Here's the part that WMATA could learn from... the Starbucks website lets you manage your account online... You can add multiple cards, setup auto-reload where you can reload based on a date or when your balance hits a certain amount. You can transfer balances between cards (ie if you ever lost a card.... just transfer to another card that you have).

If you have ever registered your SmarTrip card with WMATA it appears to go into this big abyss.....where you can't search on it or pull it up again.

Maybe WMATA and Starbucks could go into business together?? I see enough people drinking coffee on the Metro in the AM anyway.... pay for commuting and coffee with the same card!!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to work some overtime (aka bill extra hours aka buy more shoes!).

Orange line was of course single tracking (hey its the weekend!). So I decided to drive to my office. Mapquest put it at an approximate 20 minute drive. Metro usually takes me 30 Minutes. With the waiting around for single tracking trains driving of course won out. Weekend street parking was free. This all probably sounds like driving should win..... but I can't read while I am driving....In bound traffic would be way worse during the week....and if I wanted to go out after work I would need to move my car somewhere. Also the big downside to driving.... getting from SW to 295N. Its weird and annoying.

WMATA wins!!!!!!!

But the real question is... if I had used Metro to commute this weekend, and SmarTrip had converted to the new system... what purse would my fare have been deducted from!?

The hotel in Philly was 4 miles from the venue so my friend C and I knew we'd be using public transit (or cab) to get to the venue. So I started perusing the PJ fanboards to find out what was the best option. And promptly came across a post about SEPTA getting ready for a walkout ...Zoinks!


Add to that Game 3 of the World Series was in Philly the same night as the last PJ show at the Spectrum (right across the street from the baseball stadium) and all signs pointed to transportation being a clusterf*ck. (Driving to venue from hotel could been done with my AWESOME navigation system... which made this road trip way better than the 2000 jaunt to Jones Beach, NY... I don't ever want to hear about a POW/MIA highway ever again! - but this was a way way way last resort option).


Before leaving Friday I checked online and the general consensus was a walkout wouldn't happen until Saturday.....so I setup a Google Alert and headed out!


Friday evening arrived in Philly checked into the hotel, changed and headed for the SEPTA station. The SEPTA system is much more like NYCs Subway system (none of this farecard/exit fare crap), you use tokens.

Point SEPTA.

The machines to buy fares only took $1, $5, $10, and $20.... and you couldn't adjust the value you wanted to buy if you inserted a large bill.

Point WMATA.

(Luckily I just bought $20 worth of fare for me and C and hoped the strike didn't happen!) Other people were trying to get change from the SEPTA station manager.... no dice! And don't even get me started on the morons that didn't buy roundtrip fare... the line to buy it after the show each night was worse than Gallery Place after a show at the Verizon Center) Some time on Saturday afternoon I got a Google alert that SEPTA would not strike while the World Series was in town... YAY!


SEPTA stations smell like piss... and each station I was in had a fare share of homeless people sleeping in them.

Point WMATA.

The actual ride on SEPTA was fine..... and I don't recall any jerking to a stop. Bonus... on Saturday after the show... the train headed uptown...EXPRESSED!!!!!!!!

Two Points SEPTA!

Also on Saturday.... there were Balloon arches at the SEPTA exits and a SEPTA Employee directing people up the steps with a big foam finger :D (obviously the Nats are no where near being in a world series... but i just can't see WMATA decorating like this... so.....

Point SEPTA.

Looks like SEPTA wins :)


*has WMATA ever gone on strike? (the week long - we will be following all rules craziness that happened about a week ago does not count :P)

Its been one story after another of Metro-related deaths or serious injury this summer. Starting with the June 22 accident that killed 9 thru yesterday's bus vs pedestrian accident. Not to mention bad PR moves including WMATA closing 3 stations on Yellow/Blue line over a holiday weekend for track work. (The one positive of the summer has been the implementation of NextBus).

What else could happen in the next 4 days?

We all know Metro has funding problems. They should create some shirts that state "I survived the Summer of '09" and sell them. (Tacky - Yes, but I am sure someone will.... WMATA should at least make some money off the venture).

Oh.... and Fire Catoe!

NextBus has been active for about 2 full weeks.... and I have been loving it!

Especially in the mornings. I have about a 60 second walk from my house to the bus stop...so as long as the bus is more than 5 minutes away I can usually make it. Usually I get ready for work then head downstairs to load up my bus stop #. The Next Bus is usually about 10-15 minutes away when I do this so I can feed Madison if needed, take my vitamin, etc....

