Metro's Upcoming Military Open House Offers Employment for Veterans

As the economy struggles onward, many Americans are still unemployed. By the end of the year, more people will attempt to join the workforce. Along with the high school and college graduates, there will also be an influx of returning veterans. The impending departure of all American military forces from Iraq by the end of this year will leave those who choose not to remain with the military jobless.

The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority, better known as Metro, will be hosting the second annual Military Open House. The event is scheduled for this upcoming Monday, November 14 in an effort aimed at helping retired, former and transitioning military service members find employment and gradually re-adjust to civilian life.


On October 21, President Obama announced that after nearly nine years of war in Iraq, all but 160 of the approximately 40,000 soldiers will return home by the end of next month. The few who remain will provide security for the American embassy in Baghdad.

According to the United States Department of Labor the unemployment rate dropped last month to a six-month low of nine percent. Since April, the DOL announced that an average of 90,000 jobs have been added per month. Even so, many Americans are having trouble finding steady employment.

Metro has announced it is looking for hundreds of new employees to fill current and upcoming vacancies within the agency in a massive hiring effort known as “Metro Forward." The positions include:

• Civil engineers
• Mechanical engineers
• Electrical engineers
• Architects
• Construction inspectors
• Construction project managers

Metro is also looking to fill open operations positions including:

• Police officers
• Bus operators
• Information technology workers
• Signal/Communications employees
• Electrical technicians
• Fare technology workers
• Bus mechanics
• Rail car maintenance employees

The open house will be located in the lower lobby of Metro’s headquarters on 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington D.C. All veterans interested in attending should register by Thursday, November 10 at wmata.com/military. Special assistance will be provided for disabled veterans.

Metro Considers Cutting 3am Service

Photo by DC Metro People on Flickr.

GW students already love to complain about the Metro's inconvenient closing times - 12am Sunday through Thursday, and 3am on Friday and Saturday.  Concertgoers, bar-hoppers and clubbers frequently find themselves sprinting to the station in hope of catching the last train, only to be rewarded with locked gates and an expensive taxi home.  If plans considered at last night's WMATA board meeting move forward, students may find themselves in the back of a cab on a much more regular basis.

Facing a yawning $72.5 million budget deficit, the beleaguered transit agency has been left to drastic measures to keep itself solvent.  Closing the Metro at 12am all week, as opposed to 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, would save Metro $5 million a year.  

Board members also emphasized the additional time for maintenance work that such a schedule would afford.  Bringing weekend closing back to midnight would had 40-45 days of track repair to the calendar, lessening the the need for mid-day single tracking and other service disruptions.  Deputy General Manager for Operations Dave Kubicek was quoted in the Examiner as saying that the change would be like "adding an eighth day to a seven-day workweek.

Residents and students alike expressed concern with the proposed change. ESIA Junior Aria Varaseth emhpasized the reliance cost-conscious students placed on late operating hours: "Whether we're going to parties, clubs or galas, it's important to have that extra option...GW's 4-Ride service can only do so much.  To take that option away is a slap in the face to students from GW, American, Howard and Catholic..."

DC Tied For Worst Traffic In The Country

For years, Los Angeles has been regarded as America's most-congested city.  That unwelcome honor, however, has been passed along this year.

According to a survey by the Texas Transportation Institute, Washington DC and Chicago are tied for the most congestion, with 70 hours a year per person spent in traffic.  That comes out to about 3 days, while Los Angeles stands in third place with 63 hours wasted.

Nationally, traffic congestion costs the country billions of dollars each year.  2009's bill, 115 billion is a marked increase 1982's 24 billion.  Average congestion time nationwide has also shown a long-term upward trend; commuters spent a mere 14 hours in traffic in 1984, less than half of the 32 hours of today.

DC's diminutive size sets it apart from the sprawling metropolises of Chicago and Los Angeles, a problem exacerbated by the daytime doubling of the city's population by commuters.  Space for that many cars simply does not exist. Current strategies to prevent congestion, such as staggering work hours and fixing trafic light timing are band-aids to the bigger problem: DC continues to grow in population, but not in space.

Perhaps predictably, the Washington Post and AAA both report that road rage in the area has risen in area among commuting drivers.

Finally in campus transportation news, WMATA anticipates serious repairs to the entrance of the Foggy Bottom Metro station.  A Wednesday press release indicated that the transit agency will replace all existing escalators, the awning over the entrance, and install a stairwell.  Work could take over a year.

