Home Login Register
WMATA Forum   » Question & Answer with WMATA guests   » Focus on Metro (1/6/06) from noon to 1 p.m.  
Welcome Guest ( Login or Register )

Welcome!
Author Message
Richard White Happy new year and welcome to another online chat. We’ve got plenty of exciting initiatives on tap for 2006, and I hope you will take two minutes to read our news release that details what will be new this year. The news release is located at http://www.wmata.com/about/MET_NEWS/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1057.

I also want to tell you that there is plenty of excitement out there for our “Doors Closing Voice Contest” that we launched this week. We had more than 19,000 people click on that item on our web site after just two days! (See http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/story.cfm?ID=526.) And we’ve already received some audition “tapes” from contestants. We’re glad that you are so enthusiastic about it. So are we!

Let’s get to chatting.
"Directly behind" doesn't mean what WMATA thinks it means
Author Message
BeyondDC Several times in the past couple of years when either a train breaks down or a stub train (such as one on the Red line that ends at Grosvenor) ends its run and the operator instructs riders to get off the operator will say there is another train "directly behind" the one people are getting off of, when in fact the next train is several minutes away.

I don't mind waiting for trains, but it is incredibly frustrating when I'm told and expect one to come in one minute and then have to wait 10. I feel lied to and increasingly inconvenienced.

Is there some reason Metro operators need to use that term? “Directly” means “immediately”, not “on the same track in 10 minutes”.

BeyondDC.com Tracking urbanism, planning and transportation in the DC area.

Richard White Hi. I’m sorry that you are confused by the train operator’s announcement when he/she tells you that a train is “directly” behind it. Typically that is the language that is used during rush hours when intervals or headways between trains are fairly frequent and a train may be a couple minutes away. The best way to know how long your wait will be between trains is to refer to the passenger information display signs on the platforms, which tell you exactly when the next train will arrive.
Who operated Metro Parking lots?
Author Message
Metrotom What company operates the Metro parking lots?

I am owed a refund for being double charged against my Smarttrip card for parking one day. I have not received the refund. The station manager gave me an 800 number to call but the operator on the other end would not identify her company, other than to verify that the parking lots are not operated by WMATA.

Why the secrecy? Why will you not disclose who is the operator? Do taxpayer/customers need to subpoena WMATA for this information?
Richard White Hi. The company that operates our parking lots is LAZ Parking, but that company has nothing to do with your getting a refund for a SmarTrip parking overcharge. If you believe you were double charged, please call 1-888-SMARTRIP. That number will connect you to ERG Transit Systems, who is a contractor that operates the SmarTrip Regional Customer Service Center. An operator can look up your SmarTrip history and determine if you've been overcharged and if so, help you get a refund and check the status of your refund. If you feel you haven't been properly helped by the operator, please let us know and file a complaint by calling us at 202-637-1328.
DonnaLee I am completely new at chat forums, but I have a parking-related question. The signs at Metro stations that have parking lots urge people to be sure to have enough money on their SmartTrip cards to pay for the parking. But the signs do NOT say how much money that is! I am retired and an occasional Metro user. I park at East Falls Church. When I came back from my first excursion after the SmartTrip rule took effect, I realized I did not know how much money I needed to exit the lot. I had to ask someone. The parking rates don't change so often - why can't you make nice signs INSIDE the station near the exit turnstiles saying Be sure you have enough money - you need ___ to exit the lot at this station. EFC has a very grungy sign on this topic but, again, without the figure. Don't rely on people remembering the figure they (may have) read on the sign when they entered the parking lot.

I also think this SmartTrip thing and the cost of buying the card is bound to confuse tourists - I am always a defender of tourists.

Donna in Reston
Richard White Your suggestion is a good one. We know we need to clarify and re-organize our signage on this and other topics. In-station reminders would be very helpful in preventing back-ups and turnarounds at the exits. We will look into this immediately.
Train Arrival Display
Author Message
Jmfjar Who was the genius that changed the way train arrival times are displayed? Now, when a train is two minutes away, the display says "1," and when it's one minute away, the display says "ARR." Are we somehow supposed to think the train is running quicker because you add the extra minute? Wouldn't it make more sense to have the display actually reflect when the train arrives at the station?

Along the same lines, the display reads "BRD" about 20 seconds before the train actually stops and the doors open. Once again, are we supposed to feel like we're going to arrive at our destination sooner because we're "boarding" before the train actually stops? What would happen if someone tried to follow the signs and board when the sign indicated "BRD"?

Admittedly, these are the least of METRO's problems, but a (midly) accurate display of the arrival times would be appreciated.

