Unsuck DC Metro: Richmond's Interest in Metro was Fleeting

Friday, October 5, 2012

Richmond's Interest in Metro was Fleeting

I thought perhaps officials in Virginia would have some concern about what Rush+ and other Metro practices are doing to their constituents, so I wrote a letter to Virginia's governer Bob McDonnell.

You'll remember not long ago McDonnell took great interest in Metro when he wanted to make a direct appointment to the board.

He got his appointment, James Dyke, and at the time, I supported the move, mostly because I thought anything to shake up the know-nothing board might be a good thing

My opinions seemed to be shared by Virginia's transportation secretary, Sean Connaughton, a McDonnell appointee.

Back then, he told me "We’re very concerned about the club atmosphere that prevails on the Board of Directors. This needs to change."

Connaughton replied to my letter to McDonnell, which is embedded below.

Needless to say, he seems to be singing a different tune about Metro these days. Seems he now thinks all is hunky dory with Metro.

It's especially disconcerting that he bought the Metro line about what Rush+ really is.

We're on our own folks.
Doc-9_20_12 19-26

Other items:
Metro's bumpy tile installation: Delayed (Examiner)

Comments (21)

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+4 Vote up Vote down

anon · 651 weeks ago

They guy doesn't even know the name of WMATA!

+3 Vote up Vote down

SammyDC · 651 weeks ago

McDonnell & Connaughton -- drinkin' the WMATA kool-aid.

1 reply · active 650 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Alb2non · 650 weeks ago

Yeah! I got a similar letter from VDOT when I wrote informing the governor that a WMATA Manager, former drug addict, was appointed by WMATA to head up the Dulles Rail Project as the point-man. Wow!

Those upper level managers really know how to pick 'em.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Ever n Anon · 651 weeks ago

What an eye-roller disappointment. Only a small minority have the ability to change their trip patterns. Some do not own cars and cannot afford or use any other method of transportation.

I am tempted to ask Sean if he is speaking about his 47% there. ;)

+1 Vote up Vote down

@VeggieTart · 651 weeks ago

Nothing to see here, just move along.

BTW, do you have a copy of the letter you sent to Gov. McDonnell?

1 reply · active 651 weeks ago

+5 Vote up Vote down

unsuckdcmetro 92p · 651 weeks ago

Good question. I submitted my letter via a web form and didn't think to make a copy. In all honesty, I didn't write that letter in the expectation of getting a post out of it. It was just a letter from a concerned citizen.

I was surprised by the answer, however.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 651 weeks ago

So people "started to change their trip pattern" ... as if there was a choice for those "small number of commuters"!

I wonder what will be the excuse when the silver line goes into full swing and the orange line takes a hit as well.

Yet one more reason I am glad I moved from Crystal City or I would have been among the affected blue-liners that are so rare.

7 replies · active 650 weeks ago

+10 Vote up Vote down

Jason · 651 weeks ago

Regarding the Silver Line, it's beyond me that they didn't just sell this is "look, nobody wanted to pay for a new tunnel under, or bridge over, the river, so we had to do this to accommodate the Silver Line."

Nobody's hopes get raised, they feel like they're being treated as adults, and it potentially (not really holding my breath on this last one though TBH) allows for some pressure to be applied on our elected representatives to address the "we need a new fucking tunnel" problem.

+10 Vote up Vote down

Daily Rider · 651 weeks ago

There you go again, expecting logic, common sense, and common courtesy. Remember it is Metro being discussed here.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Will · 651 weeks ago

The extra river crossing has to be an extra line through DC, otherwise same switch bottleneck.

It's not really a failure by WMATA as much of a failure by 2 states + DC, and a handful of districts. It's going to take Metro grinding to halt before all the municipalities agree to the capital costs. It'll make the Silver Line look cheap and the objection from RoVA (Rest of VA) was huge.
http://images.greatergreaterwashington.org/images...

+2 Vote up Vote down

@VeggieTart · 650 weeks ago

And even then they may not agree to capital costs. Until the people who make decisions about Metro have to ride Metro, it will be the same dysfunctional clusterfuck of a transportation system it has devolved into over the past ten or so years.

And while I love that map, it turns a clusterfuck at the Rosslyn tunnel into a clusterfuck at the Stadium/Armory tunnel. The advantage, of course, would be that if there was a track problem on, say, the Orange/Silver line, you could divert trains to the Blue Line and vice versa; or encourage people to take the line that wasn't messed up and transfer at one of the transfer points.

<shudders thinking of constructions costs and the hassle of streets torn to bits>

+1 Vote up Vote down

Will · 650 weeks ago

100% in agreement that we have to get our local leaders to ride Metro, otherwise it's not going to get fixed. I think their is a bigger issue here. Metro funding is controlled by MD and VA (both have more say than DC). But their governments are not centered locally and see no benefit to expanding Metro. This is taken to an extreme in VA where RoVA does everything they can to finically screw NoVA.

_____

Well the goal would be to never have more than two lines.

Rosslyn - The transfer point would be walking to a different platform (Eg. Metro Center). So you will have a dedicated track for the blue.

Stadium Armory - Would be similar.

So while it might look like a cluster fuck, it's not better than the existing map.

You're right as to the advantage of being able to divert. It would also make things easier for weekend shutdowns to do maintenance.

0 Vote up Vote down

@WMATARage · 650 weeks ago

It's actually crazy that DC doesn't have a greater say in WMATA. Contrary to your earlier point, DC actually contributes 42.1% of the subsidies. The two Maryland counties pay another 34.3%, while the various Virginia jurisdictions combined pay a paltry 23.2%. If there's a problem with the funding mechanism it's that despite these disparities Virginia has an equal say in WMATA governance. It's just outrageous.

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Anon · 650 weeks ago

The Silver Line is not what I thought it would be and it is disgusting, the concrete, the way it cuts the beautiful building in half at Tyson's. Would have been better to find a company with drudging equipment.

+7 Vote up Vote down

totallyfailed 81p · 651 weeks ago

Some lowly staffer cranked out that form letter. He/she probably has a large stack ready for sealing and stamping.

+5 Vote up Vote down

@ChrisHowdy · 651 weeks ago

Wait until the Silver Line opens and a shit ton of Orange Line riders "change their trip patterns" -- off of Metro, because the capacity isn't there.

+1 Vote up Vote down

jkuchen · 651 weeks ago

I really hope that the sand didn't get in their eyes when they stuck their heads in it.

+6 Vote up Vote down

John · 651 weeks ago

McDonnell had more important matters to attend to.... Did you know schools aren't teaching creationism!?!

Priorities.....

+5 Vote up Vote down

dcn8v · 651 weeks ago

Wow, Unsuck. Does it ever feel just... hopeless? What gives you the strength to keep on, day after day? It's got to be somewhat soul-sucking, but I'm so grateful that you keep doing what you do.

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Alb2non · 650 weeks ago

Thanks Unsuck too!

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Jack · 650 weeks ago

Judgment reserved until Silver Line opens. The point of reduced Blue Line service is to pen capacity for future Silver Line service as it relates to the Potomac River bottleneck...and Silver Line customers will also be VA constituents...we shall see in 2013