Body Found on Farragut North Tracks

The Farragut North Metro station has been temporarily closed due to the discovery of a body on the tracks. Metro released a statement early Saturday afternoon explaining that train service would be delayed as trains were being diverted in either direction. WRGW News will be bringing you updates as the story develops.

Metro Buses Late Over 50% of the Time

One of the biggest complaints levied against WMATA is that it fails to adequately communicate delays and other issues to customers, lessening the reliability and usability of its buses and trains.  In response, the transit agency implemented a realtime look into its its bus schedlues Thursday, adding to its existing live tracking of trains.

This realitme information, however, has found a disturbing yet well-known trend:  70% of all busses are late, and nearly a third of those tardy arrivals are late by over 6 minutes.

These delays serve to amplify each other: if one bus is late to one stop, for example, it will arrive at the next stop later, and the next one later still, and so on. On some routes this may lead to wait times approaching thirty minutes, and also contributes to the common (and infuriating) phenomenon of bus-stacking, in which multiple buses on the same route arrive at the same stop simoltaneously, often after a prolonged delay.

Metro is stepping up its communication efforts with the creation of new mobile phone and iPod applications that allow the user to check bus and train arrival times, delays, and escalator outages. WMATA is also holding a competition for software developers, challenging them to develop the most useful application for providing information to handicapped customers.

Stay tuned to WRGW the coming year for all of your Metro news.

Public Transit Advocate Calls for Second Foggy Bottom Metro Entrance

Source: WMATA

Highly influential DC Transit advocate David Alpert, Editor-in-chief of the popular transit blog Greater Greater Washington, has called for a second entrance to the Foggy Bottom Metro station to be built at the corner of 22nd and I Streets.

The construction of GW's new Science and Engineering Complex on the adjacent block provides GWU with an opportunity to begin construction on the potential mezzanine of the new entrance, says Alpert, as plans for the new building already require digging down several stories. In addition, GWU has already agreed to reserve the location of the current women studies building for a second entrance when Square 77 (the block on which Rome, Phillips, and Smith Halls now stand) is eventually redeveloped.

Alpert notes that overcrowding at the Foggy Bottom station is an important issue when considering GWU's continued growth.  The station is the busiest in the system with only a single mezzanine, and plans already exist to add an additional entrance to Rosslyn, the second-busiest in the category.

With a stretched budget and a host of other capital projects on its plate, WMATA is unlikely to find public funding for the additional entrance, a problem that Alpert suggests could be solved by seeking money from the developer, GWU.  Whether or not the university would be open this additional expense, however, has yet to be seen.

More information on WMATA's 2007 study on a second entrance can be found here.

Metrorail Maintenance, Delays Continue this Weekend

WMATA has announced that customers should again expect extensive delays this weekend due to track maintenance. The work on a switch replacement at the Rosslyn station will continue, causing delays of up to 40 minutes on the Blue and Orange lines for customers traveling in the direction of Franconia-Springfield and Vienna, notably disrupting service to Pentagon City from Foggy Bottom.

Trains will be single-tracking in two locations on the Red line, with trains delayed up to 30 minutes between Medical Center and Friendship heights, along with Rhode Island and New York Avenue Stations.

WMATA Warns of Major Disruptions to Metrorail

In an unusually blunt press release, WMATA cautioned Metrorail customers to expect "lengthy" delays of up to 40 minutes on four out of five lines this weekend as the agency conducts widespread track maintenance. Here is a summary of the disruptions:

• Trains between Foggy Bottom and Arlington stations on the Blue line along with Foggy Bottom and Courthouse Stations on the Orange Line will be sharing a single track as switching equipment is replaced. Expect delays of 40 minutes.
• Trains between Medical Center and Friendship Heights stations on the Red line will be delayed as track is replaced, with delays of 30 minutes anticipated.
• Trains between College Park-UMD and Greenbelt stations on the Green line will also be delayed as new welding is applied to the tracks, 20 minute delays expected.

WMATA advises those intending to attend this weekend's sporting events, especially this weekend's 3-game series between the Nationals and the Brewers, and Saturday's Washington Capitols playoff game, should build considerable time into their schedules in light of these delays.

A Big Week For Don't Ask, Don't Tell

In just seven days, two major events caused Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the policy that prohibits homosexuals from serving openly in the military, to reappear under the national spotlight.

