On the way to work this morning, I was riding in the last car of a crowded Green Line train. As we stopped at the U Street station, an elderly African-American man collapsed, got back up, and collapsed again. One passenger pressed the emergency button and informed the conductor of the situation, while others assisted the man. They then evacuated the train, except for sick passenger and a couple of others. The station manager came down with some other emergency personnel, and the passenger fortunately revived a bit and was able to walk off the train. The passengers were allowed to re-board the train, and it continued on, headed downtown.

It was interesting, but a little disturbing to witness one of Metro's many "sick passenger" incidents. This one turned out fine, but it there was some confusion as to what to do, and as far as I could tell, there are no AEDs  (automated external defibrillators) or first aid kits in Metrorail cars. Also, everyone from passengers to Metro personnel seemed to follow the old mantra of "don't move the patient", leaving him lying on the floor of the car. The result of doing so is the potential crippling of the entire Green Line during the height of rush hour, as the following trains will be delayed with thousands of commuters on board. I think a better policy would be to gently move the stricken passenger from the railcar to the platform, just a few feet away, and to keep the trains moving. Unless the victim has a broken neck or something, moving them a few feet shouldn't hurt, and that's apparently the standard procedure in some other transit systems. Perhaps there is an institutional and individual fear of lawsuits at work here?

As for me, if I ever pass out or have a heart attack on the Metro, yes, please do try to save me, but drag me onto the platform and keep the trains moving, OK? No sense in adding stress and guilt to my medical woes for holding everyone up. Or, just throw me on the third rail and give me a relatively quick death!
DC Blogs, 8/27/08. 

With record-breaking high ridership, the Metro has been packed recently.  While jammed in like a sardine on the way to and from work each day (Columbia Heights to Gallery Place), I've noticed an increase in the number of tourists riding the rails during the very peak of rush hour. I understand gas prices are high, and you don't want to drive your SUV in to the city from the suburbs, but please stay off the Metro during rush hour! 

This morning, a family of four was heading downtown at 8:30 AM, taking up valuable space in the train while I struggled to reach the overhead bar. The other evening, a group with a large stroller planted themselves right in front of the doors of the railcar. Not only were they traveling during peak hours once again, the stroller is an unofficial no-no when trains are crowded. The more savvy city parents using the Metro will use those "Snuggli" front-or-backpack things to carry their baby, and some of the cutting-edge parents use a sling, both of which take up far less valuable real estate on the train at rush hour. 

Fanny-packers and daytrippers, while you're enjoying the city, why not grab dinner downtown, and head for home after 7:30 PM? Do you really need to head downtown at 8:00 AM, to be first in line at "the Smithsonian"? I cannot determine my own schedule - you can. Start doing it NOW. 

WMATA seems a bit behind the curve on this one. Metro daypasses can't be used until after 9:30 AM, which makes sense, but they can be used during the evening rush, which doesn't. Metro needs to plug that loophole, and also find a way to reach out to tourists, and strongly suggest they avoid riding Metro during peak periods. Bikes are banned on trains during peak periods; they need to do the same for non-foldable strollers and large carry-on bags as well. Either that, or add more fucking trains, dammit!

Washington Post Express, June 27, 2008.

Dear Councilmember Graham,

With the 25% increase in ridership at the Columbia Heights Metrorail Station on the Green Line, as a result of the opening of the DCUSA complex, I'm writing to suggest that service be increased to keep pace with demand. Not only are new businesses and residential buildings opening up in Columbia Heights, Petworth, Fort Totten, and around the U Street Metro station, but the rising cost of gasoline is driving more commuters from the outer suburbs to switch from driving to riding Metro. Another recent study indicated the vast parking garage at DCUSA is underutilized, and most people are walking, biking, or taking Metro to Target.

Typically, during rush hour, Green Line six-car trains run on a 6-7 minute schedule, and every third or fourth train has eight cars. This used to be sufficient, but with the increased ridership, every train is now packed to the gills, and delays abound. Yesterday, I had to wait 9 minutes for a Green Line train home, and it was seriously overloaded. The next Green Line train was due in 13 minutes, according to the electronic display. The Yellow Line didn't provide any relief, with trains going only as far as Mount Vernon Square.

