Get There Archive: Metro
Catoe comments on SmartBenefit changes
Metro General Manager John B. Catoe just finished his noontime chat on Metro's Web site, and it included this interesting comment about the planned changes in the SmartBenefits program. Catoe says he's heard plenty of rider questions about the changes, and "we need to rethink the changes that we are making." Arlington, VA: Good afternoon - I have a question regarding the upcoming changes to SmartBenefits. Do we know yet what will happen to the current balances on our SmarTrip cards? For instance, if I have a $100 balance on the card beginning Jan 1, what "purse" will that money go into?Thank you! Reply [from Catoe]: Hi Arlington. I see a few questions about SmartBenefits here in the queue. Over the past couple of weeks, we have heard a lot of comments from customers about this change in SmartBenefits. I've decided that we need to rethink the changes that we...
By
Robert Thomson
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November 6, 2009; 1:10 PM ET |
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Categories:
Metro
| Tags: Dr. Gridlock, SmarTrip, SmartBenefits
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WMATA: Recharge your SmarTrip at Giant stores
WMATA is expanding your ability to add money to your SmarTrip card, announcing 42 Giant stores in the Washington area will add the feature. Most of the participating Giant locations are in Virginia and Maryland. See the full list of more than 150 locations where you can add money to your SmarTrip. In addition to recharging at Giant, CVS and other retail participants, you can add SmarTrip fare at Metro stations and on Metrobuses....
By
washingtonpost.com editors
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November 6, 2009; 12:35 PM ET |
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Metro
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Metrorail extension will close Tysons service roads
Click on Dulles Rail project map for larger image of upcoming changes to Route 7. This is the start of big changes along Route 7 for Tysons commuters. Beginning Monday, the service road of eastbound Route 7 between Pike 7 Plaza and the Koons GM car dealership will start to close permanently. Crews working on the Metrorail extension are closing portions of the service road one at a time until this entire stretch is gone. Over the next year, the service roads on both sides will be closed and the through lanes shifted. The mid-block turning lanes will be closed. A wider median will be created to accommodate the elevated rail line and two stations along Route 7 between Route 123 and the Dulles Toll Road. During the phase out of the service roads, drivers on Route 7 still will be able to reach the businesses along the road,...
By
Robert Thomson
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November 6, 2009; 9:01 AM ET |
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Categories:
Construction
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Driving
,
Metro
| Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Tysons
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Metrobus upgrading Route 7 service
Upcoming enhancements to the Leesburg Pike Line should get the attention of Tysons Corner commuters looking for transit service to their jobs in that congested area. The line, consisting of the 28A and 28B buses, has one of the highest Metrobus riderships in Northern Virginia, with about 5,000 daily passengers. But as is so often the case with a high ridership line, the buses are often late and crowded. The transit authority points out that the line connects high-density residential and commercial neighborhoods including Old Town Alexandra, Southern Towers, Baileys Crossroads, Seven Corners and Tysons Corner. The changes Metrobus is making follow a now-familiar pattern of separating buses into local and limited-stop services, modifying the routes, increasing supervision and adjusting the schedules in light of traffic realities. This is what the plan will do: -- Convert 10 (five morning and five evening) peak period, peak direction 28B short trips between...
By
Robert Thomson
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November 5, 2009; 2:02 PM ET |
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Metro
| Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Metrobus
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Many Metro problems during morning rush
[12:30 p.m. update: Metro is rushing to repair problems that crippled the farebox system on some buses, silenced subway public announcements, froze the transit agency's Web site and blocked some riders from using debit cards. -- Ashley Halsey III] Metro's communications system fritzed out this morning. These were the results: -- The e-mail alert system, the public address system, the Next Bus system and the call centers went down. -- The many bus fareboxes don't work, so passengers on those buses were riding free. -- At the fare vending machines, debit cards weren't working, but credit cards were. -- The online reservation system for Metro Access wasn't working. The control center could not communicate with bus or Metro Access drivers....
By
Robert Thomson
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November 4, 2009; 8:24 AM ET |
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Categories:
Advisories
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Metro
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Today's read: Metro struggling with money gap
Finds funds for this year: But what about next? That's when the real worries kick in. Last spring, when Metro's leaders were setting up the current budget, they made some pretty optimistic assumptions about this year's revenues. Things like ridership numbers had to come in strong. So far, they haven't. Lena H. Sun says in her story that Metro officials attribute ridership declines to growing D.C. unemployment, which rose from 10.6 percent in July to 11.4 percent in September; slower service and fewer trains on the Red Line immediately after the crash; and extensive track work. The Red Line did not return to normal service until Oct. 7. Extensive track work during the Labor Day weekend closed the Pentagon City, Crystal City and Reagan National Airport stations. Metro's leaders already know they face bigger problems in the budget the staff will draft and present late this year. Board members are...
By
Robert Thomson
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November 3, 2009; 8:34 AM ET |
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Comments (5)
Categories:
Metro
| Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Today's Read
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