Unsuck DC Metro: Metro During a Shutdown

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Metro During a Shutdown

From Metro:

You may be hearing about the possibility of a temporary federal government shut down and wondering how it would impact Metro services.

In order to continue to serve more than a million commuters and visitors traveling daily to work, schools, and hospitals, as well as retail, entertainment venues and sporting events, the Metro system would continue to operate on a normal schedule, but may make adjustments to the number of rail cars in service to match demand and conserve budget resources.

We estimate that the temporary shuttering of certain federal government offices could reduce ridership from 5-20 percent, depending upon the decisions made to continue some federal operations and essential services. In the event ridership decreases to levels of federal holidays, we may operate fewer 8-car trains.

Comments (62)

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+12 Vote up Vote down

James · 728 weeks ago

They barely operate with any 8-car trains to begin with...what....does this mean during rush hour they'll have one 8-car train for every twenty 6-car trains instead of two like they seem to have now??

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Bernard · 728 weeks ago

I think they will start running 4 car trains! Im with you James I rarely see an 8 car train and when I do I just guess it was a screw up.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Bet · 728 weeks ago

The outrageous salaries of metro employees have drained the government.

+11 Vote up Vote down

OLR · 728 weeks ago

Wait wait wait, hold the phone.

Metro has 8 car trains? I've never seen these rare, mythical things...

+8 Vote up Vote down

Corresponding Toads · 728 weeks ago

Before the shutdown, you couldn't rely on timely trains. After the shutdown... you can't rely on timely trains.

-2 Vote up Vote down

John · 728 weeks ago

John Boehner = SCUM!

Guy does nothing but pout, whine, and drag his feet.
He has been an uncooperative POS for years. Screw that lobbyist puppet.

22 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Teddy · 728 weeks ago

Barack, why are you commenting here? You're supposed to be out of town leading your campaign.

+2 Vote up Vote down

John · 728 weeks ago

Please give me any examples of John Boehner behaving in a rational, cooperative manner.

Tea Party moron.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Erik · 728 weeks ago

John: The Senate under the leadership of Democrat Harry Reid has failed to write, pass, or bring up for a vote any bill to continue government funding beyond Friday. The House on the other hand has done so. And folks ... a government shutdown will only occur if the Senate fails to act or Barack vetos the bill. And Barack's proposed budget for the next 10 years continues the path we are on, which is higher spending, higher taxes, and higher debt. We will be the next Portugal or Greece in the next few years except nobody will, or even has the capacity, to bail us out. Either we stop spending like there's no tomorrow, or they will indeed be no tomorrow for us and our children.

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John · 728 weeks ago

I asked for an example of Boehner behaving in a cooperative manner, not for your as of January 20, 2009 realization that we have a massive debt, accompanied by your tea party talking points.

As I posted below:
If they would have presented a budget in October, the GOP would have filibustered the crap out of it, knowing that in one month, they would have the majority of the house and possibly the senate. That way they could pass a republican budget, no way would they pass a dem budget. They went on to win the house but lose the senate since they nominated two Tea Party imbiciles, Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell who were so moronic they made Boehner look like a centrist.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Yawn · 728 weeks ago

Let's get some facts straight Erik.

1) Democrats have been in negotiations with Republicans for MONTHS over the budget, and they both have failed to reach any compromise. This is a fault with BOTH parties.
2) The "Budget" the House has passed is only a budget for the DoD to continue operations; it does not address anything else and it is not a real budget. Obama is going to Veto is BECAUSE IT SOLVES NOTHING, and doesn't address one of the major departments that needs heavy cuts (Defense).
3) Don't talk about "Barack's proposed budget" when you don't even know what's in it. Read some CBO reports sometime sport, you couldn't be more wrong.

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Erik · 728 weeks ago

Ok, Yawn ...

Negotiations? What are negotiations when Democrats offer nothing as an alternative. Read the House GOP week-long CR. It covers all federal operations for one week and Defense funding through the end of the fiscal year. Also read HR 1. The House-passed bill funds all government operations through the end of fiscal year 2011. And I have read Barack's budget for FY12. It does not address entitlements and nibbles around the edge of some discetionary spending. Get your facts straight. Just remember that your children will curse all of our names when they realize the debt we have left them. These are the same kids who you hope will pay your Social Security and Medicare. Don't count on it. Every dollar they earn will go toward paying interest on the federal debt.

-1 Vote up Vote down

John · 728 weeks ago

From January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2009, you failed to notice the deficit. Knock it off you tea party moron. If you were on the mall whining during that period, I would actually have respect for what you have to say. But you weren't. You're a tea party hack, who only cares about spending/deficits when the president is a democrat.

Your idoeological tea party morons like Boehner are holding this up because of planned parenthood, NPR and the EPA. Knock it off.

Now go back to worshipping your statue of the fiscally irresponsible Ronald Reagan.

HYPOCRITE.

