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Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Metrorail Operating on Normal Schedule; Some Bus Cancellations, Delays

Metro is aiming to give two hours advance warning should bus service be suspended.

Metro is operating on a normal weekday schedule Wednesday as the Washington region braces for a potentially major snowstorm. MetroAccess service and certain Metro commuter bus routes have been canceled, however, and Ride On buses are experiencing delays. Metrorail customers are advised to plan extra time for their commute. “You may encounter minor delays due to snow and ice clearing efforts, as equipment that removes snow and ice from the third rail operates between regularly scheduled trains,” the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said in a statement. Some Metrobus routes may be detoured and bus service may be reduced or suspended as conditions deteriorate, Metro said. Metro is aiming to notify Metrobus riders two hours in …

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Real-Time Bus Arrival Info Coming to Metrobus Stops

Up to 70 electronic screens could be installed at Metrobus shelters across the region, The Washington Examiner reports.

Update, 4:30 p.m.: Montgomery County spokeswoman Esther Bowring says Ride On is planning a similar electronic notification system at major transit centers. "Timing for implementation has not been set," Bowring wrote in an e-mail to Patch. Original post, 3 p.m.: Waiting in the cold and wondering when that next bus will arrive? Some Metrobus bus shelters will soon be equipped with flat screens that will display real-time bus arrival times, The Washington Examiner reports. Up to 70 screens, funded by a federal grant, could be installed at Metrobus stops on Metro property across the region, according to the report. Local jurisdictions will need to decide whether the screens will be installed at Merobus stops on streets they own, Metro …

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Guide to Inauguration Day Road Closures, Metro and Metrobus

Plan your commute carefully on Jan. 21.

While fewer people are expected to attend President Obama's second inauguration on Jan. 21, projections still show between 600,000 and 800,000 people will be there. That alone would cause an increase in traffic on Washington, DC's roads, buses, trains and sidewalks. For safety and security reasons, a number of roads surrounding the National Mall will be closed on Jan. 21. Some Metrorail stations and Metrobus routes will be affected as well. The District of Columbia's Presidential Inauguration 2013 website details the status of road access into Washington, DC, on Inauguration Day: The following roads will be closed from 3 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 21: The website also lists all of the "emergency no parking zones" in effect between 7 a.…

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Metrobus Schedule: No More App for That

The popular bus arrival time app has gone dark.

  NextBusDC, a smartphone app that had been tracking the arrival times of Metro buses for users since 2009, has quit working, according to a Washington Post story. The app, which is the end product of a partnership between NextBus—a company that tracks transit system data, and AppTight, which makes the data user-friendly in an app format, stopped working on Dec. 20, according to the In The Capital website. In The Capital reported that a contractual relationship between the two companies “ceased,” with NextBus receiving only three days’ notice and AppTight no notice at all. AppTight’s Kelly Beener remarked that only the data feed to the DC app has stopped, and the San Francisco version continues to function. NextBus’ Ken Schmier told The …

Queen

12:59 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013

This article isn't quite right. The Nextbus service is still working, it's just the app that's not. Why pay for an app when you can get the same info for free by pointing your phone's browser to nextbus.com?   more ›

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Sunday Schedules on Thanksgiving Day for Metro, Ride On

No track work is planned for the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Metro will take a break from its weekend track work schedule for the Thanksgiving holiday. On Thanksgiving day, Metro trains will operate on a Sunday schedule. The Metrorail system will open at 7 a.m. and close at midnight. Off-peak fares will be in effect all day and parking will be free at Metro-operated parking facilities, according to Metro's website. Metrobuses also will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving day. Check bus timetables for details. MetroAccess will operate during the same hours as Metrorail and Metrobus. Subscription trips will be cancelled on Thanksgiving day, Metro added. Ride On buses will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving day. Regular weekday service for Metrorail and Metrobus will return on Friday…

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Sandy Shutters Monday Metro, MARC Service

No trains or buses will run on Monday on account of storm, say transportation officials

Hurricane Sandy has forced officials with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to cancel all service on Monday, Oct. 29. That means that after tonight's closing time, there will be no Metrorail, Metrobus or MetroAccess service until further notice, according to a press release from WMATA.  "Metro service will only be restored when it is safe to do so. Following the storm, Metro personnel will need to perform a comprehensive damage assessment, including inspections of track, bridges, aerial structures, stations and facilities," reads the press release. "Service restoration also will be contingent on adequate commercial power to support operations and repair of any storm-related damage." As well, a series of public hearings on …

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Friendship Heights Bus Garage Is 'Priced to Move'

Metro has hired a real estate services firm to look for a property to replace the Metrobus garage in Friendship Heights.

As if it weren't enough that Filene's Basement, Pottery Barn, Borders and other occupiers of real estate in Friendship Heights weren't making a quick exit out of the area, now the Metrobus parking garage looks to be leaving, too. The garage is "priced to move," wrote Lydia DePillis of the Washington City Paper. Talk of the garage—at 44th and Jenifer streets NW, Washington DC (just a couple of blocks south of the DC-MD border)—leaving the area has been going on for months, but only recently has Metro stepped up its effort to move the garage to a new location, the City Paper reported last week.  Get daily and breaking news email updates from Chevy Chase Patch by signing up for newsletters here. Rather than repairing the existing garage, …

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Fatal Rockville Pike Crash Video Released

Dashboard camera video footage shows pickup truck crossing median and striking Metrobus, ABC7 reports.

Authorities have released video footage of the December Rockville Pike crash involving a Metrobus that left one dead and several injured, ABC7 reports. The Metrobus dashboard camera shows a pickup truck crossing the median from southbound Rockville Pike into the northbound lanes, striking the bus. The pickup truck driver, Nkonou Ayaovi Edorh, 49, of Silver Spring, was killed. The bus driver, Lennitta Bryant, 41, was seriously injured. Several bus passengers also sustained injuries in the crash, which shut down the Rockville Pike for hours. Read the full story and watch the video at ABC7.

Friday, December 23, 2011

This Weekend: What To Know If You’re Taking Metro

Red Line trains have different schedule on Monday.

Planning on taking the Red Line over the river and through the woods to get to Grandma’s house for the holidays? Here is the weekend schedule, according to WMATA:

Friday, October 28, 2011

This Weekend: What to Know if You're Taking Metro

Expect delays and large crowds on the Red Line.

If you’re planning on hopping the Red Line this weekend, expect delays and major maintenance work, as well as increased crowds for Halloween celebrations. Here are a few important things to know, according to WMATA: For future trip planning, be sure to check out Metro’s recently released major track work calendar.  Metro temporarily closes stations or clusters of stations over weekends to speed up their maintenance work schedule.

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