Unsuck DC Metro: Three Years Later: Are there Any Silver Linings?

Friday, June 22, 2012

Three Years Later: Are there Any Silver Linings?

It has been three years since Metro killed nine and injured 80 at Ft. Totten. The event has remained a huge cloud over the transit authority.

Over these past years, there has been a lot of Metro news, nearly all of it negative. There have also been a lot of promises and self promotion about how things are getting better.

To Metro's credit fatalities and are down, but there have been A LOT of close calls, and there is still no meaningful oversight.

Have you seen anything change for the better at Metro three years after its worst day?

Other items:
Excellent Toles cartoon slams Rush+ (WaPo)
Final lawsuits filed in wake of crash (Examiner)
VA withholds NoVa transit money (Examiner)

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+18 Vote up Vote down

@FixWMATA · 665 weeks ago

Marketing efforts have been heavier. Does that count?

+8 Vote up Vote down

Anonymous · 665 weeks ago

My commute is worth substantially more!

+44 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 665 weeks ago

I lost a lot of weight riding my bike to work instead of taking Metro.

+8 Vote up Vote down

DC Denizen · 665 weeks ago

I started driving this year and now only use Metro for specific events. It's glorious!

1 reply · active 665 weeks ago

+3 Vote up Vote down

DMCinDC · 665 weeks ago

Ditto!

+41 Vote up Vote down

Ryan · 665 weeks ago

I only use Metro when I am drunk. I ask that everyone please excuse my behavior and recognize that it is the only way I can justify this purchase.

+15 Vote up Vote down

Ever n Anon · 665 weeks ago

I stay fit and trim by riding the sauna trains regularly. Especially when it is illegal to drink water.

I also learn new dance steps while avoiding toe-crushing on overcrowded trains.

+6 Vote up Vote down

UnSuck Fan · 665 weeks ago

Sure! Once the funding and the building of the Silver Line is complete, it will be a new part of Metro that can be driven into the ground. Of course, if they use the same safety "standards" they're using now, the Silver Line could collapse much sooner than anticipated!

+16 Vote up Vote down

F'n JD · 665 weeks ago

Let's be honest here. What's gotten better...investment in the infrastructure, track maintenance and upgrades, platform maintenance.

I hate it. I think it's a poorly managed system. I don't think Sarles and Stessel have done a good job on communications and follow through, improving customer service, or board transparency.

But the investment in the long term needs to keep the system (as we currently have it with all its failing and lack of four tracks) is better and will improve once the heavy maintenance is complete. But it's infrastructure...it wears out and even with better maintenance after this heavy construction period....we will be back here again 20-30 years down the road.

That does not excuse the other failures....but it is an improvement we have to deal with.

1 reply · active 665 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 665 weeks ago

well said

+13 Vote up Vote down

Kevin · 665 weeks ago

If Metro's bar is that "fatalities are down," that is a sad state of affairs. Metro's number one priority should be to ensure that its employees and riding public are safe. Such a metric should not be applauded -- it should be expected.

-1 Vote up Vote down

hrh king friday 13 · 665 weeks ago

As long as people in the District and NOVA keep voting union, nothing will change. It's hopeless. Our only hope is for the system to financially collapse, and voters move to disolve WMATA and install a public-private partership. Or China invades.

1 reply · active 665 weeks ago

-1 Vote up Vote down

Guestage · 665 weeks ago

You can't have a union in NOVA, dumbass. It's a "right to work" state. Unions aren't the problem.

+7 Vote up Vote down

MDScot · 665 weeks ago

Now it may be BS, but here is how NY MTA describes what happens during their shutdowns ( which are NOT at weekends, but at night)

"During a FASTRACK service change, MTA New York City Transit employees inspect hundreds of signals and switches, repair and replace track rails and cross ties, clean track floors, perform elevator and escalator repair work, repair water damage, clear drains, clean stations and paint surfaces. We also clean lighting fixtures, change bulbs, repair platform edges and perform intense station cleaning. These maintenance activities improve train performance and efficiency while also providing a visible improvement to the station environment. "

That is how you improve infrastructure.

