how hard can it be to manage metro trains that run on an 9 minute interval?

this weekend metro (the washington subway system) is announcing delays — as if that is anything new. but the reason that they know they will have delays, unlike the surprise delays that are part of every day life in the nation’s capital, is that for quite some time now they have been planing some renovation of a platform at one of the metro stations. there is even a press release that goes with the delays “Expect Delays over Martin Luther King, Jr. and Presidents Day weekend“. in the press release metro warns customers, who just saw fares increase dramatically, that they should “build 30 minutes of extra travel time into their schedules” … this on rides that a lot of times consist of about 5 minutes of riding and 10 minutes of riding time (a 200% extra, wow). what amazes me most in the press release is the following sentence:

 - All Red Line trains will depart the Shady Grove and Glenmont Metrorail stations every nine minutes.

- All Red Line trains will share one track between the Farragut North and Judiciary Square Metrorail Stations and operate every 18 minutes

- Prior to entering the single track area, the first trains to arrive at the Dupont Circle and Judiciary Square Metrorail stations respectively will hold for at least six minutes, waiting for rail traffic to clear from the opposite direction, and to wait for the following train to be within two minutes of that first train holding. To expedite train traffic, two trains in a row will share the same track and head in the same direction, between Farragut North and Judiciary Square. Those trains will be about two minutes apart. Then two trains will be permitted to head in the opposite direction.

so trains go every 9 minutes, there is one stop where trains will have to use a single platform and they will have to use single tracks to move to and away from that station. i don’t know, but i honestly don’t see why metro is not able to crunch some numbers and create a schedule that will not require a possible 30 minute delay. the distances between judiciary square, metro station and farragut north are minimal. in rush hour trains cover that distance within less than 9 minutes (that includes getting customers on and off the trains). with all train traffic and signaling being computerized a single station being only performing at 50% should lead to no delays especially if trains are running on 9 minutes intervals. this is just one more  example of an american public transportation system that is absolutely poorly managed.

besides this i am just wondering why a metro system that closes down at night is not able to conduct major repair during those off hours — during the week most train lines close at midnight or shortly after and on sundays and public holidays they don’t start until 6.30am.

here is the Washington Post take on this  Weekend Station Repairs Will Slow Metro Service. the story  points out that:

Verizon Center is hosting four sports events Saturday and Monday, some of them likely to be sold out, that will draw tens of thousands of fans, many of whom will take Metro. Verizon Center is at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Station on the Red Line, one stop east of Metro Center.

to people who are not familiar with Washington, Verizon Center is the major indoor sports arena in Washington DC the Wizards, Capitals and Georgetown Hoyas play there. And the stop is one stop away on the red line that is expected to have 30 minute delays. Also, just to add insult to injury i guess here is what the post article quotes the spokesman of metro about these delays:

“They should bring a good book, and patience, while riding the rail system this weekend,” Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said.

oh, thanks steven … very helpful. way don’t you guys get off your buts and work for a change.

in case you wonder what those washington metro fare hikes get you

yesterday evening (thursday at 9.05pm) i needed to take the metro (the red line) and when i got to the platform this is what the sign said was the wait for the next train:

so yes, 14 minute waits for quite substantial fare hikes. oh and at the same time metro has also reduced the number to cars per train making it even more crowded.

you might think that was an abnormality, well tonight (a friday evening) i tried to also take a red line at 8.45pm, which is not that late, and the wait was 15 minutes.

so thank you metro for this amazing service.  i have to say that mexico city had a way more efficient underground service that the one here in DC (the capital of the so called richest nation on the globe).

washington dc metro system increases fares in a move to get people back into their cars

in what can only described as an insane decision the washington dc public transport system (metro) has increased its prices. the washington post describes the fare increases as Historic Increases In Fees and Fares. the fare increases depend on distance. according to the post impact of the increase varies: 

Subway riders who park and travel longer distances during rush hour will be hardest hit, paying as much as 75 cents more per trip, or up to $2.25 more a day when the 75-cent increase for daily parking is factored in.That means someone who parks at theRockville Metrorail lot and rides to Metro Center during rush hour would have a daily commuting cost of $13.65, up from $11.40.Park-and-riders who travel longer distances during rush hour are looking at an additional $11.25 a week, or $585 a year, in commuting costs. Such trips include Vienna/Fairfax-GMU to L’Enfant Plaza on the Orange Line, Greenbelt to Pentagon City on the Green and Yellow lines, and Largo Town Center to Court House on the Blue and Orange lines.   

while i think that people who live in the city should not subsidize metro rides for suburbanites, i think that from an congestion and environmental point this fare increase (that especially hits people with long commutes) makes absolutely no sense. if at all prices of public transportation systems should be reduced. people should be moved from the road to the train, not the other way. a problem washington dc is facing here is that most of these metro users are in different states, but what should happen is that gas should be taxed higher with the profits subsidizing public transportation.