Richard White Hi. Train arrival times are predictive based upon optimal operating conditions, so all times are approximate. Since we don't display seconds, a sign reading 1 minute represents a train about 45-90 seconds away; 2 minutes is roughly 90-150 seconds. ARR is used to designate the train that is currently arriving in the station, and shows up briefly between the boarding and 1 minute signs. BRD is designed to come on about 20 seconds before the train arrival, to indicate this is the train that is preparing for boarding.

You may find it interesting that FOX 5 News sent researchers into our rail system with stop watches to determine the actual arrival times of our trains compared to the display monitors. They found that the display monitors were extremely accurate—so much so that they decided it wasn’t worth one of their investigative stories and they dropped it.
Traffic Movement Management
Author Message
TBlume I have been a METRO passenger for awhile since I started working in the district again. The system is in much better shape than it was when I lived here in the early 80's. I see a way to help the morale of riders and allow metro to keep it's' 'in-station' time to a manageable level. I have a suggestion: Traffic Movement Management. It is so frustrating waiting for a car to empty while watching people jump into the middle of the passengers trying to exit the train just to get on before the chimes start, having the chimes start as the last person exits the train and having to rush (very unsafe) onto the train getting caught in the doors, or having to miss a train because of time problems with trying to enter the train. So, lets consider this - have passengers exit using the middle doors and enter using the end doors. Mark the middle doors exit and the end doors enter. While people are leaving - people are entering with no pushing, shoving, cussing, etc... As people leave - people standing up could take seats if they so desire. Believe me, people would be much happier knowing that there is a method to the madness instead of standing by watching as the herd of people exit the train while grumbling, complaining, and waiting for the chance to make a mad dash to get on the train before getting crushed by the closing doors. Try it - I'm sure you will like the results. This will also help those customers who don’t move as fast as they once could. Wheelchair and other special needs (Bikes, large luggage, etc) could position themselves by the 'enter' doors if they choose not to cycle through with the rest of the passengers for easy exit because they will not compete with the herd.

T Blume

I have been a METRO passenger for awhile s

Richard White Hi TBlume. Thanks for your suggestions on how to improve passenger flow into and out of our railcars. You made some great points. You may not be aware that we indeed are aware of the passenger flow “challenges” as people attempt to board and alight simultaneously. We are actively working on that and we are currently looking at altering the interior configuration of the railcars to improve that flow. We will have some reconfigured railcars in the system this spring to test how the different interior layouts alter passenger flow. To find out the details, you can see the presentation that we gave to the Metro Board in November. It’s on our web site at http://content.wmata.com/board_gm/board_docs/110305_IIARailcarCapacityAnalysis.pdf.

smoking in covered/enclosed Metrobus stations
Author Message
Metrobus_rider Hello Mr. White,

I recently read that, as part of Metro's plans to improve Metrobus service over the next 5 years, passengers will begin to see "[Metrobus] stops that are clean and safe."

Do you agree that a no smoking policy in enclosed/covered Metrobus stations is part of the definition of a clean and safe bus stop?

In the past you have said that Metro does not prohibit smoking at Metrobus stations because the
localities in which the stations are located do not prohibit it. I see no valid reason why
Metro can't establish its own no smoking policy in enclosed/covered Metrobus stations, even if the local jurisdictions have no such law. Isn't it perfectly within Metro's rights to establish a no-smoking policy in its enclosed/covered Metrobus station platforms?

As I've expressed in earlier correspondence with you, I feel that Metrobus riders are treated unfairly and unequally because we have to endure second-hand smoke exposure at stations, whereas Metrorail riders do not.
Richard White Hello Metrobus rider. Our Metrobus stops and transfer stations are all outdoors. Granted, some have protective roofs, but they are indeed outdoors. We do not have any plans to prohibit smoking at our Metrobus stops or stations.
Continually bad Metrobus services
Author Message
tlucas I catch the T18 bus during the week and sporadically during the weekend. Even though Metro would like to pat themselves on the back for good service, the service on this bus is horrid during the weekend. Last Saturday, I and my 2 year old were waiting for the bus scheduled to arrive at my stop at 10:34 am. We got to the bus stop at 10:25 am, about 10 minutes before the bus was due to arrive. That bus never showed. The bus that was due at 11:04 am didn't show. Basically, we were freezing outside and then at about 11:15 am a bus came. I asked the driver what time she was due at the station and if she was the 10:34 bus. She looked at me and said, "I don't know." This is not sufficient. Every Saturday these buses come when they want and no one does anything about it. We are even lucky if they show at all. The bus number was 2035. What are you going to do to correct this? A very irritated metro bus rider
Richard White I’m sorry for your delay. Traffic is a top reason why buses run off schedule and that was the case last Saturday with T18 buses when you were waiting. There was a funeral procession coupled with train delays that caused the buses to be late. We’re planning to add more resources to Metrobus over the next couple of years to help keep buses on schedule, including more employees to trouble-shoot delays; improve how frequently supervisors check bus routes for on-time performance, crowding and viability of the route. We’re also getting hundreds of new buses which will also help with ontime performance
Increased visibility of station train information
Author Message
asmythie How about posting the information on the next 3 trains at ground level? (The same information that is displayed on the monitors on the platform.)