I would very much like to see Metro implement any or all of the following:
(1) more Green Line trains are needed at rush hour OR the Yellow Line should proceed to Fort Totten during peak periods in addition to off-peak service
(2) more eight-car trains are needed on the Green Line
(3) at the Columbia Heights station itself, more faregates are needed, some of them SmarTrip-card only, and
(4) more SmarTrip farecard machines are needed - there are only two at present

In addition to the Metro improvements, it's also about time to dismiss the DDOT crossing guards who were stationed in Columbia Heights in anticipation of the "traffic apocalypse" that never came about. They could be more profitably employed in another location.

Thanks very much as usual for your continuing efforts, and I look forward to seeing you at the next community event.

Best regards,
Mr. T in DC 

While waiting to catch the Metro to the doctor today, I found a $20 bill on the platform. There wasn't anyone nearby who may have dropped it, and my first instinct was to bring it to the station manager in case anyone claims it. However, as I was walking back towards the station manager booth, I thought about it a bit more cynically, and figured the station manager would just pocket the cash himself, and what was to prevent someone from watching me turn in the $20, then claim it as soon as I walked away? It was a moral dilemma! I decided to hold onto it for awhile and think about it.

When I was done at the doctor and heading back to the office, I bought lunch on the way, and left a large tip in the tip jar for the employees there. That accounted for part of the $20, and I decided to spend the rest of it similarly, on tips, donations, maybe buy a copy of Street Sense, and "pay it forward" that way. I'm usually not the lucky type to find or win any money, so wasn't sure what to do with it, since unlike a wallet or pair of glasses, cash isn't something easily identified as belonging to an particular individual. 

Washington City Paper, 5/13/08

My work schedule never changes, and I'm pretty regular in my commuting habits. I frequently catch the same train both to and from work, and know exactly where to stand on the platform to line up with the appropriate door of the train. So, I'm usually in the same place at the same times every weekday, and I've noticed that there are a few other commuters who have the same exact schedule and routine, getting on and off at the same stops, riding in the same car near the same door. There are two people in particular that I see every day. We never acknowledge each other, say hello, or even make eye contact, but there does seem to be a silent rapport of sorts.

The first commuter I noticed who has the same exact routine is a young blond woman, who walks fast and frequently wears ballet slippers or flip-flops. She does crossword puzzles while surfing in the aisle of the train, not holding on to the poles or anything.

The other commuter I see almost every day on the Green Line is a tall white man, with long hair in a ponytail. I can picture him working for some sort of nonprofit organization. Lucky guy, he can easily reach the handrail near the ceiling.

There used to be a couple I'd see everyday, but they disappeared at some point. Moved? Changed jobs?

I wonder if I "know" any of my fellow commuters from the Columbia Heights News Forum, or Flickr. It would be nice if one of us would say hello sometime, but it really isn't necessary, and could possibly end up being awkward. Disclaimer: I'm not a stalker, really (!) but couldn't help noticing the same people on my commute every day. Fellow commuters, if you're reading this, greetings from your Metro companion, Mr. T in DC! 

According to Aviation.com, Boston's Logan International Airport (BOS) ranks number one in the country for accessibility via ground transportation, with Washington's National Airport (DCA) coming in second. After thinking about it a bit, and reading the whole Top Ten list they released, I'd be inclined to disagree. National should be number one!

Having flown in and out of both airports many times, there is simply nothing easier than taking the Metro to National. The Metro platform is almost directly adjacent to the main terminal, with just a short walk required on a moving sidewalk. It's even closer than the parking garages, which are on the other side of the Metro station. At Logan, the T station is much farther from the airport terminals, and requires the annoying interim step of getting on a shuttle bus. It might be close enough to walk, but there's no direct path for pedestrians, just a tangle of highway ramps and airport facilities.