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Yawn again · 728 weeks ago

If you're talking about the Republican proposal Erik, you need to read the CBO's report that it will ADD $5 trillion within a decade, not to mention lost surplus due to lowering taxes and getting rid of HCR (which WILL produce a surplus despite what the GOP says). If Republicans were serious about cutting spending they would go after Defense, Social Security, and Medicare/Medicade. Such as it is all I see in their proposal are cuts to frivilous entitlement programs that WON'T save money but WILL hurt the poor.

Raise Taxes or Massivly cut spending (particularly in the three above). You need to do one if you want to improve our country's budget/debt, and the GOP plan addresses neither. It is a joke.

John is right; if you people were really serious about working on the debt you would have voiced concerns YEARS ago about our unfunded wars or unnecessary tax cuts that are biting us in the ass.

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Nero · 728 weeks ago

You're right. It's too late.

Let it all burn.

+4 Vote up Vote down

@hryan4740 · 728 weeks ago

You forgot about his commitment to tanning.

-2 Vote up Vote down

chris · 728 weeks ago

Obama failed to pass a budget for the last 6 months, 3 of which democrats controlled both the executive and legislative branches.

Not to mention, we're broke as a country. Think austerity is regressive? Take the other alternative: inflating away our debt. Probably the fastest way to get most of eating dog food, and a disproportionate toll on the budgets of the poor.

Cut spending. Now.

+2 Vote up Vote down

OLR · 728 weeks ago

Obama and the Democrats have been blocked at every turn by the Republicans from passing any sort of budget because they're still upset HCR was passed. It goes both ways; both parties are being assholes about the budget lately, and we're the ones that are gonig to have to suffer because of it.

+1 Vote up Vote down

WTF · 728 weeks ago

The Democrats could pass Obamacare but not a budget? LOL.

-1 Vote up Vote down

OLR · 728 weeks ago

Not all Democrats are on the same page with one another about the priorities of the Budget, much like all Republicans don't fall lock-step in with one another. Squabbling in Congress is the problem. It happens on both sides of the aisle and we're left to suffer for it.

Also, "Obamacare"? FoxBot Alert.

+1 Vote up Vote down

WTF · 728 weeks ago

Oh yeah, don't want to take credit for it anymore. That's so 2009.

-1 Vote up Vote down

OLR · 728 weeks ago

Take credit for what? Health Care Reform? Calling it "Obamacare" implies that it offers an alternative coverage (like a Public Option). It doesn't. It's a stupid label used by gullible, spoon-fed sheeple. Come back to the table when you have some real convictions and you stop parroting with Rush Limbaugh tells you. We'll talk then.

+1 Vote up Vote down

ksu499 · 728 weeks ago

We are not broke. That is a myth the GOP wants you to believe so that they can continue to offer tax breaks to their rich friends. We are the most powerful economy in the world. China is a distant second. We are taxed right now at levels that have not been seen since the 1950s (as a % of the value of the economy), but a some point we decided that not paying taxes was more important than virtually anything else.

+2 Vote up Vote down

abc · 728 weeks ago

China owns us. We are in debt up to our eyeballs and we owe most of it to China. We can just print for money-but this will increase the cost of everything and further devalue the dollar causing prices of everything to increase.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Sam · 728 weeks ago

China owns $1.1T of our debt. That's 11.5% of our public debt and 7.8% of our overall debt. Stop spreading misinformation.

-1 Vote up Vote down

John · 728 weeks ago

If they would have presented a budget in October, the GOP would have filibustered the crap out of it, knowing that in one month, they would have the majority of the house and possibly the senate. That way they could pass a republican budget, no way would they pass a dem budget. They went on to win the house but lose the senate since they nominated two Tea Party imbiciles, Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell who were so moronic they made Boehner look like a centrist.

+1 Vote up Vote down

WTF · 728 weeks ago

October? The new year started in October. This should have been done months before. But Obamacare, not the actual operation of the federal government, was the priority.

-2 Vote up Vote down

OLR · 728 weeks ago

Because it's a part of the Federal Budget goofus, particularly in regards to working towards paying off the debt.

"But but but Hannity told me...!"

+6 Vote up Vote down

John · 728 weeks ago

This is what happens when you elect Tea Party retards into office.... The facts were there that these guys were clueless... most of them think NPR is 5% of the US Federal Budget.... They think Reagan was fiscally responsible.. They think if you kick out 20 million people, life in the US will improve.... They are too dumb to realize that Medicare is a government program... they criticize welfare but receive farm subsidies...

This is what happens when you elect angry, irrational morons who think the world is 5,000 years old to congress.

I hope America learned its lesson.... again....

+5 Vote up Vote down

Teddy · 728 weeks ago

5-20 percent? That's it?

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Znon · 728 weeks ago

Plenty of other places to talk politics.

7 replies · active 728 weeks ago

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unsuckdcmetro 92p · 728 weeks ago

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John · 728 weeks ago

The shutdown IS politics!!!!! Kinda hard to avoid it since thats the subject of the article.

+10 Vote up Vote down

Paul Zummo · 728 weeks ago

It's a post about how the Metro is affected by the shutdown, not the shutdown itself.