Last Thursday, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT rights organization, hosted a rally at Freedom Plaza to protest Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Headlining the event, which was attended by hundreds of gay rights supporters, was comedienne Kathy Griffin, an outspoken supporter of gay community.

Griffin, who stars in the Emmy-winning reality series, "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," read a letter from a closeted homosexual currently serving in Afghanistan, whose name she could not reveal for fear of damaging his career.

“‘The policy continues to make us feel like illegitimate citizens despite our willingness to protect the very government – possibly with our lives – who legitimize this law. We feel it codifies bigotry,’” she read. “As long as this law remains on the books, there is not only the fear of being caught and losing everything, but the shame of living counter to what I know are the military’s core values of living an ethical and honest life.”

Lt. Dan Choi, who came out on "The Rachel Maddow Show" on MSNBC last year and is now facing discharge under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, made an unscheduled appearance at the rally, telling the crowd "I am still standing, I am still fighting, I am still speaking out, I am still serving my country, and I am still gay.”

Choi then led a group of protesters to the White House, where he and Capt. Jim Pietrangelo chained themselves to the fence, resulting in their arrest. They were held in custody overnight and released the next day, pleading "not guilty" to a charge of failuire to obey an officer.

Then this Thursday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates rolled out a series of rules meant to ease enforcement of Don't Ask, Don't Tell while the Pentagon completes its study of how to repeal the law in full. Some of these new rules include:

• The firing of a gay serviceperson must now be done by an officer at a rank at least equivalent to that of a one-star general.
• Information supplied by third parties must now be given under oath, and a third party's testimony should be scrapped if that person is seeking revenge.
• Information given in confidence to lawyers, clergy, psychotherapists, or medical professionals can no longer be used in dismissal cases.

Joe Solmonese, president of The Human Rights Campaign, praised the new rules as "a positive step towards repeal this year," but Choi said on "The Rachel Maddow Show" that "it misses the point entirely." President Barack Obama himself has yet to make a statement on the issue.

WMATA Responds to Wave of Theft on Metro

WMATA announced in a press release Thursday a three-pronged strategy to combat a sharp increase in theft on the Metro system, specifically targeting the theft of consumer electronics.

The press release quoted acting Metro Transit Police Chief Jeri Lee as noting that an increase in usage of consumer electronic devices on the transport system has led to a similar increase in their theft, describing the thefts as "crimes of opportunity".

A common strategy is for thieves to wait for riders standing near train doors with phones, music players, or other devices in hand, and then to grab the device from the victim's hand and flee as the train doors close.

Reported robberies on Metro increased 54% from 2008 to 2009, and current trends through January would indicate another significant increase this year. There were 122 robberies in January 2010 alone, compared to 894 for all of 2009.

In response, Metro has increased the presence of transit police in busy stations, and doubled the size of its plainclothes Robbery Suppression Team. The agency has also begun a PR push, posting a safety video to its YouTube account Thursday and planning to place a robbery-themed ad on the walls of trains and stations.

WMATA advises that customers carry electronic devices in a pocket or any place where it is not easily seen or reached, that music listeners should keep their volumes at levels that allow them to still be aware of their surroundings, and that those using handheld electronic devices not sit or stand near train doors.

Orange Line Delays Expected this Weekend

Track maintenance this weekend will cause extensive delays on the Orange Line, WMATA has announced.

Metro is welding new pieces of track between the Vienna/Fairfax and West Falls Church Orange Line stations, and trains will be forced to share one track for the duration of the weekend. Customers utilizing the Orange Line in general, and the sections between the affected stations specifically, are advised to add at least 30 minutes to their anticipated travel times.

In an effort to make Orange line travel as efficent as possible, every other Orange Line train traveling in the direction of Vienna/Fairfax will treat West Falls Church as the end of the line, as opposed to Vienna, and will then return to New Carrollton station to facilitate the movement of passengers. Those customers riding Orange Line trains should pay close attention to each train's destination, shown on the green electric signs on the front and side of each car, to ensure their train is heading the full distance required.

Organization Hosts Annual Hike on the Hill

During the week of Feb. 20th to the 25th, the American Hiking Society is hosting Trails Advocacy Week.

