Unsuck DC Metro: Silver Spring Transit Center Shaped Like Failure

Friday, March 29, 2013

Silver Spring Transit Center Shaped Like Failure

Via @jbhaber

To read more about this costly, misshapen boondoggle, click here.

Other items:
Board extends GM Sarles' contract for two years (Examiner)

Comments (21)

Logging you in...

Dashboard | Edit profile | Logout

Logged in as

+3 Vote up Vote down

Fixed Tiles · 625 weeks ago

Now that's getting the job done right!

2 replies · active 625 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 625 weeks ago

I hold the Congress overseeing these inexcusable failures responsible while they are hiding their heads in the sand the waste, fraud and abuses go on and on.

If the committee for Transportation does not step in soon I conclude a complete failure of our government to over see the people, our tax dollars and the constitution.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Fixed · 625 weeks ago

I conclude a complete failure of the people to oversee our government, our tax dollars and the constitution.

+36 Vote up Vote down

@NoPants_McGee · 625 weeks ago

In WMATA's defense (and I shudder to say that), the problems with the SSTC are from Montgomery County and Foulger Pratt? the company building the space. Metro doesn't want to take control of it, it's in such bad shape. Let me say that again. It's so bad, Metro doesn't want it.

1 reply · active 625 weeks ago

+8 Vote up Vote down

@sleeplessinva · 625 weeks ago

You know it's pretty bad if they can't even pass WMATA's standard.

+17 Vote up Vote down

guest · 625 weeks ago

as a MoCo taxpayer, to say i am beyond furious about this would be a staggering understatement. i am just flabbergasted at the level of incompetence of all parties on this job. and it's not like this is something new--buildings/bridges etc have COLLAPSED from improperly tensioned steel and improperly poured concrete. even something as simple as letting the mix churn around in the truck for too long can affect the quality of the pour. if FP and the contractor know what's good for them, they will just quietly FIX IT free of charge; otherwise, MoCo should sue both companies into bankruptcy. [/vent]

so how's everybody else doing this lovely friday morning? :-)

1 reply · active 625 weeks ago

0 Vote up Vote down

Chris · 625 weeks ago

Part of the problem was that it the concrete was poured in cold weather. I worked on the White Flint garage many decades ago (winter '76/'77, a particularly cold one). When concrete was being poured for an upper deck, the area underneath had sheets of plastic around it and a large number of propane heaters going to keep the concrete warm while it set. I wonder if they did that in Silver Spring, and if so, why it didn't work.

-2 Vote up Vote down

fred · 625 weeks ago

^blaming it on the contractors and letting the public sector off scot free. Typical Moco mentality.

3 replies · active 625 weeks ago

+8 Vote up Vote down

guest · 625 weeks ago

MoCo is not in the contracting business. that's why it hired.... contractors.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Dr Turdlock · 625 weeks ago

Lack of proper oversight is Mont Co's problem in this. The County was asleep at the wheel.

+6 Vote up Vote down

... · 625 weeks ago

Correct me if I'm wrong, but contractors were paid to do it (and I assume doing the job correctly was part of the deal), so, you're saying that when the contractors fail to do the job correctly they are not to blame? Or are you saying that both the contractors -and- whoever hired incompetent contractors are to blame?

.. if you're saying the contractors paid to pour concrete who failed to do so correctly are not at fault... typical contractor mentality.

-9 Vote up Vote down

guest · 625 weeks ago

The transit center - horrible failure on MoCo's part. Its astoundingly bad. But I can't see that Metro is really involved. Comparing the design of it to the horrible Red Line accident though - unsuck I think this is really disrepectful to those that died in the accident.

6 replies · active 625 weeks ago

+16 Vote up Vote down

unsuckdcmetro 92p · 625 weeks ago

Are you serious?

+14 Vote up Vote down

SammyDC · 625 weeks ago

I don't think it's disrespectful to compare a disaster waiting to happen to the Red Line accident. And from everything I've read in the news, the Silver Spring Transit Center is a disaster waiting to happen.

(I've been riding Metro for 25+ years and I'm beginning to believe that DC's subway system is a disaster waiting to happen.)

+3 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 625 weeks ago

"NO OVERSIGHT" I am sick of the NO OVERSIGHT! Mark Warner where are you?

-5 Vote up Vote down

guest · 625 weeks ago

You know ever since I saw the red line crash pics I thought of something that I just now might be able to bring up that stays on topic and is now appropriate.
So since we're comparing the crash to what it looks like, id have to say that it most closely resembles what I figure that train sex would look like, if they procreated.
Also, when the hell has unsuck ever been posting appropriate pictures for its topics? I loose it on the inside whenever I see a nyc turnstyle and someone jumping over it for all topics regarding fare evasion. All he'd have to do is find a broken faregate that's stuck open in dc. I mean come on, its not even that hard to find, they're everywhere.

+2 Vote up Vote down

RunningTrain · 625 weeks ago

HOW CAN YOU THUMBS DOWN THIS?!
Guest even admitted that s/he WAITED to mention train-boning until now. Thank god it wasn't more than two trains, or we'd have to discuss trains running-- I'll cut myself off.

Guest, I'm with ya.

+1 Vote up Vote down

duh · 625 weeks ago

Dear Sensitive,
Please, if you won't sue me for sexual harassment, let me hold your hand: the transit center is VISUALLY SIMILAR to one train partially in top of another, which just happened to have occurred during an incident that the VAST MAJORITY of this readership would agree to be an ABSOLUTE TRAGEDY, and something that us concerned metro riders fear and wish we can help avoid from ever happening again.

As far as disrespecting the dead, they don't care. It's YOU that feels disrespected. You have every right to be insulted ( your prerogative), but don't blame your feelings on the dead.

+9 Vote up Vote down

@savemetro · 625 weeks ago

Note to Architect: When designing a train station, make sure it doesn't look like a train wreck. That is all.

+4 Vote up Vote down

@savemetro · 625 weeks ago

Oh Brett Folger quote in the Examiner today was good . . . We don't care about safety"

1 reply · active 625 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

Bouncy Bouncy · 625 weeks ago

Hint to Brett Folger...

In a room full of lawyers and insurance companies, saying safety is not your job might fly.

But if this ever goes to Jury trial, being on record as saying that safety is not your job, is not a good thing.