+3 Vote up Vote down

OLR · 728 weeks ago

To be fair, since we all live in the DC/Northern VA/Maryland area, it's kind of hard to get away from the topic (and we are affected by the shutdown more than most other Americans, particularly those that work in the government).

I do agree with you though.

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Paul Zummo · 728 weeks ago

But I think that's the reason all the more to avoid political discussions. We deal with it more than most Americans, so it's nice to have places of refuge from all political discussions.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Sam · 728 weeks ago

So, skip ahead to the next topic or don't read the comments. Who has a gun to your head making you read/respond?

+1 Vote up Vote down

James · 728 weeks ago

Exactly...this is one place I can safely go to and not have to put up with this kind of B.S.

+2 Vote up Vote down

One take · 728 weeks ago

“…we may operate fewer 8-car trains…”

Whatcha talkin’ ‘bout, Willis? Metro operates 8 car trains?

I don’t see too many of those; and the one time I did see one, three cars didn’t have any lights on, and were closed. So essentially, we had ourselves a 5-car train that day…when all we wanted and needed was a 6-car train. I recall, it was a hot summer day, just after a rainstorm…and once most of the Farragut North commuting populace piled on the said ‘fiver’ we soon discovered that the heat was on.

Not a great day, as I recall.

+7 Vote up Vote down

varun · 728 weeks ago

I, for one, plan to drive. Sounds like the roads will be emptier than normal!

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Corresponding Toads · 728 weeks ago

Oh yeeeah, budday!

+1 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 728 weeks ago

Finally they say something. With the lack of information I was already planning to use some of my paid time or walking to work.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Bet · 728 weeks ago

If you make the buldging (checks) that metro employees make you would be fine.
How is it that a bus driver can get overtime pay when govt. employees are acruing comp time?

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John · 728 weeks ago

Will metermaids be running around downtown DC with the federal government off? Wondering if I can drive to work or not. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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EMD · 728 weeks ago

I *think* metermaids are local DC government, not federal. Sorry!

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Kara · 728 weeks ago

Well, metermaids are from the DC government, but the DC government *might* get shut down too because of this.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Adam · 728 weeks ago

No they won't, just read a release from the DC gov that listed parking enforcement as a "service" that would be closed/suspended in the event of a shutdown.

+1 Vote up Vote down

abc · 728 weeks ago

In other words sounds like the government shut down is a win for us!

+1 Vote up Vote down

Kevin · 728 weeks ago

Why does the Metro's General Manager make $300k?

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dan · 728 weeks ago

Since I won't be working anyway, I guess I don't care.

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Rory · 728 weeks ago

One of the things that finally pushed me into my car was the poor service on the federal holidays that most employers don't take off. It was like a big sign saying that Metro had no interest in the private sector.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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abc · 728 weeks ago

Not to mention weekends. They act like it is no big deal if the trains just don't show up and they fail to give notice of how bad the service is online or just running outright slow service. That is what pushed me into driving on the weekends.

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anon2 · 728 weeks ago

Since there will be less traffic, "toads move over", I am driving.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Corresponding Toads · 728 weeks ago

I find this comment extremely offensive!

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GlenmontGirl · 728 weeks ago

The federal government shuts down and a good portion (I personally suspect more like 30-40%) of Metro's regular riders aren't commuting, so they run fewer, shorter trains to save money.

Frankly, it seems like a reasonable, sensible proposal to me.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Kara · 728 weeks ago

That was my thought as well, that the 5-20 percent figure was laughable, for several reasons:
* There are probably more federal workers than that.
* Federal contractors typically get worse parking deals, so would be more likely to use metro than someone who could park for free.
* The DC government could be affected ... so count them out too.
* Good thing: practically no visitors being escalumps (especially at typical places you find them).
* Less people not directly affected. I could definitely see reduced staffs at many places in the various service places, like the food industry.

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Sam · 728 weeks ago

I think it is a good estimate that 5-20% of Metro's riders are federal workers and will be absent from the system if there is a shutdown. The majority of my coworkers drive to work and many feds work in areas without Metro (e.g. Tysons, Quantico, Belvoir, SW DC, etc.)

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Corresponding Toads · 728 weeks ago

Quite an indecent proposal, if ya ask me!!

J/k though it's decent enough.

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Matt G · 728 weeks ago

I see 8 car trains every day. In fact, I rode on an Orange one and a Green one just this morning. Of course, the PIDS announces them as 2 car trains, but I know how to count to eight :-)

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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anon · 728 weeks ago

Ah...see, what you saw were four two-car trains that happened to be joined together.

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Ever and Anon · 728 weeks ago

Agreed - Forget politics and back to the pertinent question - Matt, there really are 8 car trains? I, too, thought them like the elusive unicorn, always heard of, never seen.

By the way I got an email reply to my detailed complaint/concern letter about all escalators dead at once at a station. The email I sent was in February. They replied yesterday. Are we surprised? Thought not. :)

+2 Vote up Vote down

R. Idiculous · 728 weeks ago

I have $10,000 that says Metro will discontinue the already rare 8-car trains during the shutdown and won't bring them back after the government reopens. Anyone care to take this bet?!