In many cases, especially during night and weekend hours with infrequent service, I would take Metro if I knew that there was a train in 3 minutes instead of 15. Often I end up taking a cab home.

It would be great if this information were also available on mobile devices. e.g. from my cell phone, check the next 3 trains for a given station.
Richard White We agree with your suggestion about real time information on train and bus arrival times. We are currently looking at several ways to do this, including making changes to our on-line trip planner to reflect real time (as opposed to scheduled) information. We're also looking at the possibility of "piloting" some signs with real time information on train arrivals and escalator outages. All of these require funding, and we'll be making some decisions on which improvements to pursue in the next few months.
More flexibility in scheduling
Author Message
nashpaul I remain concerned that Metro seems only able to run trains on a rush hour schedule (trains every 6 minutes in the suburbs) or off-peak schedule (trains every 12 minutes in the suburbs), yet ridership does not work this way.

Surely there are more riders in the "shoulder" periods before and after peak times than an other times. And surely there are fewer riders at 7 am then there are at 8 am. Why not run trains every 8 minutes during these times?

Similarly, for holidays like Columbus and Veterans Day, I do not understand why the only choices seem to be normal weekday service or Saturday service. Why not something in between?

There are also times when additional service is needed on ALL lines after a big event like a sporting event or concert. Yet service is generally only increased on the line where the event occurs.

Flexibility is needed on the rails, but like occurs on the roads. But Metro seems to want to stick to its schedule regardless of need. Assurances that "service meets demand" are simply not borne out on the rails. There is no excuse for a train to be packed to the gills at 10 pm or 10 am, yet they often are, and predictably so.
Richard White Hi nashpaul, Metro does alter service throughout the day. During the shoulder of the peak the service is gradually changed from every 6 minutes to every 12 minutes. We continue to monitor these times and our ridership and try to provide a enough room on trains by operating six-car trains instead of 4-car trains. In our fiscal 2007 budget, which is being considered by our Board, we've proposed adding service on certain holidays where ridership is up, like Columbus Day and Veterans Day.
"Use all doors" request
Author Message
More METRO in DC Often when I am attempting to board a train, the driver announces that riders should not crowd one car and to use all doors. Personally, I know that this happends regularly. However, after making the request to use all doors, the driver shuts the doors seconds after making the announcement, leaving absolutely no time to get to any other door at all.

The drivers should not make the announcement if they are not going to be at the platform for more than a few seconds longer. It's deception. :-) It just does not make sense.


Richard White Thanks for your suggestion. We are currently evaluating the "dwell times" (the length of time the train stays at the platform with the doors open) of all of our stations in order to adjust the opening and closing cycles of the doors. We are also instructing our train operators to make the announcements clearly and concisely, and consistent with the passenger traffic they see on the platform, so you will have enough time to enter and exit the train.
Metro Large Pocket Guide
Author Message
P. Mc In the regular size Metro Pocket Guide, Mt Vernon Sq is shown as being the destination for the DC Convention Center. When I looked at the Large Print Guide, Metro Center is shown as the stop for the Convention Center. Why doesn't the Large Print Guide show Mt Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center as the station to get to the Convention Center?
Richard White You make a good point! Our Pocket Guides are re-printed as supplies run out. The latest large print Pocket Guide, showing Mt. Vernon Square as the destination station for the Convention Center, is at the printer now. So you'll see the new, correct version very soon.
Service problems
Author Message
tlucas I catch the T18 bus from Rhode Island Ave to New Carrollton and on the weekends, the buses are consistently late. Many times they don't show up at all. What can Metro do to solve this problem? Last Saturday I asked the busdriver if she was driving the bus that was due at 10:34 am. She replied that she didn't know. This is pretty vexing.A very irritated metro bus rider
Richard White Buses on the T18 operate on a 30 minute schedule on Saturdays, but unforeseen traffic problems can cause buses to be late. We working on improving the on-time performance of buses. For a complete and detailed list of the major improvements planned for Metrobus please visit:
http://www.wmata.com/about/MET_NEWS/pressroom/current_events.cfm#bus_improvements
MetroAccess
Author Message
Mary Mitchell Thank you Mr. White for the opportunity to discuss the concerns of many people who use MetroAccess for daily transportation. The history of the problems with WMATA's ADA mandated paratransit services is well documented in the media, in the current litigation in U.S. District Court, and most importantly in the experiences of MetroAccess users. For these people, their families and friends, and the many people who are also affected by paratransit service failures (employers, disability service providers/programs, and many other community businesses such as doctors offices), the prospect of improved services with the arrival of a new WMATA contractor has been anticipated as good news. However, the past week has raised doubts about how much improvement may actually occur. Nearly everyone I work with has experienced significant service failures including extremely late pick-ups, trips canceled erroneously, rides much lengthier than normal, and inability to reach anyone at MetroAccess to resolve these problems. Without formal notification, the procedure for handling subscription trips is rumored to be changing.

