WashPost on the decline of Metro

WashPost has a series of articles on Metro:

Metro Downhill Slide
Washington's Metro system, once a national model for urban transit systems, has deteriorated so badly that the National Transportation Safety Board plans to use a hearing this week into the June 22 crash that killed nine people and injured 80 as a case study for the adequacy of state and federal oversight at subways across the country.

Marathon ride captures Metro's ebb and flow
At 4:47 a.m., I walk in, the station's first rider of the day. I won't walk out again until 12:43 the next morning, the last one off the final train.

A look back at Metrorail
[graphic]

At least we're not to this stage yet.....

I read these articles and where both well written

And to farcard
Id dye laghing if i saw this on metro.

It's not a decline. It's merely a slump. There were a series of high profile incidents but the Washington Metro remains a high quality transit system.

farecard wrote:At least we're not to this stage yet.....

lol

As for the system being in "decline." I don't really think that's an accurate term. There's been a decline in various aspects of Metro, but the service overall has managed to meet various expectations, and is still the best in the country imho. The trains still run frequently, the system is still safe and clean, and more or less space constraints (w/8 car trains) hasn't changed that much, and from a commuter's perspective this is mostly all that really matters. The only negative aspect for riders is that it costs significantly more now.

There are two core problems with Metro: Management and Money. Catoe, who I've wanted to see gone even a few months before the big accident (which wasn't his fault btw) made some pretty poor/unpopular decisions imho. The WMATA board is basically incompotent, they don't have their priorities straight, and all of them should be dismissed.

As for money, Metro is in dire need of it. Their needs to be a fixed annual contribution from Congress, as well as the 3 jurisdictions. While I know record ridership in recent times couldn't have been anticipated, the infrastructure costs could have. To solve the current short-term cash flow problems Metro needs to: raise bus fares to $1.50, decrease the transfer window to 2 hours, and increase all rail fares by another $0.15.

I hope realtype and Forest Glen are correct. I plan to visit the area and ride the Metro for my Spring vacation. I was last there in 2007 and everthing seemed okay then. Except that it appeared the front railfan windows might be deteriorating on the older cars. Or maybe just very dirty, but harder to see thru than 20 years ago. I understand the oldest cars aren't used on the ends of the trains anymore , so that might help. Anyone else noticed this?

The windows on the 1, 2/3k, 5k and 6k cars are in good shape. The 4k cars use lexan instead of actual glass and that is where you will clearly see the scratching or clouding of windows.

Yeah, the 4000-Series windows were really bad for a while, but Metro apparently fixed these, since the clouding has been gone (except on the doors) for about a year now.

Post article on Metro survey:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... d=newswell

Wow, this almost mirrors exactly what I said in my post above (first par.).