Author Archives: Ian

UPDATED: Cycling not recommended to Wolf Trap

UPDATED

I am attending a concert tonight at the Wolf Trap Center in Virginia, and sent the following to the contact email on their website

Hi,

I am attending a concert tonight at the Filene Center center, Do you haveany bike racks or safe place to lock a bike during a performance. I looked on the website and didn’t see any mention

thanks

I got the following prompt response, which unfortunately is not good news

Thanks for writing. Unfortunately without direct access to and from bike trails or light volume traffic routes into the park it would not generally be considered safe or easy for bicycle riders. No dedicated bike racks are available in the park, although if you choose to arrive by bicycle you could certainly lock it to a fence or other permanent fixture. You may need to consult with Park Police or a Ranger on site to be sure you are not in a restricted area. The good news is Metro service via shuttle bus is available for all Filene Center performances (except the International Children’s Festival).

Filene Center Performances

The Wolf Trap Metro Shuttle Bus Express provides service to all Filene
Center shows (except the International Children’s Festival).

1. Take Metrorail’s Orange line, any of the convenient Metrobus Routes (3B, 28A and 28B), or drive to the West Falls Church Metrorail Station.

2. Hop on the Wolf Trap Metro Shuttle Bus Express, which leaves the West Falls Church Metrorail Station every 20 minutes starting two hours before each performance. The last Shuttle leaves the station at
showtime. Round trip fare is just $3.00 per person (exact change required). The Shuttle Bus is wheelchair accessible.

3. Returning, the Shuttle departs Wolf Trap 20 minutes after the performance ends (no later than 11:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday). The last train for Downtown and New Carrollton leaves the West Falls
Church Station at 11:32 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and at 1:32 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

For more information on Metro’s hours of operation, the Wolf Trap Shuttle Bus, or Metro’s One-Day Pass, please call (202) 637-7000 (TDD: (202) 638-3780). Or, visit Metro’s Web site at www.metroopensdoors.com.

We hope this helps,
best wishes.

On looking at google maps I could bike from Wolf Trap to the W&OD Trail. Taking Trap Rd south then turn right onto Clarks Crossing and follow it to the trail. Am I crazy for even thinking about this?

The Alternative is I leave my bike at West Falls Church and then take the shuttle back after the concert then take the 980 home.

UPDATE: July 29th 2008
I got the following response from Wolf

Good afternoon,

Your message was shared with Foundation staff and Wolf Trap National Park Service representatives and sub-sequentially it has been brought to our attention that a bike rack has been made available this entire summer season for events at The Filene Center. The location is just to the right (south) of the Main Gate before entering the venue.

We sincerely apologize for the oversight regarding this matter. Wolf Trap is committed to delivering our programs with the best possible service. We realize that one bad experience is enough to keep you from
returning. We appreciate your patronage and will continue to do all we can to create the best possible Wolf Trap experience for our patrons. Thank you again and we hope you will be back for a more enjoyable evening under the stars at Wolf Trap!

Best regards.

So it looks like they do have a bike rack, so as promised I have changed the title of this post.

Metro Buses Late 25% of the time

Ever wonder where your bus is? The Washington Post is has a story on a new system that WMATA was put in place that allows them to track how buses are doing.

For the first time in its history, Metro has figured out how late its buses are. They are off schedule more than 25 percent of the time, and some of the worst performing routes are late more than 50 percent of the time.

At least they know where the problems are

Other measures include coordination with regional transportation departments to set aside more dedicated bus lanes and traffic signal technology to help get buses through traffic, he said. There is a dedicated bus lane for the heavily used 70 and 79 routes from Silver Spring to downtown D.C., but other vehicles are often double-parked in the lane, he said.

Enforcing and ticketing cars parked in bus stops and bus lanes is a must to make Public Transportation work. I would also be in favor of reducing the number of bus stop on busy streets. They should should also look at how large the area for bus stops are. I frequently see buses loading and unloading from the main traffic lane instead of pulling into a bus stop.

WMATA Regan National stop out of service this weekend

WMATA is performing major track work this weekend

This weekend, Metro will undertake a major track rehabilitation project on the Blue and Yellow lines that will heavily impact service between the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Braddock Road Metrorail stations. The stations will remain open, but the track between them will be closed, so customers using the Blue and Yellow lines should add 30 minutes into their travel plans to allow to transfer to a shuttle bus to get through the affected area.

Take another look at buses for commuting

The Washington Post has article on using buses as an alternative to driving.

Buses may lack the hipness of subways or light rail, but they are the best hope for accommodating large numbers of new riders quickly and affordably. To harness the increased demand for mass transit, officials are turning to new ways of delivering and marketing their bus service.

When looking at public transit we need identify the major routes, then use local connections, walking, biking, and local buses to feed into those major routes. Washington has metro area already has the metro which act as major trunks, we should be looking for the gaps and filling them with express buses, bus rapid transit, light rail etc. The Washington area does best when linking buses to the metro, we need to do more with rapid bus links to make interconnected journeys possible.

It sounds likes WMATA’s Catoe gets it and is already working to this goal.

Expanding and improving Washington’s bus service is critical to shift some of the pressure off the rail system, which is packed during rush hour and has little room to add longer or more frequent trains. Catoe has proposed an extensive network of express buses that would use shoulders or bus-only lanes to help meet the region’s immediate transportation needs.

Metro Testing Straps for th height Challenged

The Post reports that metro has been testing new straps that will help people who can’t reach the top pole..

The transit agency is testing several different styles of overhead handles in rail cars to give riders something to hold onto for extra balance and comfort.

I haven’t tried them out in person, but some of the Fairfax Connector buses have spring-loaded stainless steel handles, which I have found to be next to useless on the buses, you need something solid to brace your self on as a bus swings round corners. So hopefully the straps will work out better.

After using the new 6000 cars I dislike that they have removed a number of polls that go from the floor to the ceiling, they are my favorite brace point for when you have to strand. it also always a natural hand grab for all heights.