Perhaps the mechanics of transition from Logisticare to MV Transportation are difficult. However, this week's problems leave many people fearing what will happen next. I have worked for many years with people who have severe physical disabilities. Never have they defined their lives as being disabled by their particular physical condition. It is the responses of the broader community that can create disabling conditions. Problems with unreliable public transportation is one of the most significant of these. Lack of information that allows people to make choices and resolve problems that transportation failures create is not only disabling but at times also discriminatory. Can you tell us what has happened this week, and what MetroAccess riders can expect as the transition to MV takes place?
Richard White Thanks very much for writing me. The new contractor, MV, is gradually taking over operating the service, with a full cut-over set for January 15. MV has hired a number of new operators because MetroAccess will not rely as heavily on taxis as it has in the past. These new operators will take a little while to become accustomed to the routine, and all operators are learning how to use the new vehicle location and navigation systems. You are absolutely correct: reliable transportation is key to the disabled community's ability to access employment, recreation, and education. Our new contract gives us the ability to more closely monitor on-time performance and take corrective action as necessary. I realize that paratransit patrons have already been very patient with us, but we truly believe that our new contractor and new technology will result in significant service improvements in the weeks and months ahead.
Service throughput and reliability
Author Message
nashpaul In a presentation to the Metro Customer Service, Operations and Safety committee last month (http://content.wmata.com/board_gm/board_docs/121505_3FewerLonger.pdf), Jim Hughes offered statistics on service throughput and reliability.

Page 5 of the presentation contains a table of the train trips scheduled per
peak hour and the actual number of trains. On average, the Orange Line only
runs 90% of its scheduled trains. That means that on an average day, 10% of
trains do not operate as scheduled. This is obviously a huge concern for a
line and a system operating over capacity.

Although I am glad to see Metro trying to address this situation with fewer
but longer trains, I am floored that warning bells haven't been going off for some time about this. Metro says that they have service to meet demand, but these data show that Metro doesn't even operate the service it claims to operate.

I'm sure bus reliability would show a similar pattern. Yet there seems no particular concern.
Richard White Service reliability is our top priority, and that is the concept behind our pilot to operate 8-car trains on the Orange Line. It's also important to remember we've had tremendous growth in ridership over the last several years. The Orange Line today is scheduled to operate 19 trains in the peak hour. A 2 to 3 minute delay will cause trains to bottleneck and a minor delay on the line. The goal of running the 8-car pilot on the Orange Line is to provide a reliable schedule that will ease delays.
Will the 16H still be extended to the west side of Bailey's ...
Author Message
W McGee From what I surmised from board meeting documents, this is what Fairfax County requested -- to extend the route to Blair Rd, contengent on work completed by VDOT -- and the extention just to the Arlington-Fairfax County line at Jefferson St is just a temporary step.

Anyway, is it necessary to wait for VDOT? At the end of Madison Lane (the road opposite to Blair Road at that Columbia Pike intersection) there is a large cul de sac which may be large enough to permit bus turnarounds.
Richard White This particular extension is a coordinated effort between Arlington, Fairfax, VDOT, and us. The process is best served when all parties are consulted and in agreement. The partners are currently working towards using a turnaround, as you suggest.
MetroRail Future Service and Initial Planning
Author Message
Neno8403 This is sort of two questions in one, Mr. White.

