Get There - The D.C. area traffic and transportation blog - April 18, 2010

Orange, Blue line work canceled

Metro has canceled track work cheduled on the Orange and Blue lines this weekend. The agency had planned to replace a track switch at the Rosslyn station. That will happen at a later date.

By Washington Post editors | April 24, 2010; 10:39 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Tags: Friendship Heights, Orange Line, Red Line, Rhode Island
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Two Metro cars derail in rail yard

Two cars on a Metro train derailed Friday night in the rail yard in New Carrollton, a Metro spokeswoman said. No injuries were reported in the derailment, which occurred about 8 p.m. The yard is at the Prince George's County end of the Orange Line. Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said no passengers are on trains in the yard. It was not clear whether any employees were in the derailed cars. No details of damage could be learned immdiately. The cause of the derailment was not reported. Service was not affected, Farbstein said. --Martin Weil...

By Terri Rupar | April 23, 2010; 8:57 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Sick person falls on Metro tracks

D.C. Fire/EMS officials report that a "sick/injured" persoon fell onto the tracks at Metro Center. Metro officials moved the person to the platform and trains are running.

By Michael Bolden | April 23, 2010; 4:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting
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Md. bridge repair will jam Beltway

Repairs to a bridge that crosses I-95 in Greenbelt will cause lengthy delays Friday night as crews close up to three northbound lanes at one time. Maryland officials advise travelers to use an alternate route.

By Michael Bolden | April 23, 2010; 3:53 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Congestion , highways
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The weekend and beyond

After a great day Friday, the Capital Weather Gang says, we're in for a cloudy and rainy weekend for travel in the Washington area. A few events in the District are likely to cause congestion, but the main delay-producer is likely to be the Metrorail work.

By Robert Thomson | April 23, 2010; 10:20 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Congestion , Construction , Driving , Events , Metro , Weekend Work , transit | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, The weekend and beyond
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Chat on D.C. snow removal

The District's snow team, meaning the departments of transportation and public works, will hold an hour-long online forum starting at 12:30 p.m. Friday to discuss how well they did in cleaning up after the big storms this winter.

By Robert Thomson | April 23, 2010; 9:40 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Events , Weather | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, snowstorm
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Beltway crawling in VA

A roundup of the morning rush hour.

By Mark Berman | April 23, 2010; 5:50 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting | Tags: beltway traffic, i-395, i-495, i-66, metrorail
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Headaches on the horizon

Roadwork could slow your overnight travels.

By Robert Thomson | April 22, 2010; 7:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Headaches on the horizon
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Metro delays for Memorial weekend

Construction of the Dulles Metrorail extension is going to create some significant delays in weekend travel on the Orange Line in May and June.

By Robert Thomson | April 22, 2010; 3:40 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Construction , Metro | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Metrorail, Orange Line
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Feisty debates at Metro

Things got a little tense among Metro board members and staffers at Wednesday morning's meeting on closing the budget gap. That's as it should be, since they are talking about how to use our fare money and our tax money to close a big budget gap while cutting back on transit services.

By Robert Thomson | April 22, 2010; 3:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Metro , Transportation Politics | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, MetroAccess, Metrobus, Metrorail
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Street closures for IMF meetings

Streets will be closed near the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund/World Bank beginning Friday evening as the group holds its annual meetings.

By Washington Post Editors | April 22, 2010; 11:57 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Congestion , Driving , Events | Tags: IMF/World Bank meetings, International Monetary Fund, Pennsylvania Avenue, World Bank, street closings
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Metro plan curbs service cuts

Interim General Manager Richard Sarles outlined a budget plan that emphasizes fare increases over service cuts, but there would be some service cuts. The late-night weekend hours would be cut back by an hour, some train runs would be eliminated on each line and some station entrances would be closed at off-hours.

By Robert Thomson | April 22, 2010; 9:55 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Metro | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, MetroAccess, Metrobus, Metrorail
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Changes planned for Red Line

Richard Sarles, the interim general manager of Metro, has been on the job just a few weeks hasn't been too visible to the riders. But he had some interesting things to say about his plans when he testified before a House committee on Wednesday that was looking into Metro safety and governance.

By Robert Thomson | April 22, 2010; 8:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (15)
Categories: Metro , transit | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Metrorail, Red Line
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Orange Line delays

A roundup of the morning traffic issues.

By Mark Berman | April 22, 2010; 5:55 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Congestion | Tags: beltway, i-395, i-495, i-66, md south, metro
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Headaches on the horizon

Dulles Metrorail construction is scheduled to temporarily shut Route 267 several times overnight.

By Robert Thomson | April 21, 2010; 8:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Dulles | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Headaches on the horizon
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A railroad with no trains?

One agency is building the Metrorail extension to Dulles and another agency will have to operate it. Have they been talking much to each other?

By Robert Thomson | April 21, 2010; 3:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Dulles , Metro , Transportation Politics , transit | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, metrorail
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First UK-to-BWI flight to land tonight

The first flight from Britain to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport since European flights were grounded six days ago is scheduled to arrive Wednesday evening.

By Michael Bolden | April 21, 2010; 3:07 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Airports
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House panel questions Metro safety

Metro is responsible for "grotesque" violations of safety for track workers and the transit agency's safety office is "dysfunctional and ineffective," Federal Transit Administration chief Peter Rogoff testified before a House panel on Wednesday.

By Michael Bolden | April 21, 2010; 2:22 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Metro , Transportation Politics
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Today's read: Who runs Metro?

Several Post stories today discuss local and federal reviews of the way Metro operates.

