I'm a few minutes behind, but will attempt to tweet some highlights of today's #wmata meetings
#wmata staff proposing fare & service changes for the Board to vote on today, which restore some rail service and increase bus service om select routes, though still not quite return Metro to pre-pandemic service levels.
Metro wants to move towards all-day, less peaky service
Also, fare changes (proposed, not final until the Board votes). #wmata staff previously suggested some of these changes which were deferred, but are now back.
(no firm dates here, but here are about when changes - if approved today - would take effect. Most would come this fall around Labor Day, but #wmata has already made some changes on the bus side)
For the Arlingtonians here (hi @CarFreeHQ2), the FY22 proposed fare/service changes would restore Metroway service up from 20min to 12min weekday headways. #wmata
Some VA service changes between last week's proposal and what's today before the #wmata Board
29K/N: 20min proposed, now 40min
MW1: 20 > 12
Routes restored (at least partial): 1B, 3Y, 8S, 16Y
Goldman wants to "broaden" the $2 flat fare from Friday to Monday, references pre-pandemic travel patterns where Tues-Thurs were highest rail ridership days.
Another change in today's proposal: #wmata staff are proposing to make the bus/rail transfer completely free, rather than the prior $1 discount proposal
Goldman asks about parking, interpreting a slide to believe parking is still free. Anosike says parking fees were restored in August 2020.
He proposes making parking free from Labor Day to the end of the year to increase parking lot utilization. #wmata
I don't think I see any DC bus changes in the orig vs new proposal (regarding the 12min/20min routes)
Letourneau notes add'l restoration of routes in VA is leading to some subsidy changes, i.e. $880k extra for Arlington. Anosike says subsidy calculated per usual #wmata policy
Anosike says new subsidy numbers should be available in ~September; total #wmata subsidy from jurisdictions not changing, but since routes were re-added in VA the money is shifting slightly between local jurisdictions.
Goldman speaks further to his earlier proposals; says he's willing to "spend it now" to try and boost ridership w/lower flat fare, cheap parking, to close the funding gap that #wmata faces in the future. (His proposals don't increase bus/rail service)
McNillan: based on rider comments/sentiment, "there's definitely more of a focus on frequency and reliability of service here in the near-term. Obviously our riders are not indifferent to fare levels...but that...does not seem to be the primary driving force" #wmata
Impastato says floor warnings to be piloted at Dupont Circle & Potomac Ave. On inquiry from Goldman why those two have higher injury rates, she notes both don't have canopies (Dupont coming soon!) which could expose escalators to weather & long escalators. #wmata
Impastato + rail training want to use simulators for operator training + have them train on various different types of events that may occur in the rail system. #wmata
Today is Mr. Goldman's last #wmata Board meetings as his term expires at the end of the month, and it's also the last Board meetings for EVP Laura Mason, who's heading over to Amtrak.
Mason's SV II presentation notes some issues that have been resolved, including replacing damaged fasteners (bad install job) and insufficient lines of sight for signals (repeater signals, like at Rosslyn, to be installed). #wmata
Joe Leader: 6mo timeline of hiring/training process for SV II. Hiring has already begun, 37 so far with another 57 in the hiring/HR pipeline. Combination of new-hires and employees promoted/moved inside #wmata. Looking to have everybody in place ~October/November.
More service than the agency has been offering during the pandemic, yes, but still less service than, say, 2016 or 2018.
#wmata is offloading BL/Largo train 412 @ Smithsonian, and is intending to turn it around back to Franconia for service. Riders may see delays both directions due to a signal issue at Franconia/Van Dorn.
Blue Line delays are spilling over and affecting Orange and Silver line trains too. #wmata
BREAKING: Laura Mason, #wmata EVP of Capital Delivery, is heading to Amtrak as their EVP for Major Program Delivery
Andy Off, current VP of Project Implementation and Construction, is being promoted to Mason's role, being backfilled by Liz Field (Dir, Rail Station Modernization)
Mason came to #wmata from Bechtel after working on Silver Line Phase I construction, first leading SafeTrack planning after moving to Metro before being promoted to head up the capital program. (wtop.com/tracking-metro…)
Mason, now heading to Amtrak, has planed a significant portion (along with others) in reshaping the #wmata capital budget and program. It's safe to say the capital program of 2021 looks nothing like the capital program of 2016 when Mason joined #wmata.
Single-tracking on the Orange Line has begun, today between Cheverly and Stadium-Armory.
There's a chance Silver Line trains will be delayed as well, due to single-tracking location being so close to the Stadium-Armory split over to Largo. #wmata
At 9am, the work crew in the Stadium-Armory to Cheverly single-tracking area has been given permission to begin their work after setting up safety equipment in the work area.
#wmata has begun today's unannounced single-tracking b/t Cheverly and New Carrollton. Expect Orange/Silver line trains to run less often than normal - even less so than @Metrorailinfo says on its service alert page, if this past week is any indicator. wmata.com/service/status…
Yikes. @Metrorailinfo Silver Line trains are running less often than they do on weekends - headways currently above 20 minutes. #wmata
Good morning, @Metrorailinfo#wmata has begun day #3 of unannounced single-tracking. Like yesterday, there is no Metro Alert or other communication from the agency via email, social media, or in-station PIDS. Here's how this played out yesterday:
#wmata again appears to be arbitrarily cutting Silver Line service due to single-tracking which only affects the Orange Line between Cheverly and New Carrollton.
#WMATA is at this exact moment running Orange Line trains every 20 minutes.
Additional delays @ Cheverly due to an interlocking (crossover) issue preventing the #wmata ROCC from remotely setting routes for trains to follow. A supervisor is on scene to manually crank/clamp switches so trains can move.