Another factor that wasn't taken into account is that only the Blue Line in Boston stops at the airport, so only a total of 12 stations are accessible without transferring to another line. At DCA, the Metro Station is serviced by the Blue and Yellow Lines, giving direct, transfer-free access to 33 stations in DC, MD and VA.

Both DCA and BOS have good bus service, and it's true that only Logan has ferry service at this time. However, there are plans to eventually begin water-taxi service from DCA to Georgetown, the new baseball stadium, Alexandria, and the National Harbor development. In either case, the total number of ferry/water-taxi customers has to be only a small fraction of the total number of travellers.

I'm not very well-versed in driving to either airport, but let's call the driving and parking concept a wash, being equally ill-advised and expensive. On the strength of the better rail access, I think National pulls slightly ahead.

The Green Line has been terrible in the morning this week. I was late for work two days in a row. They seem to be experimenting with the length of the trains and the intervals between trains. Usually, WMATA runs 6-car trains on the Green Line approximately every 6 minutes during the morning rush. However, both yesterday and today I just missed a train (@ 8:30ish) and the next one didn't come for 11 minutes! It doesn't sound like a big deal, but with the number of passengers streaming into the Columbia Heights station, the platform quickly became crowded. The next train that arrived this morning was one of the new 8-car trains, but it was still jam-packed with passengers as the total capacity was lower than usual (one 8-car train compared to 2x 6-car trains = 4 fewer cars).

Unlike with the Orange/Blue lines, there's no theoretical advantage to reducing the frequency of trains, while partly compensating by increasing their length. There's no Potomac River tunnel bottleneck, so why not continue to run 6-car trains every 6 minutes as usual? Maybe they're trying to cut back on labor costs by reducing the number of drivers needed? Hopefully this is just a temporary thing, otherwise I'm going to have to get up even earlier and try to catch the train I keep missing by just a couple of minutes.

A few weeks ago, I filled out one of those yellow comment cards and mailed it to WMATA, complaining about the broken, out-of-service  escalators at the Columbia Heights metrorail station. I usually walk up and down whether they're working or not, but when I was on crutches with a broken foot a couple of years ago, I became sensitized to Metro's chronic escalator and elevator problems. Filling out the complaint form made me feel better, and I promptly forgot about it.

To my utter amazement this morning, I got a phone call from the manager of Metro's Green and Yellow Lines, Wendy Harrison. She apologized for the broken escalators, and said they should have been fixed by now. Sadly, they were fixed, but died again and 2 were out of service this morning, so I told her about them. We talked for a good 10 minutes or so, and I made sure to sound constructive and knowledgable about transit matters, so she wouldn't think I was just a cranky complainer. I managed to slip in some comments about how the Yellow Line needs to be extended to Fort Totten, and/or Green Line service needs to be more frequent. I quickly pointed out the various residential and retail projects due to be built at Greenbelt, Ft. Totten, Petworth, Columbia Heights and U Street, and she seemed aware the passenger load was going to grow rapidly over the next few years. 

So, if you have any problems specific to the Green and Yellow Lines, feel free to contact Wendy Harrison at her Greenbelt office at 301-562-4607. Apparently, they do respond to those yellow comment cards, so don't hesitate to submit them. You can get them from the station manager's kiosk in each station. 

mr_b_in_la

Observation of the Day: I saw a woman on the Metro with an ID holder around her neck that was labeled U.S. Embassy, N'Djamena, Chad. That's a long way from DC; I'll bet she has some interesting stories to tell.

J's friend S didn't need help moving after all, so we got some chores accomplished this afternoon, going to the supermarket, giving myself another #1 on the clipper blade haircut, and cleaning the car. J finished knitting some socks, and worked on a sweater with a complex sash thing around the waist. I keep calling it a cummerbund, which I think J finds very irritating.

We had tuna patties for dinner, with some kind of lime/cilantro sauce we got at Whole Foods, along with veggies. We forgot to give M-kitty some tuna before adding the sauce, sorry munchkin. Back to work tomorrow; it's shaping up to be a busy week.