By Robert Thomson | April 21, 2010; 9:30 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Metro , Transportation Politics , transit | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Today's read
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Smoothing out University Boulevard

"Is there any chance that Montgomery County or the state will do something to fix University Blvd between 29 and Georgia Avenue?"

By Robert Thomson | April 21, 2010; 9:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Construction , Driving | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Maryland State Highway Administration
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395 jammed at 14th Street Bridge

A roundup of the morning traffic.

By Mark Berman | April 21, 2010; 6:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting | Tags: I-495 traffic
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New D.C. gas tax would aid Metro

D.C. council member Jim Graham introduced a bill Tuesday that would levy a 10-cent per gallon gas tax in the District to allow the District to provide Metro with more funding.

By Michael Bolden | April 20, 2010; 8:27 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Advisories , Transportation Politics
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House to hold Metro safety hearing

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform plans to hold a hearing Wednesday on Metro "to examine the challenges [the agency] faces as it transitions under new leadership," according to a statement.

By Michael Bolden | April 20, 2010; 7:59 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Metro , Transportation Politics
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Headaches on the horizon

Some major road and transit work could affect your travels on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

By Robert Thomson | April 20, 2010; 6:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Construction , Driving , Metro , highways , transit | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Headaches on the horizon
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Suitland ramp at 295 reopens

District Department of Transportation officials say that a tractor-trailer accident on the ramp from eastbound Suitland parkway to northbound 295 is causing delays.

By Michael Bolden | April 20, 2010; 3:50 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting
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Road work near Lincoln Memorial

The National Park Service is going to rebuild Ohio Drive between Independence and Constitution avenues, near the Lincoln Memorial.

By Robert Thomson | April 20, 2010; 2:20 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Advisories , Biking , Commuting , Congestion , Construction | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Lincoln Memorial, Ohio Drive
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Red Line riders, slow trains again

Metro says there is a track problem on the Red Line that necessitates a 15-mph speed restriction being in place between Friendship Heights and Bethesda stations for the rest of the day.

By Michael Bolden | April 20, 2010; 2:10 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Metro
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NY Ave. reopens after investigation

Police are investigating a suspicious package on New York Avenue. Traffic Cameras show that the street has been shut down at Sixth Street NW, with police cars blocking the lanes.

By Michael Bolden | April 20, 2010; 1:54 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting
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Leaders seek safer Metro

Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, and District Mayor Adrian M. Fenty met Tuesday morning to call for better management and oversight of Metro.

By Michael Bolden | April 20, 2010; 12:10 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Metro
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Skies in Europe slowly reopen

Airspace throughout northern and central Europe was gradually reopening Tuesday, but officials say London airports are likely to remain closed. A new wave of ash forced Norway to close airports on the southwestern coast.

By Michael Bolden | April 20, 2010; 9:54 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Airports
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Travelers' teachable moments

Just how far should you go to encourage a certain sort of behavior in a driver, transit rider, cyclist or pedestrian?

By Robert Thomson | April 20, 2010; 9:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Biking , Driving , Safety , transit | Tags: Dr. Gridlock
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Beltway crawling at Rt. 50

A roundup of the traffic woes facing commuters:

By Mark Berman | April 20, 2010; 5:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Congestion | Tags: i-395 north congestion, metro delays, red line, red line delays
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Headaches on the horizon

Some road work may slow your travels overnight.

By Robert Thomson | April 19, 2010; 7:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Headaches on the horizon
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H Street NE reopens after gas leak

The District Department of Transportation said that H Street NE is closed between 11th and 13th streets due to a gas leak at 12th and H. Expect delays in the area.

By Michael Bolden | April 19, 2010; 3:45 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting
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Delays on northbound 295

D.C. Fire/EMS officials said there are reports of brush fires in multiple locations north of Benning Road NE near CSX and Metro tracks and Minnesota Avenue. However, Metro hasn't reported any disuption in service along the Orange Line.

By Michael Bolden | April 19, 2010; 12:48 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Metro
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Va. audits transportation funding

Gov. Bob McDonnell has commissioned four independent audits to determine the status of Virginia's various transportation programs.

By Michael Bolden | April 19, 2010; 11:58 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Transportation Politics
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Airlines agree to no carry-on fees

Five major airlines have agreed not to follow Spirit Airlines in instituting fees for carry-on luggage, and New York Sen. Charles Schumer said he was hopeful other carriers would follow suit.

By Michael Bolden | April 19, 2010; 10:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Advisories , Airports
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Howard medical team finally flying

A team from Howard University Hospital is leaving for a medical mission in Nigeria after a volcanic eruption in Iceland delayed their trip.

By Michael Bolden | April 19, 2010; 9:33 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories
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Stranded in Washington?

Are you stuck in Washington because of the closure of airports in Europe, or do you know someone who is? Send details about your situation and your contact information to transportation@washpost.com.

By Michael Bolden | April 19, 2010; 8:50 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Advisories , Airports
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The week ahead in traffic, transit

Whether you drive or take transit, check out these potential obstacles to a smooth ride.

By Robert Thomson | April 19, 2010; 6:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Congestion , Construction , Driving , Metro | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, The week ahead
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I-495 North, I-66 East slow

A roundup of the morning traffic woes.

By Mark Berman | April 19, 2010; 5:50 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Airports , Commuting , Congestion | Tags: flight delays europe ash, flight delays volcanic ash, i-495 lane blocked, i-66 construction, volcanic ash over europe
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Get There: April 18, 2010 - April 24, 2010