I still can't believe that in a city of this size -- and, theoretically, importance -- a bad rainstorm can virtually shut down the subway system during rush hour. (As an aside, Wonkette is reporting that the storm may have caused damage to the DNC offices.)
Once I got to L'Enfant Plaza, it became clear that the wait for the overcrowded shuttle buses was going to take quite a while -- and considering how many traffic signals out, it looked like the buses were a gamble anyway. So I hoofed it up to Metro Center. Of course, during my long walk in the heat and humidity, I overheard -- and participated in -- a good deal of cursing the WMATA. I did finally make it into to the office, quite late and drenched in sweat.
Once I had cooled off for a couple moments in the air conditioning, the absurdity of the situation became clear, and now, other than the fact that my feet hurt, I find the situation a little humorous. Re-reading Achenbach's recent column on the use of the f-word helped. (Coincidentally, it was also his blog topic for today.) And, I've gotten several calls from relatives who seem to actually believe that we're suffering through floods of biblical proportion.
Since the weather's not expected to get any better, I'm now wondering what my commute home will bring.
Update: Metro was running somewhat smoothly for my evening commute (although, evening seems to signify something earlier than 8:30 p.m.), but it's still pretty bad outside. I had to walk through ankle-high water to get through the courtyard to my apartment.
17 comments:
Yeah I thought my roommate's basement apartment flooding this morning (nast!) was an isolated incident. My mom calls to tell me the rain in DC is the lead story on the Today show. Yowsah.
The rain is bad, but it isn't a hurricane.
When you couple this with the utter meltdown every time it snows more than an inch, it's clear that this city is weak.
Ready to go back to New Jersy?
I can't fault WMATA on this one. Do you know how much transportation costs? Are you going to convince everyone to pay more in taxes to improve the metro?
Also, obviously this isn't a hurricane, but by rainfall measures, it's not so far off.
Here are the measures of raifall from Andrew. The most any area got during Andrew was 14 inches.
8 inches fell at National that night, and over 10 fell in most of Maryland, so I figure about 9 inches fell in that part of Washington that night.
I'm not a meteorologist, but I'd say when you come within 5 inches of the rainfall total in the heaviest parts of Andrew, there are going to be some complications and you can't blame Metro if everything doesn't run perfectly.
The main difficulty with hurricanes is not the rain -- it's the wind. The wind here was not blowing hard enough to send a car flying into a house, or to rip the roof off of a building. Moreover, Andrew was a relatively dry storm -- and for that matter, it was small. (Not in terms of intensity, in terms of size.)
I get frustrated with the DC Metro, because even when things are working, they're never working right. For example, today I got to work, but there was no air conditioning on the train. Yesterday, there were not enough announcements of what was working and to where, and the shuttle bus solution was a disorganized mess.
WMATA can do a better job.
And, for the record, I'd pay more for a system that works better. Because the alternative is to sit in unbearable traffic and pay $15 to park my car.
Ok, but my point is that most people wouldn't pay for it. People don't like higher taxes, period. So your complaints should be directed toward the people of the DC area, not WMATA itself. I really don't think WMATA can do a much better job with the resources it has.
I'm not sure why you made the comparison with a hurricane in the first place. What does wind have to do with the metro (at least the underground parts)? The only part worth comparing in this context is the rain.
As for the shuttle bus, of course it was a disorganized mess. But you do realize what an obstacle that was for WMATA, right? An entire station out of commission during rush hour? Trying to move the entire rush hour traffic onto buses? I don't care who's running metro. I don't care if the greatest general in the history of the military was organizing the transfer Metro rush hour traffic onto buses, it's just not going to be organized.
Admittedly, my hurricane comment was clumsy. My point was that this storm, while bad, does not amount to a natural disaster on the same scale as a hurricane, blizzard, or earthquake. And neither the D.C. residents nor it's mass transit system handle any sort of inclement weather well.
Wind can affect Metro -- and traffic -- too. It can rip out trees and down power lines. And, yes, I do realize that WMATA had to deal with a lot of obstacles yesterday. They did not, however, appear to have an adequate plan in place. And the communication left something to be desired.
Again, they can do a better job. They can also run announcements that are loud and clear enough to be heard, get better lighting in the stations, fix the escalators and elevators so that they work on a regular basis, and not waste taxpayer money by arresting kids with french fries.
I'm with you on the announcements. The escalators and elevators have more to do with normal wear and tear. Escalators and elevators that get used as much as metro break down everywhere, not just on the metro. It's not like there are magical escalators out there that don't break down after people walk on them, constantly, all day. Escalators technically aren't meant for walking, they're meant for standing. And the french fries have to do with metro police, not the people operating the train, which is a different budget.
