Wasn't Single Tracking a Thing of the Past?

Via @DebtHater Haven't seen this many ppl in the Metro since Obama's inauguration! Single tracking sux! @unsuckdcmetro yfrog.com/ntz8dpj

Metro pretty much gave that impression here.

"New approach" or not, Metro is nearly unusable on the weekends.

This Saturday, I knew there were going to be delays on the Orange Line, so I gave myself an hour--an hour--to get from East Falls Church to Rosslyn (5 stops), where I had to catch a bus to NYC.

I barely made it.

That's crazy.

Before leaving home, I checked the Metro website. Nothing. Flying blind.

Same at the station.

None of the PIDs at East Falls displayed anything useful, and Metro's mobile website was equally worthless.

I was frantically walking out of the station to try to catch a cab when a train finally showed up. It was rush hour (peak of the peak) crowded.

On the way home yesterday, passengers were greeted with acrid brake fumes billowing out of Rosslyn. On the steamy platform, it was an over 20-minute wait for the next train. In that toxic atmosphere, I really wished I had one of these.

What a mess.

New York's subway stations are disgusting, grimy hellboxes, but the train usually comes quickly and takes you where you want to go with relative efficiency.

The trains themselves actually are not very disgusting at all. In fact, they're quite a bit more modern and cleaner than Metro cars. (If you're familiar with NYC, or any other subway system, you can leave your impressions here.)

How was your weekend WMATA experience? Do you even bother any more?

Other items:
Metro falling short on cell phone coverage (Examiner)/Post's take
Track work (WMATA)