5 replies · active 665 weeks ago

+12 Vote up Vote down

Ever n Anon · 665 weeks ago

And this would be Metro's version:

"During a FASTRAK servis change, Metro employeees inspect hundreds of signuls and swiches, repare and replace track raels and cross tyes, clean track floors, perform evelator and escalater repare work, repare water damage, clear drains, clean stashuns and paint surfaces. We also clean liteing fixtures, change bulbs, repare platform eges and perform intense stashun cleaning. These maintance activities improve train perfermance and efisiency while also providing a visible improvment to the stashun enviroment. "
:D

-6 Vote up Vote down

AnonE · 665 weeks ago

MDScot,

The problem is, MDScot, that Metro has to place their tracks back in service the very next day. That does not leave very much time to make the type of repairs that are needed. Let me put it in terms that you may understand: if you have two cars at home, it is not such a big deal to have one of them in the shop to have it repaired while you drive the other.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Jason · 665 weeks ago

The NYC FASTRAK puts stuff back into service the very next day, too. FASTRACK maintenance is four overnight periods, for the nights starting Monday-Thursday, where the lines are shut down for something like 12 hours. FASTRAK type repairs should be even easier to implement in DC since the system is closed overnight anyways.

0 Vote up Vote down

Jason · 665 weeks ago

Actually I way over-estimated. The closures are 10 PM until 5 AM the next day. So my point about it being easier to implement in DC is reinforced--the system is closed for 5 hours every night no matter what, whereas the NYC system is otherwise 24 hours.

+2 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 665 weeks ago

it is not easier due to the fact that metro shuts down at 12 am. last train is off the line a little after 1 am. then the first trains of the morning are out around 4:30 am. which only leaves 3 12 hours to do work. now minus the time it takes to get the equipment there and basically you have two hours to work. a two track system pretty much prevents any rapid repair.

+19 Vote up Vote down

@Hell_on_wheelz · 665 weeks ago

Honestly? The only thing that has changed is my naiveté.

Prior to June 22, 2009 I didn't really know how bad things were. 2 minutes difference and I would've been on the train that was run into, on the last car (which is where I used to ride).

Now, I'm better informed. What I know gives me pause, what I don't know (for sure) scares the hell out of me. Metro is just one "oops" EVERY TRAIN from something like this happening again.

I do know this: For Metro ignoring safety is just a cost of doing business: get the revenue cars on the tracks and the lawyers will sort it out later. After all, by the time it goes to court there will be different faces on the Board and in management because there is NO accountability and NO oversight.

1 reply · active 665 weeks ago

+9 Vote up Vote down

FedUp · 665 weeks ago

I echo your sentiments and now only use the system when absolutely necessary. I know appreciate how lucky I am that my commute does not depend on public transportation and that I have (and can afford) a car.

I've lived in the area for 25+ years, when my family first moved here (late 80's) the system was a source of pride, it's shameful what's happened.

+7 Vote up Vote down

@perkinsms · 665 weeks ago

I wish I could say that after this accident, safety related problems are no longer ignored. But the experience with the emergency exit audit says otherwise.

+9 Vote up Vote down

woe is metro · 665 weeks ago

The day anything changes for the better at Metro, I'll be tuning to the weather channel to check the temperature in hell.

0 Vote up Vote down

Sam · 665 weeks ago

The only area in which I've seen a drastic improvement is communication. Metro is definitely communicating better BUT they aren't fixing the problems that are driving their communication. I'm glad they are telling me that a switch is broken or that trains will be single tracking 3 weeks from now... but maybe they can work on fixing the problems instead of focusing solely on the communication. I think they missed the point.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Lisa · 665 weeks ago

I have noticed no improvements, and it seems the dysfunction is entrenched. Metro now is just trying the cover its mismanagement through PR and outright lying.

The only improvement since June 2009 is that now I feel a surge of gratitude every time I arrive at my destination in one piece. I am amazed that there have not been more accidents. I am holding my breath.

I see a downward spiral, ending in an even greater mass casualty incident, and federal takeover as the only solution.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Metroed · 665 weeks ago

I drank water on metro...legally!!

0 Vote up Vote down

Someone · 662 weeks ago

All you people ever do is complain and never take any action to solve things. Some of you would rather drive than asking WMATA to fix your commute.

Until you quit whining and thinking driving is a solution, nothing will get better. So how about taking democratic action instead?

(I am not looking to start a flame war, just something I noticed)