Unsuck DC Metro: Who Else Loves the Yellow Line?

Froggie · 701 weeks ago

11 minutes.

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no one · 701 weeks ago

I am not surprised by this "transfer phobia." WMATA preys on that.

That said, I'm not a regular Yellow Line rider, but the times I have taken it have been pretty good. Look for that all to change when they shift the Blue Line.

Calabria · 701 weeks ago

This post made me laugh. But seriously, I'd like to know when you commute... specifically through Rosslyn, when "blue usually gets shafted while two or even three orange trains pass in front"... because MORE than half of the time that I head into work (from Ballston to DC), I hear my conductor say things like, "we're holding because of a blue line train ahead of us" or "you can thank the blue line for this" (no joke).

3 replies · active 701 weeks ago

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Jamie · 701 weeks ago

I guess it must just be a giant smash-merge trying to get into Rosslyn, because it seems like the blue often sits in the tunnel while multiple orange line trains go through first. The other day the winning driver quote was "They are letting yet another orange line train go in front of us ... for some reason." Another time it was "They have had the audacity to allow more orange line trains to cross in front of us."
I guess the merge must be a frustrating for the drivers as it is for us!!

Will · 701 weeks ago

Metro runs two orange line trains for every blue line during rush hour (might be off-peak too now).

Of course the orange line has more riders than the blue line so this makes sense. Hopefully the Blue re-route over the bridge will speed up for you next year.

Calabria · 701 weeks ago

So, I guess this begs the question...

If the orange line and the blue line duked it out, who would win? ;)

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Sweet Bobby · 701 weeks ago

The writer is a moron for taking that long to find this out. Not to mention the fact that the yellow line is empty because it goes from nowhere interesting to nowhere good.

2 replies · active 700 weeks ago

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Jamie · 701 weeks ago

I suspect a number of people who live in Virginia and work downtown would disagree with you ...
Not so much a moron (though I have my moments) as a creature of habit. I used to live in Rosslyn and when I moved, I just kept the same commute but with a lot of added stops.

Matt G · 700 weeks ago

He's a moron, eh? Well that must make you a rude SOB, right?

GreenLine · 701 weeks ago

Personally, the yellow line frustrates me to no end. But that's mainly because I live in Petworth and the times that it actually runs that far north are few and far between. Honestly, why not just take Shaw-Howard through Fort Totten off the map instead of taunting me?

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Matthew · 701 weeks ago

On behalf of fellow Yellow line riders, welcome aboard Jamie.

1 reply · active 701 weeks ago

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Jamie · 701 weeks ago

It's like the blue line's HOV lanes!!! :-)

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Nick · 701 weeks ago

Yeah, uh, isn't it really obvious that the yellow line would be faster for this commute?

Van Dorn to Union Station on Blue/Yellow/Red - including Van Dorn, 12 stations.

Van Dorn to Union Station on Blue/Red - including Van Dorn: 16 stations.

So, not even going into miles traveled, Blue/Yellow/Red is way shorter. Especially because those 4 extra stations you miss are some of the busiest.

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Radner · 701 weeks ago

Good for you Jamie for being happy about anything to do with Metro. It's rare, so don't let the comments of others get you down!

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unsuckdcmetro 92p · 701 weeks ago

I'm not a regular Yellow Line rider, but I've taken it into VA the past two Friday evenings. It has never been very crowded, and there have been some spectacular views, especially during sunset.

3 replies · active 701 weeks ago

mike · 701 weeks ago

I ride it occasionally when I need to go to Pentagon City to meet my wife at Costco. I love it. My favorite part is when we get to go outside and cross the river. I always try to make sure I get a clear view of the window when I get on. My next favorite part (no sarcasm here) is riding in from the Navy Yard to Lefant and sprinting from one side of the track to the other. I honestly like the challenge of making it to the other side before the Yellow line takes off. I definitely look forward to the days I ride the Yellow.

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Jamie · 701 weeks ago

I know what you mean. I can have a crap day at work, but if I manage to perfect the timing on the way home, I can catch an earlier shuttle from the metro to my apartment and I end up feeling like the king of the world! Like the stars have aligned for me. Maybe it's sad that that turns into the highlight of my day ... but c'mon, sometimes it's nice to score a victory against your commute, especially considering how many victories the commute has scored against me!

