Authorities say the rehabilitation of the Frederick Douglass Bridge is on schedule and that it should reopen by “early September 2007.” That will be a good thing because once the August vacation season is over, a full crush of commuters will be needing something more than thefew alternatives they currently have for getting across the Anacostia River. The work will continue after the bridge has reopened to traffic on things like landscaping but that should not pose a huge problem for drivers.
Metro
In addition to those who tend to stand on the left side of the escalators, there is something else that is irritating some passengers: as a reader comments, “I have to say something about the latest trend in more and more people pulling small bags and backpacks with wheels on them through the Metro. It’s like a person with a trailer attached. The congestion in the Metro is bad enough without this going on.
“The worst is on the escalators during rush hour; I was tempted to boot one down the stairs the other day as the individual blocked the whole escalator and I and many others got to watch our Yellow train pull out, without us.”
Like all transit systems, Metro carries people who are doing a lot of different things.
Some are heading for the airport and some are heading for work. Some of the passengers have small children that require strollers.
All of these needs have to be accommodated, and it’s not feasible to put restrictions on the way that people use the system.
Joe writes: “I look forward to reading your column in The Examiner each day. As a 30 year-plus Metro rider, I thought I had seen most everything. Well, [last Friday morning] I was at Shady Grove and there was a typical delay due to a train broken down at Twinbrook, ‘that has been resolved.’ A few minutes later, a train approached the platform and it was quickly clear that this was the problem train being moved to the yard.
“Thing was, it was on fire! Smoke and open flames were pouring out of a wheel assembly on the fifth car. Apparently unaware, they stopped the train at the platform, causing a crowd of tourists and other riders to back away in amazement. Support personnel finally came running with fire extinguishers, as I was boarding an inbound train. Good thing this was all at an above-ground station. What next?”
