WMATA Deinterlining Trilogy: Part 1, Operations
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- Опубликовано: 16 авг 2022
- The first part of a trilogy all about the future of the DC Metro. This is part one where we focus on the operations side of things before getting into the meat of De-interlining the system.
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Whitepaper study:
www.wmata.com/initiatives/pla...
I think WMATA needs more seating than other transit operators like the MTA because the system is both urban and suburban rail, meaning you could be on the train for a long while. For instance, the silver line from downtown to Dulles Airport is about an hour. People don’t want to stand for that long.
While I do understand that on the suburban sections you won’t be wanting to stand for the longer journeys, they’re often not busy enough to really fill up the seats. Plus if the trains are getting very full before they even hit places like Arlington then there’s definitely motivation to run more service which will decrease crowding.
I can hardly wait to see Part 2.
I’d suggest building a line similar to the DC section of the Blue line loop, via Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Mt Vernon sq, and Union Station, and route the Silver and Orange lines via this route. After Union Station, split the Silver line off via Benning Road to Stadium Armory, with the Orange line running to Navy Yard via Capitol South, with a possible extension to National Harbor. To make up service on the main east-west line, I would add a line that I’m REALLY surprised nobody has proposed seriously: Metro along I-395 serving Shirlington, Mark Center/Southern Towers, Landmark Mall/Lincolnia, and possibly an extension to Annandale and Fairfax/GMU. I would construct only a few new tracks at Rosslyn and between Pentagon City and Pentagon to accommodate this new Black line, which would be routed via Arlington Cemetery. I would also rebuild Pentagon, Pentagon City, and Rosslyn to have cross-platform transfers, a rarity in the Metro system. This would mean a lot more service and far better headways in DC and the suburbs.
A little late lol but great thought out details. Of course there is a lot of interlining on a lot of systems across this country so it definitely is a touchy subject. Maintenance and shutdowns and single tracking has always been a big thing especially when it comes to the timing of them. Certain name changes to stops too like PG Plaza to Hyattsville Crossing which made no sense to me for multiple reasons and White Flint to North Bethesda which actually did make sense to me with the White Flint mall not existing anymore. And ofc the open gangway with the new 8ks are an interesting thing. The open gangway isn't a bad idea but I am concerned about hooligans moving from car to car easier given that some of the turns across the system are sharp and narrow and since 2021 ish crime has seen gradual increases. Either way, I am excited for the 8ks to come even though I will miss the 2ks and 3ks having grown up with them. Obviously this whole rail car shortage with the 7ks too has been tough for everybody involved. You know how they ordered only 184 6ks and then 748 7ks? a little of one but a lot of another despite the small age gap? Well the 748 7ks is fine but I wish they ordered a bigger amount of 6ks. Like 400 maybe. This is because of how much of a hit they are with customers like the 7ks and for increased capacity having all 8 car trains no matter what train shortage or not, improved safety and reliability given how reliable they've always been and for a fleet expansion sort of (which is what they were all along) and lastly the whole 7k meltdown in late 2021 wouldn't have looked as embarrassing as it did and ridership demand could still be maintained somewhat with maybe 15 min headways rather than 20-30. 15 still isn't good but 30 at the very start sure was gruesome. I have been a wmata enthusiast for 20 years so my whole life and I of course want them to be the best they have always been and I have no regrets.
No longitudinal seating! WMATA does the job of commuter trains too. Rides from Reston or Ashburn can be 1hr+, nobody wants to stand
Right, but that’s really a minority of the system. The Metro covers lots of urban areas that are closer in, and once you get out the central areas seats become readily available. It shouldn’t be one way just because of one example of an instance with long ride times. Furthermore most people along the silver probably won’t be commuting into DC, instead taking the line into the huge job centers of Tyson’s & Reston.
@@thehouseoftransit2719 I think that's just a fundamental problem with trying to combine commuter rail and a subway into one system. Unfortunately, to make commutes semi-bearable, standing capacity has to be cut. Even commutes between places in northern VA take 20+ mins. Standing would still be undesirable.
Deinterlining and adding more routes in the city (perhaps narrow trains, like Madrid Metro), will alleviate capacity issues, rather than worsening the commute for people who are finally moving into transit-based communities in NOVA
@@thehouseoftransit2719 they're already considering extending the blue line into a loop line finally connecting Georgetown, that would do wonders for capacity
Exactly. It was conceived more as a commuter system, but also as a state of the art city railway for the tourists.
Easy build new lines and separate the service into the new lines. They can turn the orange line into a crosstown line in NOVA extending the current yellow line and a new crosstown above the rail trail separating from the silver and blue lines. Then build a Columbia Turnpike line for the yellow line to reroute. And yes all these new lines are elevated
Love the ideas!
More doors are a good idea, but I'm not sure they can be easily or affordably retrofitted to existing train cars.
2 crosstown lines in NOVA would allow easy deinterlining or at least keeping it to 2 lines max.
Can’t wait for part two, personally I’m hoping WMATA goes with the blue line loop but I am always curious about alternatives, great video
Georgetown doesn’t need metro. People who live and work in Georgetown wouldn’t use metro even if it was available. We need the pink line. Also the purple line being a separate entity is going to get messy imo.
Really interesting stuff. Would love to see new trunk lines
very cool!
As one who has followed the build out of WMATA's Metrorail system sense early 1970s. It is my opinion based on know facts that WMATA could increase train frequencies by doing two things:
Procure rolling stock in sufficient numbers plus spears to allow the operation of all 8 car train during peak service. WMATA has had a rolling stock shortage sense the opening of the Yellow line to Huntington on 12 17 1983.
Reduce station dwell times allowing more trains to be operated on a given line per hour. Roughly 15 seconds of station dwell times is during the time a train is berthed at the platform with the doors closed. These 15 seconds are because WMATA has not restored automatic operation coupled with automatic door opening.
The existing signaling and train control system is designed to allow 40 train per hour on all routes with the exception the route the Silver line exclusively operates on, it is designed to allow 19 train per hour.
The suits at WMATA claim anything above 26 train per hour is not possible based on simulations. Mind you I do not know if their simulations were done based on the existing size of the fleet or a fleet of greater size.
A subway underneath Constitution or Independence Avenue could serve as a diversion for the Silver Line which would run from Dulles to RFK Stadium and points east in the future. It would require a direct connector from the Orange-Silver Line to the Blue Line just south of Rosslyn and a new tunnel under the Potomac near Theodore Roosevelt Bridge or Arlington National Cemetery Bridge. But I think it should be done to relieve the east-west central subway.
I hope you talk about the fare situation, constant shut downs (“maintenance”), and how the Ballston-Rosslyn corridor is the only success of metro. The rest of the stations (on the Virginia side) and all kiss and ride stations with no work, live, play areas in the immediate vicinity. It’s a sad state metro is in right now, and even with the opening of silver line phase 2, not sure if they’ll be able to recover to what it once was.
you never compleated the seriries
Part two will be coming out soon!