Episode 002 of the FixWMATA Podcast was recorded in November, 2017 and features news, rider interviews, and an interview with @DCMetroHero.

 

 

 
Link to Ian Sutherland's Music:
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/ian_sutherland

Text of this episode:
I’m Chris Barnes and this… is the FixWMATA Podcast

This week we take a quick look back at the news from November 11th through 17th, 2017 - then we talk with riders outside Silver Spring Metro - and later I sit down with everyone’s favorite Metro app: DCMETROHERO….

In WMATA news this week…

Adam Tuss gives us a heads-up about escalator repairs at Judiciary Square that has one of the entrances closed…

Martin DiCaro has reaction to the long-awaited Ray LaHood report on WMATA and in a separate piece addresses one of the suggestions from the report which says bus fares should be raised and lines cut…

Several reporters covered a Senate report that came out this week saying the WMATA Office of Inspector General isn’t as effective as it should be due to close spending and IT interactions with WMATA. The same report details how at one point a Metro employee had installed key-tracking software on the OIG computers….

Di Caro also responded to WMATA Board meeting presentations on Vital Signs by asking “What does Metro mean by ‘on-time’?” There’s a debate on whether that time is based on train movement or people movement. Another discussion resulted from this asking if WMATA is adjusting their metrics to paint a rosier picture of the ridership - something that prompted General Manager Wiedefeld to announce the needle has moved and invited riders who left to come back despite several planned closures and unchanged service levels….

WTOP has a story about WMATA looking to privatize operations of the Cinder Bed bus facility which would be a departure from the norm. The change may reduce costs but upset WMATA’s labor union.

There were also several crime stories this week and on the grosser side of things Adam Tuss has a story about how hair… human hair… is apparently causing problems with WMATA’s rail equipment.

All of these stories and more can be found on FixWMATA dot com where new stories are added throughout the week.

[transition music]

This week I spent some time outside the Silver Spring station and asked riders about the upcoming Red Line closure scheduled for November 25 through December 10. During the 16 day closure the Red Line will be replaced by limited bus service between Silver Spring and Fort Totten while Takoma station is closed. On the weekend of December 2nd ALL of the Red Line is closed between Fort Totten and Glenmont for track work and WMATA will continue limited bus shuttles through the entire area.

[begin interview audio]

[FixWMATA] Can you just start with your first name and home station?

[Jamal] I’m Jamal from Silver Spring Station.

[F] OK, Jamal - are you aware of the Red Line shutdown that’s coming up for 16 days?

[Jamal] Yeah, I know about it.

[F] OK, what’s your plan to get around it?

[Jamal] Get a car and drive and get a bike and ride.

[F] OK, so seriously - get a car. Do you have a car now?

[Jamal] Yeah, why not?

[FixWMATA] Can I just start with your first name and home Metro station?

[Francisco] My name is Francisco and my home station’s Takoma Park Station.

[F] Oh, perfect. So are you aware of the upcoming Red Line shutdown for 16 days?

[Francisco] Uh no.

[F] No?