Category Archives: Transit in D.C.

Defects in precast concrete panels at five of the six stations under construction threaten to delay a 2020 opening of Phase 2 of the Silver Line.

Lori Aratani has an update on Phase 2: design and construction 67% complete, and the project is two years from “substantial completion.” Come Phase 2 in 2020, I will miss boarding at the terminus in the morning, but presumably I will be jostling with fewer people on the platform for a seat.

This week, crews will be blasting rock at the future site of the Loudoun County yards near the Silver Line terminus. Boom.

Meanwhile, on 15 March, Metro will start removing revenue-service 1000-series cars from the line and shipping them off for scrap.

“It’s certainly the end of an era, no question,” [spokesman Dan] Stessel said. “They have a distinctive character to them that is unique to Metro. Even that high-pitched squeal they make when they’re braking — that’s unique to the 1Ks.” (Here, Stessel emitted a high-pitched squeal, then chuckled.) “That sound you hear as the train pulls into the station and is slowing down, that squeak: No other cars make that sound.”

ᔥ Greater Greater Washington

Dan Malouff rides the H Street streetcar on opening day.

Sand Box John gives us an update on Phase 2 construction.

Metro has announced that the first train made up of 7000-series cars will be in passenger service on 14 April, on the Blue Line.

ᔥ DCist

Something that we’re still waiting for: silver-colored line markers in the rail cars’ destination signs. The 7000-series cars that will be trickling into service this fall will be equipped to show a Silver Line-ish hue, but Metro has not committed to retrofitting older cars.

The 1000s and 4000s will be retired in the next few years, so they probably won’t have retrofitted or new signs. But the 2000s, 3000s, 5000s, and 6000s will be carrying passengers for many years to come, and it might be helpful for those trains to be able to show the silver color on signs.

The very first service alert that I’ve received from Metro pertaining to the Silver Line:

On Aug 2, 2014 8:42 PM, “MetroAlerts” <metroalerts @enews.lists-wmata.com> wrote:

Silver Line: Single tracking btwn McLean & E Falls Church due to a deer struck by a train outside of E Falls Church. Expect delays.

Metro announces that the first day of passenger service for phase 1 of the Silver Line will be Saturday, 26 July.

(Alas, there was no groundbreaking ceremony to attend when construction started, and it looks like I will miss opening day, too.)

A good four-part series this week by WAMU’s two Martins on the return of streetcars to H Street N.E.:

• Martin Austermuhle on the unwarranted optimism about meeting project milestones;
• Martin di Caro on the streetcars playing nicely with all the other vehicular traffic;
• Austermuhle on the expected economic development;
• di Caro on demographic changes to the neighborhood (which started before the streetcar became something to count on).

Perhaps it should have been obvious to me, but I was struck by a comment made by Ellen McCarthy of the D.C. Office of Planning:

“One of the attractions of streetcar as a transportation mode is that it’s cheaper than rail, and while it’s more expensive than bus, what the experience has been nationwide is that the clear visible permanence of rail tracks creates a level of confidence about commitment to development of a particular corridor, so it’s more apt to produce investment on the private sector side.”