Yesterday I overslept by about 20 minutes.... so I did my normal routine, then checked by bus...5 minutes away... YAY! I didn't miss it. So I packed up my bag and headed out, caught the bus and arrived at work at my usual time :)

There have been some hiccups (like sometimes it says the Next Bus is 40 minutes away, but really the bus you were hoping to catch hasn't come yet... which means its decision time because I can walk to the Metrorail stop in about 20 minutes....)

But overall I give it an A-

Something seriously went wrong here....

I don't usually commute via the Red line. But whoa. Watching a press conference. General Manager Catoe seems to be vehement that the trains were not single tracking.

I was in SW DC when this happened (at happy hour!) and was actually in a place with a TV tuned to local news... and around 5:40 Breaking News alerts started coming in.

oddly enough never saw a metro alert that referred to the collision... only "mechanical difficulties" and "a police situation".

I have officially been commuting 100% using SmarTrip as my means of fare payment for the last 5 days (2 days last week I used my SmarTrip for bus, and Monthly MARC pass for rail).

I must admit I like the ease of use.... just tap the card to the SmarTrip reader, no need to even take it out of the case I use to carry it in.

But..... shortly after I got the SmarTrip card I registered it online. Now I want to update the mailing address, and check the balance. but you can't do that online. You need to call the SmartTrip people. Why??? If I can register my Starbucks card and reload it online I should be able to do these easy transactions for my SmarTrip card. Why does WMATA make it sooooo hard???

It has been a wacky week to be a MARC train commuter (PENN line especially!)

Tuesday....My usual MARC train pulled into New Carrollton during the AM commute, and the regulars that depart the train there and hop on the Orange line did just that. But as we sat on Metro train on the platform waiting to depart, we noticed the MARC train had not departed, and in fact people started pouring out of it! Uh-oh... packed orange train! Shortly there after I got an email alert from MTA stating that trains were terminating @ New Carrollton due to Amtrak/Police Activity between NC and Union Station. WMATA would have called it "Track Maintenance". (supposedly human remains were found near the tracks... but never really heard anything else except a nice email alert maybe an hour later that trains were now running to Union Station).

Wednesday.... Usual MARC morning train was running late... maybe 10 minutes. After we were picked up in Odenton I got an email alert that stated due to water main break near tracks Southbound trains would be delayed 10-15 minutes. Email alerts continued throughout the day (Situation deteriorated rapidly... shortly after my train left Odenton MARC rail traffic was suspended between West Baltimore and Odenton. But an email came out and relayed all of this info, and more indcating that shuttle busses were running, METRO (wmata) was accepting MARC tickets, and that the Camden lines were running.) Emails continued throughout the day, and started referring to which afternoon trains would be running and making all stops. (The afternoon train I caught was packed to the gills, 7 minutes prior to it leaving Uniod Station they announced it was packed and were not taking anymore passengers. Those of us that caught it at New Carrollton somehow managed to squish ourselves onboard.) MOre emails continued throughout the night... even ones that said normal service would continue tomorrow ( aka today) with some minor delays.

I guess MARC wants to give me lots of trouble before I depart for good :D

Yes for the 3rd time in less than 2 weeks a maintenance train has derailed on the Orange line. This time at Cheverly.

I am currently stuck on an orange train just outside of Cheverly.

Updates to follow!

UPDATE - 9:32am - Usually I catch the MARC from Odenton, but today I drove to New Carrollton, because I am meeting my realtor to look at houses. I knew there was a delay and single tracking on the Orange line, due to "Emergency Track Work". But I decided to go for it anyway. I made good time to NC, and as I approached the Metro car... it was packed... which I took as a good sign. If it had been sitting for a while.. it should be leaving soon! And I was right! So I only got to work about 5-10 minutes later that normal.

Check out my awesome picture of scene above.... maybe WaPo will hire me to be a reporter :P

Oh... and thanks to all the "gentlemen" that offered me their seat on the Metro ;)

Sent from my BlackBerry

Dear Metro -- what is so hard to understand about this concept??

This is the second time in 3 years that I have been commuting via Metrorail, that your email alert system has sent out vague communication in regards to a MAJOR delay, caused by a derailment.

Exhibit A....back when this happened, Metro sent out alerts warning of delays due to "mechanical difficulties".

Exhibit B... today ... I've been getting alerts (and Tweets!) all morning about "track maintenance".

WMATA.... what can you not understand that in order for commuters to properly plan their "Plan B" you need to describe the situation accurately?? How hard is it?

Signs flashing at New Carrollton this morning indicate parking will be $4 for the day and Cash Only!

Sent from my BlackBerry