On Monday Feb. 22nd, the American Hiking Society will host “Hike the Hill” for Trails Advocacy Week. Participants who register for the event will walk from the Lincoln Memorial to the steps of the Capitol in hopes of urging Congress to implement policies to protect hiking trails from coast to coast. Participants will also have the opportunity to meet with trails advocates from across the nation and receive training in advocacy skills and strategies.

According to their website, the American Hiking Society hopes to raise awareness of the importance of trails and hiking for health and raise awareness for public landscapes.

There will be introductions at the Lincoln Memorial from American Hiking Society President Gregory Miller, Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, and Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.

The hike is expected to begin at 9:40 a.m. and end at 11:30 a.m. at the Capitol building with addresses by Congressional Trails Caucus Leadership Members who include Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Ore. and Rep. Mary Bono Mack of Calif., amongst others.

More information can be found at the American Hiking Society website, americanhiking.org.

Winter Storm Warning in Effect, Again

The National Weather Service has once again placed DC, Baltimore, and the surrounding counties under a Winter Storm Warning, complicating the frenetic cleanup efforts already in place.

From noon Tuesday to 7pm Wednesday the NWS expects ten to twenty inches of snow to fall in blizzard-like conditions across the Mid-Atlantic region. Additional analysis of meteorological data by the Washington Post's weather team indicates that while precipitation may be less than the storms that struck the District this weekend, a convergence of low pressure zones on Tuesday may lead to an higher-intensity blizzard, with greater odds of high winds and power outages.

There has been no word from GW Administrators as to the status of classes tomorrow, nor has WMATA announced an expansion of Metrorail service from its current underground-only mode of operation. UPDATE: All classes are cancelled for Tuesday, February 9th. WMATA expects limited service on Tuesday, check more recent posts for up-to-the-minute information.

WMATA to Continue Underground-Only Service Monday

WMATA is once again warning customers to expect severe service cutbacks on the Metrorail and Metrobus systems Monday as the agency continues cleanup efforts.

In a press release late Sunday evening Metro cautioned that Metrorail will only be operating between the following stations, and even those open to customers will be served at 24- to 30-minute intervals:

Red Line – Medical Center to Union Station and Glenmont to Forest Glen
Orange and Blue Lines – Ballston to Stadium-Armory
Green Line – Fort Totten to Congress Heights
Yellow Line – Pentagon to Crystal City

Metrorail faces two main issues: the buildup of ice and snowdrifts on the electrified third rail on sections of above ground track, and the arduous task of clearing the system's rail yards, where the trains themselves are stored. Limited numbers of cars were stored in underground tunnels to prevent ice and snow buildup, but the remainder remain largely buried in their storage areas.

Metro plans to reintroduce service to above ground tracks in phases, as various sections are cleared and deemed safe for travel.

As always, the status of the Metro system is available at www.metroopensdoors.com, and you can stay here with WRGW News for the latest updates affecting the GW community.

METRO Ceases Above-Ground Service

ADVISORY: METRO has suspended all above-ground rail and bus service for the duration of Saturday, February 6, according the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

>Metrorail WILL operate in the UNDERGROUND portions of the system until closure at 11 p.m.
>Metrobus WILL NOT operate for the entirety of Saturday 2/6.

>MetroAccess has completed all customer trips for the day and WILL NOT operate for the remainder of Saturday 2/6.

Stay with WRGW News for the very latest.

WMATA Warns of Severe Disruptions to Rail, Bus Service

WMATA is preparing for major disruptions to both Metrorail and Metrobus services throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, a press release announced today.

In reaction to a storm anticipated to be the biggest to hit the District since 1996, the transit agency has prepared twenty trains to perform track de-icing duties, prepositioned 2,200 tons of rock salt, and made available 4,500 tons of calcium chloride (a de-icing agent) to maintain service in storm-affected areas.

Despite preparations, WMATA will be forced to close aboveground Metrorail service when snow accumulation reaches eight inches, the level at which the electrified third rail begins to be covered. Current National Weather Service forecasts indicate this level of snowfall could be on the ground as early as 8pm Friday.

The limited service schedule likely to be seen on Metrorail late Friday, Saturday, and possibly Sunday is as follows:

Yellow Line – Pentagon to Crystal City only
Red Line – Medical Center to Union Station only
Orange Line – Ballston to Stadium-Armory only
Green Line – Fort Totten to Congress Heights only
Blue Line – Ballston (extended to Blue Line) and Stadium-Armory only

Metrobus service will be continuously adjusted in response to conditions on the ground, reducing service in more severely affected areas. WMATA does anticipate the complete closure of Metrobus service at some point during the storm.