The first question is (if you are able to answer) why wasn't there more planning invested in predicting future MetroRail growth when MetroRail was first conceived? Now 30 years later MetroRail is bursting out of its seems and MINIMAL relief is about a year or more away. Didn't someone think at some point that it would have been wise to build double-tracks in both direction on all rail lines...something like a scaled down version of the New York City rail system? And the platforms only allow for eight car trains and nothing long so that doesnt help.

The second question is why does it seem to take soooo long for Metro to receive railcars and put them into service? Everytime I hear about Metro receiving new railcars its sometime in late 2007 or later. And whats even more frustrating is that even after the new cars are received, you guys would only be able to make 20% of rush hour trains eight-cars. That doesn't seem like anything. I could understand if you guys said 60% or more but is 20% really going to do anything? Especially when you guys are talking about running fewer trains as well. It seem like that will cancel out the benefits of having longer trains because more people will have to wait longer times for a train to arrive which will allow more people to accumulate in numbers on the platform. When do you expect that Metro will be able to operate at least 50% of rush hours trains with eight-cars?

And on a sidenote I love the Alstom railcars A LOT better than the other NEW railcars you have. I like the zenon lights and the displays on the inside of the cars look a lot better. And those FOX 5 morning news cars are absolutely stunning. The best one's so far.
Richard White When it came to the design of the system, there were financial constraints, just like today. The system was designed to operate 8-car trains and the platforms can accomodate them. As ridership grew, we have increased the length of the trains from 4, to 6 and now soon 8. By the end of the calendar year we'll have 8-car trains on 20 percent of the system and over 30 percent by 2008. It's not an overnight process though, there must be power upgrades and it takes time to build and test railcars and expand facilities to store the them. Having 8-car trains on more than 30 percent of the system, should allow for a 3-5 percent growth in ridership a year.
Thanks everyone!
Author Message
Richard White Well folks, that's it for today. Don't forget about our contest to be the new voice on Metrorail trains. The deadline for submitting entries is January 20, and you can find information about the contest on our Web site. As I mentioned when we started today's chat, we have a lot of exciting customer service improvements ready to roll out in 2006, and we'll be discussing them in future chats. Our next on-line chat is scheduled for Friday, February 3rd. Good luck to the Redskins this weekend in Tampa Bay, and as a New England Patriots fan, I'll be pulling for them to win this weekend, too!
MetroAccess
Author Message
Mary Mitchell Thank you Mr. White for the opportunity to discuss the concerns of many people who use MetroAccess for daily transportation. The history of the problems with WMATA's ADA mandated paratransit services is well documented in the media, in the current litigation in U.S. District Court, and most importantly in the experiences of MetroAccess users. For these people, their families and friends, and the many people who are also affected by paratransit service failures (employers, disability service providers/programs, and many other community businesses such as doctors offices), the prospect of improved services with the arrival of a new WMATA contractor has been anticipated as good news. However, the past week has raised doubts about how much improvement may actually occur. Nearly everyone I work with has experienced significant service failures including extremely late pick-ups, trips cancelled erroneously, rides much lengthier than normal, and inability to reach anyone at MetroAccess to resolve these problems. Without formal notification, the procedure for handling subscription trips is rumored to be changing.

Perhaps the mechanics of transition from Logisticare to MV Transportation are difficult. However, this week's problems leave many people fearing what will happen next. I have worked for many years with people who have severe physical disabilities. Never have they defined their lives as being disabled by their particular physical condition. It is the responses of the broader community that can create disabling conditions. Problems with unreliable public transportation is one of the most significant of these. Lack of information that allows people to make choices and resolve problems that transportation failures create is not only disabling but at times also discriminatory. Can you tell us what has happened this week, and what MetroAccess riders can expect as the transition to MV takes place?
Richard White Mary:

You sent in your question a few days after the last chat, so it’s been in the queue for a few weeks. Yes, the transition from one MetroAccess contractor to the other has been a difficult one for us, but as you’ve pointed out, unfortunately it has been even more difficult for the MetroAccess riders who have had to endure the bumpy road of transition. For that we are all truly sorry and we thank you for bringing your experiences to our attention so as to make improvements, adjustments, and changes to improve the service. As it has been some time since your original posting, I hope that you have seen improvement in the service. We have posted information on our web site that details the improvements that we have implemented and includes a record of daily on-time performance. We know that the service is moving in the right direction—that of improvement. If you care to track the daily service levels, visit our site at http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/story.cfm?ID=558.

Message Key
Open topic with no new replies since your last visit
Open topic with new replies since your last visit
Hot topic with no new replies since your last visit
Hot topic with new replies since your last visit
Announcement (No replies allowed)
Moved topic
Pinned topic