Froggie · 701 weeks ago

I live in Huntington. As a general rule, the Yellow is more crowded than the Blue during rush hour...in part because Alexandrians/Crystal Citians know it's that much shorter than the Blue Line, and for those who park-and-ride, it's a shorter trip in from Huntington than it is from Franconia-Springfield. Where the Yellow is awesomely uncrowded is in the non-peak direction and on weekends.

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Jamie · 701 weeks ago

OP here -- it's not that I never figured out it was faster; it's just that the tradeoff between a few minutes shorter trip but having to transfer twice (and thus having to look up from my newspaper more often to figure out where I am) didn't sound worth it. Today I still stuck it out on blue because I wasn't in a hurry and didn't feel like getting up when the train pulled into King Street.
Now that I've seen the error of my ways, though, I'll be a yellow line rider 4 LYF! I guess when it gets cold I'll have to start transferring at Crystal City instead ...

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Guest · 701 weeks ago

Don't get used to your cush life Yellow Line riders. Pain's coming when they start running the Blue Line over the river with you.

ZZinDC · 701 weeks ago

God, get a room you two, will ya?

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F'n JD · 701 weeks ago

You still have to pass through thug central...aka L'enfant and Gallery Place.

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Carla · 701 weeks ago

Geez, guys. Ease up a bit. What a hostile group.

I'm glad that the poster found something to be happy about. I can totally understand not wanting to deal with the hassle of an extra transfer, when he can sit on the train for a little while longer.

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dcn8v · 701 weeks ago

Well, now you've jinxed our beloved Yellow Line. With all this praise, there's sure to be a disaster of Rosslyn proportions in the next week or two.

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Go jamie · 701 weeks ago

I like this post. It's a reminder to think about your commute and how you could make it better. sometimes, we get stuck in a rut and just accept the suck when we don't have to. i found that by adjusting my ride time by 15 minutes, the trains were usually less crowded. i realize this kind of thing is not something everyone can do, but...you can manage your commute, at least on the margin.

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hrh king friday 13 · 701 weeks ago

Shhhhh!!!! This is DC's best kept secret. But now that you've tipped of WAMTA and the union, they're going to f*ck it up!!!

1 reply · active 700 weeks ago

thedofc · 700 weeks ago

"This is DC's best kept secret."

More like Virginia's

... · 701 weeks ago

I've also thought that the yellow line is the best. There have been several times that I waited well over 20 minutes for a train at Silver Spring and was almost late- but the yellow train showed up within a few minutes at Fort Totten and I made it to wherever I was headed on time.

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@VeggieTart · 701 weeks ago

You know, with all the negativity we hear--not that I'm complaining, as Metro gives one plenty of cause to be negative--it's nice to hear when someone has found a relatively painless solution to make his commute easier. And transferring at King Street seems relatively painless. Just get off the train and wait for the next one. I hope your solution continues to work for you, Jamie.

@Shipsa01 · 701 weeks ago

A bit off topic, but that's a pretty rad poster at the top; anyone know where I could get one?

guest · 701 weeks ago

-giggle- reminds me of when i discovered the 295 bypass around richmond. i felt like writing odes to the thing.

1 reply · active 701 weeks ago

Metro Ryder · 701 weeks ago

I love the yellow line too.

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Rich · 701 weeks ago

A poem isn't good enough for the Yellow line, how about a yellow line haiku?

OP Bleeds Yellow
Metro Yellow Line, that is
Sings the line's praises

Lots of empty seats
New multi-level garage
Just a few delays

Some good points, indeed
But don't get carried away
There are still issues

Oy vey, where to start?
L'Enfant Plaza Rascalians?
Garbled announcements?

Jerky metro rides,
Old porn actors in kiosks,
Urine in stairwells.

And let's not forget
The jacked up Escalators
At Huntington South

As the OP said
The bar is indeed set low
Yellow line the best?

Kind of like saying
I'd rather sit on a pin
Than a friggin nail

2 replies · active 701 weeks ago

guest · 701 weeks ago

this. is. awesome.

dcn8v · 701 weeks ago

So clever!

@empress_pam · 701 weeks ago

I pick up the Yellow at Huntington and take it to L'Enfant and I absolutely LOVE it. It really seems to have the least issues, my commutes are generally smooth and trouble free. LOVE IT!!!