As for not having an adequate plan in place, again, that's an issue of (1) budget and (2) there is way for there to be an adequate plan. There is really no way to sufficiently substitute for metro when a station breaks down. A train goes through Federal Triangle about every 3 minutes in each direction during rush hour, and each train is near capacity. About 10 buses equal one train. So that's 20 buses every 3 minutes that need to be boarded, driven, etc., between Smithsonian and Metro Center. And by the way, there isn't even space on the streets for that during rush hour. Not only is this difficult for Metro to do, in an orderly fashion, it's physically impossible.
I do think they're trying with the escalators--putting those glass roofs up to protect them from the rain. As for the elevators, be grateful you don't have to depend on them.
On the other hand, this storm has some unexpected bonuses for some. A lot of people driving must have stayed home today (perhaps working there) because 66 was unbelievably clear, which is unheard of around rush hour.
And I agree 100% with the need for clearer announcing in the station. I can never hear a word of what they're saying.
I'm guessing the french fry thing was intended to be a deterrant because I've only heard of one arrest. But with the tourist season, people are apparently eating constantly on the trains, and some people have seen cockroaches there. So maybe cracking down isn't such a frivolous thing after all.
Justin, admittedly I was annoyed and inconvenienced yesterday, and wanted to rant. But I'm not alone in thinking that Metro can do better. Even the general manager thinks so. Moreover, by my use of the word "adequate" I did not mean "replacement." I know you can't substitute trains for shuttle buses. But you could have organized lines for the shuttle buses. You could send people over to the Circulator. Heck, you can even have Metro employees at stations help people find regular buses to get to their destinations.
And, clearly it's expensive to maintain the system. But it needs to be done. For good or for bad, the city is tied to the transit system and can't function without it -- not unlike New York during the recent transit strike.
More succinctly, my walk was bad, but the chaos at L'Enfant Plaza was worse. That is what Metro needs to plan for.
Dara, one of the comments in that article sum up my thoughts.
"All the people who complain about the walk from L'Enfant Plaza to the IRS Building or from Smithsonian to McPherson Square are so lazy. It's not far, it's only a few blocks and with DC's traffic, you'll probably get there sooner than if you take the buses."
Again, why would anyone think getting on those shuttle buses was a good idea in the first place?
I feel sympathy for anyone that has trouble walking, but the majority of people taking metro are young and healthy.
My advice as far as how metro could have improved the shuttle buses. Big signs and loud speakers saying "Unless you have a medical condition that presents you from doing so, walk the fuck to work or the next functioning metro station on your commute." That way the people who needed the shuttle buses wouldn't have had as much trouble.
I think it's great that the GM of Metro had that online chat, and I think it's great he's taking the input of the public into consideration.
He said in his very first comment of the chat...
"I also want to thank all the Metro employees who worked throughout the night to deliver the best service we could given the circumstances. "
Of course when a situation arises, you learn from the situation and become more prepared for next time. But cursing at WMATA when they did all they could is a little unfair. It would be more appropriate to take you concerns to the DC, Virginia, Maryland and Federal government and push for an increase in the WMATA budget.
Admittedly, I'm often lazy, but by my calculations, I walked 20 blocks -- in a business suit and heels -- in sauna-like conditions -- while carrying my laptop. A crowded shuttle bus in traffic may or may not have been preferable.
But if I had been told of the problems before getting on the train, I would have been able to take an alternate (albeit lengthier) route, that admittedly, was not without its own problems. Still, at least the blue line ran all the way to Metro Center on Monday.
Today, I took that route, only to encounter unannounced problems with the tracks at Federal Triangle, causing my normal 15-minute commute to take 45. Of course, it doesn't help that Metro did not announce the delays until the train was sitting with its doors open at Arlington Cemetary for 10 minutes. If they announced it while I was at Pentagon City, again, I'd have been able to alter my commute.
(Or maybe, when the tv and radio morning shows give traffic updates, they could also grace us with information about any Metro snafus, like they do with the commuter trains.)
I'm not faulting the Metro workers. The system needs help. Money, definitely. Better communication, yes. But better planning, too. And, on that front, it's a really good sign that the new general manager was willing to listen to the criticism, and maybe even put it to constructive use.
FYI, the problems at Federal Triangle will continue all week. I knew that and got to the metro a half hour early to account for it.
As I said, I agree with you that Metro needs to improve their announcements and yes, they should be telling people about the Federal Triangle problems on the signs (especially since they have signs outside the gates now).
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