Author Archive

Related and Supporting Studies in the Region

July 22nd, 2013 Comments off

Momentum builds upon and advances Momentum Covera number of regionally significant planning studies that are either recently completed – or underway. They include:

  • Region Forward: A vision for the DC region created by the MWCOG. It addresses the interrelated challenges of population growth, aging infrastructure, traffic congestion, energy costs, environmental impacts, affordable housing and sustainable development, as well as disparities in education, economics and health (2010)
  • Economy Forward: A companion piece to Region Forward that reinforces the importance of transit to the region’s overall competitiveness (2012)
  • Financially Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan (CLRP): The region’s official long-range transportation plan that outlines the priority projects to be implemented in the region between 2012 and 2040 as prioritized  by the Transportation Planning Board (TPB) and local jurisdictions (2012)

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Goal 3 – Improve Regional Mobility and Connect Communities

July 18th, 2013 Comments off

Metro will be the region’s transit planner, providing leadership for the transit map of the future. 

The region’s public transit needs are great, Regional Weeday Ridershipand the current multi-party approach has flaws that threaten the overall viability of the network. Metro is the only entity that is capable of and chartered to provide regional transit leadership.

Metro has and will continue to make these and other investments, but it should be noted that jurisdictional partners will also have to do their part in order to ensure that these investments result in significant improvements. This means cooperating on mobility policies, coordinating on capital investments such as traffic signal prioritization, and making land use decisions that support transit usage and ridership gains, especially in areas where Metro has underutilized existing capacity.

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Improving Quality of Life

July 16th, 2013 Comments off

Metro also delivers quality-of-life benefits to individuals by reducing the costs of travel and minimizing environmental impacts. Without transit:

  • Congestion at peak times would increase 25 percent, costing over $1.0 billion annually in wasted time.
  • Households would spend an additional $500 million/year in auto expenditures, including an additional 41 million gallons of fuel annually.
  • Air quality would worsen because of an additional 260 tons of volatile organic compounds, 22 tons of particulate matter and 500,000 tons of CO2 equivalent in the air, the equivalent of 9 billion party balloons. Emissions Avoided because of Metro

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Improving Customer Service

July 10th, 2013 1 comment

Since 2011, Metro has made great Sta-Manger-Bell-and-riders-061411-57strides to improve customer service through the Customer Service Action Plan. As a starting point, to determine customer priorities, Metro conducted customer and employee research to define good customer service and to identify customer priorities. With the information gathered from its customers and frontline employees, Metro identified the areas needing improvement in the respective departments and then put together individual corrective work plans. Through the Customer Service Action Plan, Metro has accomplished the following:

  • Developed new customer service training programs and trained over 2,000 employees;
  • Replaced and/or rehabilitated 28 escalators in 2012;
  • Introduced new and improved bus maps;
  • Assigned over 30 more police officers to improve bus security;
  • Developed and launched a trip planning and information site designed for mobile devices;
  • Installed digital flat screens in all stations to improve customer information;
  • Deployed MetroAlerts so customers have access to real-time detour and disruption information;
  • Installed over 2,600 static stop signs to enhance service information at bus stops;
  • Enhanced MetroAccess’ on-time performance standards in response to customer survey feedback;
  • Installed SmarTrip dispensers in all stations; and
  • Implemented the Better Bus program to improve service.

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Stakeholder Outreach Response

July 8th, 2013 Comments off

Momentum employed a multi-pronged outreach IMG_1280and feedback gathering strategy, including both conventional and modern tools. Metro staff gathered input to inform a draft plan and subsequently, gathered feedback on the plan prior to finalizing it. Metro staff heard from almost 12,000 stakeholders during the outreach process through the following tools. The input has informed Metro’s understanding of the public’s short- and long-term needs. Read more…

Summary of Metro’s Recent Cost Efficiencies and Savings

July 3rd, 2013 Comments off

Over the last five years, Metro has cut $200 million through efficiency-related reductions and achieved similar savings in costs avoided through management efficiency initiatives, restructurings, one-time savings and other actions, including:

MetroAccess: In FY11, by encouraging select paratransit riders to use fixed route transit, Metro saved more than $25 million in paratransit costs. Continuing to promote this travel training has lowered MetroAccess demand and has allowed Metro to avoid spending an additional $10 million in FY13 alone.

Energy Efficiencies: Metro’s bus fleet has improved its fuel economy by 27 percent over the last eight years, saving money on rising fuel costs.  Meanwhile, Metro’s facilities are saving money as well – the new Shepherd Parkway facility is LEED-Silver certified – and the new escalators and elevators are realizing significant energy savings.

Parking Facilities: Metro saves $3.1 million each year as a result of automating its parking facilities.