WMATA encourages customers to stay up to date with Metro service changes, which may be found by visiting WMATA's website, www.metroopensdoors.com, calling 202-637-7000, or checking local media outlets (including wrgwnews.com).

National Zoo Loses DC's Favorite Panda

Fans of Tai Shan enjoyed their last moments with the National Zoo’s celebrity panda today. He is set to fly back to China Thursday, along with Zoo Atlanta’s Mei Lan, to participate in a mating program.

Washingtonians were able to enjoy Tai Shan for four and a half years, over twice as long as the original two-year agreement made with China. The Chinese government loaned his parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo for $10 million.

Under the agreement, Tai Shan is technically property of China once old enough to father cubs. Now in his adolescence, Tai Shan has reached that age.

FedEx will fly Tai Shan to China to live in the Bifengxia Panda Base in the Sichuan province where he will participate in a mating study.

Chinese scientists are trying to increase the numbers of giant pandas living in the wild. With a population of 1,600, they are classified as an endangered species.

Many DC residents will miss Tai Shan, but his parents will still be on display through 2010, with a possible extension.

-Joseph Rabinowitz

Metro Transit Police Flood Union Station in Show of Force

Nearly 50 Metro Transit Police officers descended on Union Station Metrorail Tuesday in an attempt to deter potential terrorist activity.

The show of force during Tuesday morning's rush hour is part of a new security initiative for WMATA, named Blue TIDE, with the aim of demonstrating to the public the transit agency's vigilance in providing security and preventing terrorism on DC's public transport systems.

Officers from units as diverse as the bomb squad and auto theft division participated in the operation, in which they conducted security sweeps of the station while reminding Metrorail and Metrobus customers to be observant and report suspicious behavior to WMATA employees and security agents.

MTPD Deputy Chief David Webb emphasized efforts the agency was taking to prevent terrorism, including random searches of buses, trains, and stations, increased surveillance, and more operations such as the one seen in Union Station.

The MTPD recently formed a twenty-man antiterrorism squad thanks to a $9.56 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security.

WMATA to increase fares on MetroRail, MetroBus

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's board of directors approved a 10-cent fare increase Thursday to cover the agency's fiscal deficit.

Peter Benjamin, chairman of WMATA's Board, stated Thursday that "We heard from our customers that they would rather increase fares than reduce service," adding, " Not a single member of this Board wants to increase fares or decrease service, but we need to take this temporary action to balance the budget this year.”

The new fares will go into effect on March 1st, and will stay at their heightened levels through June 30th. The increase applies to all common fare types, including Regular, Reduced, and Senior/Disabled tickets. Those customers utilizing other ticket types, such as Week Passes and SmartStudent Passes, also face increases of varying amounts.

Facing a $40 million budget shortfall, the public transit authority has taken a number of steps to put itself back in the black. The fare increase will provide a $9.6 million revenue boost to the troubled agency. The WMATA's board hopes that the increase, combined with austerity measures across the organization and a possible $10 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will return the system to a more solid fiscal footing.

CDs and CRs React to President Obama's First State of the Union Address

Almost a year after taking the oath of office, President Obama made his first annual State of the Union Address in front of Congress Wednesday night. Amid 10% unemployment, a struggling healthcare bill, two unpopular wars, and a spiraling deficit, the president took the stage.

After discussing the historical significance of his speech and of the times the American people live in, President Obama got down to business addressing the nation’s faltering economy. He stated that he supported the measures passed at the end of the Bush Administration and early in his term, those of the bailout and stimulus plan, keeping true to his campaign pledge to do the unpopular but necessary, while likening the bailout to “ a root canal.”

Spending a considerable amount of time on his jobs bill and the middle class, Obama presented his small business plan to promote growth through tax credits, eliminating the capital gains tax, and using the repaid TARP funds for lending through community banks.

Obama then proceeded by explaining the need for bills addressing energy independence and climate change, in addition to improvements to our nation’s education system, all of which will promote job growth and keep America ahead of an advancing world, citing India, China, and Germany as potential rivals in these fields.

However, though it was the cornerstone of his agenda through his first year, the president only touched on healthcare, explaining its need and asking members of Congress to “take a second look at the bill.”