety message! #wmata
#wmata says they've had about ~200 "responsive cleaning" events where a contractor comes in and cleans something after a reported covid19 case. 
Impastato: appx 1/3 of #wmata covid19 cases have been in bus operators. Other cases have been spread across the agency, both front & backline workers.
Impastato says both hospitalized employees are stable.
Impastato says both hospitalized employees are stable.
Impastato: with ridership drops, rail seeing 35-40k trips per day, and 120-130k bus trips per day. During normal times, #wmata typically records nearly 1 million daily trips.
Letourneau asks Impastato how employees are getting tested; says is frustrated with Virginia Department of Health who still has strict requirements around who can get tested for covid19. #wmata is not doing their own tests, working w/local health departments instead.
McMillan: does #wmata have data how often buses are bypassing stops b/c social distancing & crowding?
Impastato: anecdotally, some bus operators have reported crowding on a subset of routes, working to fix that
(She did not answer how often stops are being bypassed)
Impastato: anecdotally, some bus operators have reported crowding on a subset of routes, working to fix that
(She did not answer how often stops are being bypassed)
Goldman thanks Impastato for her & team's work, says only 81 infections is "remarkable and a tribute to your effort"
"Fingers-crossed" for continued success.
#wmata
"Fingers-crossed" for continued success.
#wmata
Gidigbi: non-contact thermometers?
Impastato: the pandemic task force has an "innovation team" to evaluate new solutions, including non-contact thermometers. Impastato says their use wouldn't be very effective.
Cleaning "twice as much" as #wmata did in the past, esp. stations
Impastato: the pandemic task force has an "innovation team" to evaluate new solutions, including non-contact thermometers. Impastato says their use wouldn't be very effective.
Cleaning "twice as much" as #wmata did in the past, esp. stations
Impastato: will require riders in the future to wear a face covering in accordance with CDC guidelines. No extensive enforcement expected (i.e. the viral Philly video)
Wiedfeld: new face covering requirement will come into effect Monday.
#wmata
Wiedfeld: new face covering requirement will come into effect Monday.
#wmata
Wiedefeld: DC (as of yesterday) and MD already require face coverings on transit, so requiring them on #wmata a "necessary and a wise step" when thinking regionally. Also for employee safety.
Horner: how will you enforce face coverings?
Wiedefeld: We will encourage riders to wear them & think most will; will have to see if MTPD officers/other employees can give out masks to those that they see who aren't wearing them.
Horner likens it to the honor system
#wmata
Wiedefeld: We will encourage riders to wear them & think most will; will have to see if MTPD officers/other employees can give out masks to those that they see who aren't wearing them.
Horner likens it to the honor system
#wmata
Rene Febles, Deputy IG for Investigations & Special Projects: OIG selected a consultant to inspect precast panels on SV Phase II. COVID19 means they haven't been to DC yet. OIG wanted them here sooner after March NTP.
Hope to have them here in June to inspect all 1700 panels.
Hope to have them here in June to inspect all 1700 panels.
Mason: SV II tie-in work @ Wiehle-Reston should be done between July & August. ATC tie-in work required to allow trains to run past Wiehle.
#wmata
#wmata
SVII dynamic testing: #wmata test trains have only been used on 34% of days they've been available Mason says it's an example of delays on SVII of MWAA's contractor.
Bad ballast & IGs: MWAA sent directives on March 13 to their contractors, but no work has progressed yet. Goldman asking Mason why not; she doesn't know if the delay is covid19-related and says issue is b/t MWAA & their contractor, not #wmata
Rouse: if MWAA/#wmata end up replacing bad special ties, do we know the replacement ties would be within spec?
Mason: Not sure, will have to get an answer for you
On ATC, Mason says the summer WIehle shutdown will be in place of testing in lab.
Mason: Not sure, will have to get an answer for you
On ATC, Mason says the summer WIehle shutdown will be in place of testing in lab.
Contractor can't begin until May 27; hazard analysis has been submitted, #wmata has not yet accepted it. Work won't begin until analysis is accepted & approved.
Rouse: can't emphasize enough the importance of system performance demonstrations. Issues being seen now could be small parts of larger issues not visible until full-system testing is performed.
"You really don't know what you have on your hands there" until systm testing
#wmata
"You really don't know what you have on your hands there" until systm testing
#wmata
Febles: April contractor inspection of precast panels was done by naked eye, binoculars, camera. OIG wants better inspections to give #wmata a "comfort level" with more comprehensive testing; if more cracks exist, wider cracks, etc.
Marootian makes a note to point out just how critical #wmata service is during this public health emergency & its role during recovery
Bowersox: #wmata convos with OPM is "ongoing" - the agency & OPM talk regularly during severe weather events, using those same contact channels for this pandemic as well
The #wmata Board seems overall supportive of the agency's phased reentry plan. The plan, which increases rail & bus capacity over time, assumes "normal" won't be back until spring 2021 at the earliest. ggwash.org/view/77547/met…
Remember, hundreds of riders were still taking Metrorail between 9p and 11p before #wmata cut that service: metroreasons.blogspot.com/2020/04/metror…
#wmata acknowledges current bus service level doesn't provide proper social distancing as specified by CDC & others.
#wmata bus ridership has been above the 85k target allowing proper social distancing every weekday since the pandemic began.
Unless #wmata is able to get more workers back on a daily basis, this could have the effect of reducing service on other already-limited routes.
ATU Local 689 voices their support for #wmata requirement that riders wear masks beginning Monday.
The word of the day is "uncertainty." #wmata
And that's that from today's #wmata Board meetings. Not much new that we didn't know before, and the uncertainty of covid19 remains.
