“How many Washington Metrorail employees does it take to change a lightbulb?” a friend who would probably rather not be named asked recently. “Three: one to screw a lightbulb into a faucet, one to assure the public that the system was safe, and one to explain to the media why this proves Metro needs a dedicated funding source.”
The good news about last week’s derailment is that it probably was not due to the poor maintenance that plagued the Metrorail system in 2009. Instead, it appears that the driver of a train ran a red light. The train then entered a side track where it ran into a safety device called, naturally enough, a derail, aimed at preventing a train from going where it wasn’t supposed to go.
This still leaves a mystery. Did someone see that the driver was blowing the red light and purposefully switch the train to a side track? Was there a failsafe system no one remembers? Or was the switch in the wrong position in the first place, meaning the train would have derailed even if it hadn’t blown the light?
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Some people have even suggested spending untold billions of dollars “snowproofing” the Metrorail system, as if that would be enough to keep the government from having to shut down on the very rare occasions when a particularly large snowfall hits the capital city. After all, less than 20 percent of commuters who live in Washington, and less than 10 percent of those in the DC urban area, take Metrorail to work. Since nearly three out of four urban-area commuters drive to work, it would make more sense to spend a little more money plowing the roads.
Of course, I don’t find it particularly upsetting to hear that the federal government has been shut down, since it mostly means that busy-bodies inside the beltway will fall behind in their efforts to regulate everything that people outside the beltway do. The more snow days, the better.
Hear hear.
Over half of Federal employees are non-essential.
“Since nearly three out of four urban-area commuters drive to work, it would make more sense to spend a little more money plowing the roads.”
I would have to say that it seems that DC is the most ill equipped city in the north to deal with snowy roads. But then again, who wants to subsidize snow removal 😉
The Washington Post had a good article about the derailment in its Saturday edition here.
This video, while not showing the accident scene, contains “attitude” which is typical of many (not all, but many) WMATA workers towards “outsiders.”
The segment of track on which the derailment happened is a so-called “pocket” track. In the very earliest days of Metrorail operation, station Farragut North, was the end of the line, and trains were routed onto this track to reverse direction and head back toward Rhode Island Avenue (the other end of the line prior to 1978). Since the line was extended beyond Farragut North, reserve trains are sometimes parked on this track, but it is not normally used otherwise.
Bennett opined:
> I would have to say that it seems that DC is the most ill
> equipped city in the north to deal with snowy roads.
President Kennedy (supposedly) said “Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.”
There was no WMATA during the Kennedy Administration (transit was provided by the private sector under a franchise system), but there was a municipal government of the District of Columbia – in those days rigidly controlled by a (non-elected) Board of Commissioners that was responsible to Congress (and especially to the Chair of the (now-abolished) House District of Columbia Committee).
In defense of D.C., it does not often snow as much as it has this winter (the current winter being an all-time record for snowfall since official weather record keeping started in the 1870’s).
Miss a week’s work? I know it’s painful, but certainly a lot cheaper than “snow proofing” anything. The WMATA is nuts. Underground tunnels burrowed beneath 2-story townhomes? On my route the majority of the riders get on when I do, and then 10 stops later maybe 1/4 of them get off. And, of those 9 intermediate stations almost nobody boards at 3 of them during rush hour. So why doesn’t the system have a capability for express trains and why don’t we close a couple of those stations? And since the train is never full why are we running 8 car trains? Surely a dedicated bus-way with private bus companies subjected to market forces would work better.
OFP2003,
Your theory applies to highways and interstates as well. I remember when T-Rex was being built in Denver. During the construction phase they had to close many of the exits/entrances to I-25. That was the freest flowing traffic Denver has ever seen on that stretch of highway.
Here in Austin I often wonder what traffic would be like on the notorious I-35 is there was not an exit every 1/4 mile. Isn’t it supposed to be for “interstate” travel?
“In defense of D.C., it does not often snow as much as it has this winter (the current winter being an all-time record for snowfall since official weather record keeping started in the 1870’s).”
Very true, but its been a record year for Philly and NJ. Why is Philly soooooo much better at plowing roads than DC.
“Your theory applies to highways and interstates as well. I remember when T-Rex was being built in Denver. During the construction phase they had to close many of the exits/entrances to I-25. That was the freest flowing traffic Denver has ever seen on that stretch of highway.” -Bennet
Well, besides that people were flat out avoiding I25….. well, and, all the times it was far from free flowing. But it does point to a problem with the political side of things.
Just heard that PA ran out of snow removal money, so it looks like philly is in the same boat as DC now.
“Who wants to subsidize plowing roads?”
All people. Especially the 3/4 who drive.
In addition to the drivers, clear roads are needed for emergency vehicles & delivery vehicles.
Is it really a subsidy when a gov service is useful to all?
Well, the semantics can be debated, but it’s certainly not like many programs which benefit just a small portion of the population & paid by general funds or revenue which comes from more wealth.
If snow removal & other roads expenses were to be fully user generated, then public transit should certainly be self-sufficient, which would entail rider tickets to be 2-3 times higher.
A simple solution to generate more revenue for road expenses is to raise the gas tax, maybe even to $1/gallon more.
“Is it really a subsidy when a gov service is useful to all?”
First off, I was joking (hence the smiley face). Second of all, your on a slippery slope when trying to prop up libertarian ideologies asking that question. First off you have to define “all.” It’s not very useful to me here in ATX (it doesn’t snow). Then you have to define useful. Most politicians could politic their way around this question explaining how all the subsidies they support are useful to all.
“If snow removal & other roads expenses were to be fully user generated, then public transit should certainly be self-sufficient, which would entail rider tickets to be 2-3 times higher.” – Scott
A 25% rise in the current cost of driving would enable transit to charge me $12 – $18 for a round trip downtown when the cost of driving for me is $10 – $15 round trip?
Scott said: “Is it really a subsidy when a gov service is useful to all?â€
THWM: That makes me wonder why you guys hate transit so much?
An individual doesn’t need to own a vehicle or have a drivers license to use mass transit.
Highman,
I’m not sure on your question.
There is not a hatred for transit.
There is a hatred for ineffective, expensive spending, used by <4% of people, and mostly paid for by others.
What's your point about no vehicle or license to ride transit?
It is more expensive to be a driver.