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ANON · 701 weeks ago

The Yellow Line works because it's handling the kind of capacity WMATA can handle. The rest of the system is screwed, and as ridership grows, expect the Yellow to be just as bad.

Metro needs to stop this Dulles/Prince William nonsense and fortify the core with another tunnel. Not sexy, and super expensive, but...that's what they should be doing.

1 reply · active 701 weeks ago

Will · 701 weeks ago

Two votes to one. Do you think MD and VA are going to vote for an expensive expansion in the core?

Why do you think everything shuts down at the same time? Think it makes sense to have Shady Grove open until 2 AM on weekends?

I'd love to see DC destroy 395 and 295/Kenilworth Ave and replace it with a few more core capacity. Burbs aren't going to allow that though.

Yay yellow line! · 701 weeks ago

I used to live off the red line and the orange line. I'm now on the yellow line and get on a Pentagon City. It is by far the best line. I'm considering buying a place in DC, and honestly one of the biggest downsides to moving would be giving up the yellow line.

2 replies · active 701 weeks ago

Will · 701 weeks ago

Well if you think long term, the yellow line is going to have capacity problems. There is already talk of a route 1 extension. The yellow line will also be getting the Pentagon Row in-fill station in a few years.

As well as sharing the bridge with the blue.

ZZinDC · 701 weeks ago

Pentagon Row? Or do you mean Potomac Yards?

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Kara · 701 weeks ago

So the yellow line is nearly empty and they chose to send the blue on it's route b/c the yellow had more people?

I am so happy I do not live in Crystal City any more. I work near Foggy Bottom and taking the yellow would NOT improve the commute!

@ChrisHowdy · 701 weeks ago

I'm guessing the reason they let x Orange trains in a row through the tunnel at Rosslyn -- and it's probably the case for the Blue line too -- they can't appear to keep the damn track switches there operating normally (as we learned at least twice last week) and so are avoiding using them as much as possible.

Sam W. · 701 weeks ago

I used to love riding the Yellow Line when I worked in Crystal City. I only wish that at the time (this was from 2004-2007) it went all the way to Ft. Totten like it does now, because I would have greatly preferred to transfer there than at the morass of incompetence (on behalf of riders and station personnel both) that is Gallery Place.

Sam · 701 weeks ago

Not sure where you live, OP, but if it is feasible I'd recommend also driving to the Eisenhower Ave. station if you can. In my experience (I also live near Van Dorn), it's been faster to drive to Eisenhower Ave and get the yellow train there rather than ride from Van Dorn and transfer.

I realize this may not be an option. But if you are able to do so, that would be my recommendation.

Robert · 701 weeks ago

The Yellow Line is kind of a tease though, b/c it seldom goes to Ft Totten. I hate having to get off at Mt Vernon to transfer to the Green even though they share the route up.

GlenmontGirl · 701 weeks ago

Sigh...I'd love to avoid the Red + Orange/Blue to get to Rosslyn. I was just thinking today on the way home that I wish Metro would build an addition to the Red Line that runs from Metro Center straight north to Silver Spring, and just run express trains back and forth along this route from 7-9 AM and 4-6 PM.

1 reply · active 701 weeks ago

Will · 701 weeks ago

You might have the option of street car service from the convention center to Silver Spring.

It probably won't be faster but it'll give you a solid 2nd route if the red line is acting up.

FYI, you can take the 79 express bus on that same route right now.

JSDC · 701 weeks ago

On the reverse route, Yellow heading out of L'Enfant and across the river, the Yellow line always gets shafted by Blue Line trains cutting in front.

Gallery Place is mayhem with the crazy kids all over the place. Transferring there in the pm must be joy. I work halfway between Gallery Place and Archives/Navy Memorial and ALWAYS choose the latter to avoid Gallery Place.

To each his/her own, I guess.

Kipp · 700 weeks ago

Yep, the Yellow line almost never has problems. I've only had issues on the weekend. I'm a fellow Huntington'er along with many of the other posters here. It's a great line to right to work everyday (I work near Gallery Place), no transfers for me!

BTW, I WISH they wouldn't send the crappy blue line onto our great Yellow bridge across the Potomac. I just know it's going to screw up the great commute I've enjoyed for years.