Employee Health and Wellness: As a result of a health insurance benefits program audit, Metro has cut $3 million per year, and plans to continue on the wellness track by incentivizing healthy behavior and habits to help its employees, increase productivity and further reduce health insurance costs.

Overtime: An organization-wide review of overtime procedures and pay is paying dividends. Since the end of 2012, overtime is $3 million lower than the same period for each of the two preceding years.

Transaction Costs: Metro is encouraging more SmarTrip Card usage, and as a result has reduced the use of paper fare media from 20% of payments to 12%, saving $1 million per year. Metro has its eyes set on more savings by targeting a 5 percent paper fare card usage rate.

Identifying More Efficiencies: An independent efficiency analysis is underway to assist in identifying further opportunities to save money in administrative areas. Read more…

MetroAccess – Serving the Region’s Disabled Community

July 1st, 2013 Comments off

Metro is the nation’s most MetroAccess Average Annual Ridershipaccessible large transit system. All 86 Metrorail stations have elevators and the new 7000-series rail cars are designed to maximize accessibility. Metrobus operates 1,100 fully accessible buses, most of which are low-floor and ramp-equipped and all of which have automated stop announcements. Numerous other changes have been made by Metro to maximize usability so that many customers with disabilities are able to use Metrobus and Metrorail for some of their travel. However, inadequacies such as the lack of curb cuts, sidewalks and traffic signals impact disabled customers’ ability to use Metrorail and Metrobus. MetroAccess serves these trips and others and presently provides about two million trips per year.

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Strides in Improving Reliability

June 26th, 2013 2 comments

Thanks to its funding partners, Metro is now Track-work-College-Park-031512-56engaged in the largest capital improvement program since its original construction. Two years ago, MetroForward was launched – an aggressive, $5 billion, six-year investment program to rebuild the system. MetroForward is investing in what Metro’s customers value most: safety, reliability, and good customer service. With continued investment, it is projected that Metro will continue to make progress on the intensive MetroForward “catch up” phase in the years ahead. MetroForward has already delivered:

  • An aggressive escalator rehabilitation program;
  • Continued improved elevator availability;
  • Station repairs at Judiciary Square, Shady Grove, Rockville, White Flint, Twinbrook and Union station;
  • 461 new MetroAccess vehicles in service;
  • Over 200 new replacement or rehabilitated buses in service;
  • Electrical upgrades to accommodate additional eight-car trains on some lines; and
  • Replacement of over 14.7 miles of rail; 36 No. 8 guarded switches; 16,000 ties; 11,731 cross ties; 62,723 linear feet of running rail; 20,745 fasteners; 8,849 insulators; and 9,829 linear feet of grout pads.

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Announcing 40 Days of Momentum!

June 13th, 2013 2 comments

Momentum CoverYou’ve been diligently telling us what you think our priorities should be and we’ve listened. We’ve been hard at work putting the final touches on Momentum: The Next Generation of Metro and Metro’s Board endorsed the plan today.

Starting Monday, over the following 40 weekdays, we’ll be rolling out the most interesting parts of the plan in daily posts here on PlanItMetro.

Monday Posts: Preparing for Tomorrow’s Region Today

Tuesday Posts: Metro’s Importance to the Region

Wednesday Posts: Metro’s Recent Accomplishments and Public Engagement

Thursday Posts: Strategies and Priority Actions to Make this Vision a Reality

Friday Posts: Metro 2025 – Seven Priority Capital Initiatives

If you want to read and download either the full Momentum plan or the Executive Summary, go right ahead. But if you want to stop back for a daily dose of Momentum, don’t be shy. If you notice something that strikes your fancy, leave us a comment.

Regional support is important to making Momentum a reality! A number of regional stakeholders have already endorsed Momentum. Please sign on and add your name to endorse Momentum and send the message that public transit is vital to the National Capital Region.

 

 

 

New Topics on MindMixer – We Want to Hear from You!

February 26th, 2013 7 comments

WMATA_ An Online Conversation for the Future by MindMixer

Thank you for all for your valued contributions on MindMixer over the past several months. All of your comments and ideas have been reviewed to see what improvements we can begin to undertake and plan for and many have been incorporated into Momentum: The Next Generation of Metro, our strategic plan. We also appreciate your continued patience while we developed new topics.Blue Momentum Cover

We’re happy to announce that new topics are open! We want to hear from you on the staff draft of Momentum and initiatives for Metro 2025 so that we can maximize our existing system. Additionally, for the cartographers out there, there is a question about proposed changes to the Metrorail map in advance of the Silver Line opening later this year. So please log back on and let us know what you think. If you haven’t joined the conversation, please do! We want to hear from you and we’re listening.