Don't be surprised if Metro goes bankrupt within the next several years (Arlington: crime, live)

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by ffx rez

lol @ driving to verizon center instead of waiting 20 minutes, or, better yet just checking the real time arrivals.

The real time data is not accurate on weekends, and 20 minutes is good for weekends. I waited 40 three weeks ago, and my wife routinely gets 30 minutes.

If you have the ability to "leave at the right time" sure you can reduce waits... Except when the real time data is a lie. But if you have to transfer? Welcome to 80 minutes to go a few miles, or if you are leaving some event and have to wait to get home.

[Lilac110]

They've been saying that almost as long as the Metro has been in existence.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

When gas prices go back up it will be packed.

Good point.

[lqda4]

My wife has been commuting into DC by car even when gas price was near $4 a gallon. Time is money and it makes more sense (overall) to drive than to ride metro. She is taking metro now but getting more frustrated lately with delays and overcrowd situations. Looks like she will be back driving again regardless of gas price.

[airjay75]

No doubt Metro has a lot of problems as any rider can tell you. But, it still moves over 700k people a day. Can we imagine what would happen if those 700k plus people suddenly had to find other ways to get to where they're going? I think it would paralyze the entire metro area. Like it or not, it seems to me that Metro is here to stay. It is an integral part of the transportation system and I just don't see how it could ever be eliminated. I can complain about Metro as much as the next rider, but I think we should all be rooting for a functioning Metro system that moves a lot of people. I guess what tysonsengineer suggests doing (emailing/calling your elected representatives) is as good as any place to start. I do fear, however, that in the typical fashion of our political system, it's going to have to get closer to crisis levels before people start to care enough to do anything. Until then, cue the complaining.

[lqda4]

The way the line keeps getting longer and branched out also does not help. Dumping more ridership on the same path essentially creates more dependencies. From the security perspective, that's easy target for causing disruption and impact on the metro system.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by lqda4

My wife has been commuting into DC by car even when gas price was near $4 a gallon. Time is money and it makes more sense (overall) to drive than to ride metro. She is taking metro now but getting more frustrated lately with delays and overcrowd situations. Looks like she will be back driving again regardless of gas price.

If the time savings isnt there, then metro is not meant for you. I concur. Metro can't serve everyone, our land use in this area makes it that way. In fact one of the reason why metro struggles is because it sometimes tries to over stretch into areas it probably shouldn't (one reason I am against orange and yellow line extensions).

Note though, for almost ever metro rider on weekdays, the time savings is far greater on metro than driving into DC. From Tysons to Farragut for my wife is ~20 minutes. By car it is 30 and only because she can use 66 if she drove, otherwise closer to 35. It's also a matter of parking costs. If your wife's company pays for free parking, then sure, but if she had to pay (~15 bucks is the going rate right now) that's 300 bucks extra per month to park versus other options.

[slaminjamin87]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

If the time savings isnt there, then metro is not meant for you. I concur. Metro can't serve everyone, our land use in this area makes it that way. In fact one of the reason why metro struggles is because it sometimes tries to over stretch into areas it probably shouldn't (one reason I am against orange and yellow line extensions).

Note though, for almost ever metro rider on weekdays, the time savings is far greater on metro than driving into DC. From Tysons to Farragut for my wife is ~20 minutes. By car it is 30 and only because she can use 66 if she drove, otherwise closer to 35. It's also a matter of parking costs. If your wife's company pays for free parking, then sure, but if she had to pay (~15 bucks is the going rate right now) that's 300 bucks extra per month to park versus other options.

You are aware that Metro itself costs $14 per day riding from Reston or Vienna up to DC right?? Given the amount of never ending delays, overcrowding metro stops, and poor management, it's better to drive to D.C. then metro. So I don't see any time savings in terms of riding metro.

If we compare our public transit system to NYC and Chicago, it's a complete joke. At least NYC and Chicago's subway system is way cheaper than D.C, and it's 10 times more efficient and properly run.

[gomason]

As Tysons points out, it's more about how this system is set up. Metro relies on fares more than almost any other system in the country. Godforbid, it have more stable dedicated funding (if you even consider area jurisdictions contributions dedicated). Consequently we have sky high fares like SF

20 minute wait times on the weekend would just be ridiculous. What's the point in even opening up the system at that point? Just completely close it down and accelerate construction work for god sakes.

Closing the system at midnight is just asking for drunk drivers to flood area streets late at night. Another great proposal. One of the only reasons I ever ride Metro is when I go to events that will involve me drinking like a baseball or hockey game.

I guess if I could swallow one change, it would be a reduction from 6 to 8 minute waits. Wouldn't really affect me that much with both the Orange and Silver Lines going through Arlington.

[lqda4]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

If the time savings isnt there, then metro is not meant for you. I concur. Metro can't serve everyone, our land use in this area makes it that way. In fact one of the reason why metro struggles is because it sometimes tries to over stretch into areas it probably shouldn't (one reason I am against orange and yellow line extensions).

Note though, for almost ever metro rider on weekdays, the time savings is far greater on metro than driving into DC. From Tysons to Farragut for my wife is ~20 minutes. By car it is 30 and only because she can use 66 if she drove, otherwise closer to 35. It's also a matter of parking costs. If your wife's company pays for free parking, then sure, but if she had to pay (~15 bucks is the going rate right now) that's 300 bucks extra per month to park versus other options.

No, it actually costs more for her to drive and like I said we sucked it up and drove even at $4 a gallon. No, she does not get free parking (and tolls) and yes, she could have gotten metro subsidy from work if she rides metro. But overall if we take into account the time lost and the hassles and what else we juggle with, driving still makes more sense in our case... Fully concur with you, the lines are over stretched.

[LakeLifePA]

Originally Posted by Old Guard

When gas prices go back up it will be packed.

Gas would have to be around $8.00 a gallon for me to be able to justify the cost of parking at the station and the METRO fare.