Author Archive

Orange Line Double Whammy

The Orange Line is abuzz with delays. A train has been offloaded for mechanical difficulties at East Falls Church, and another train at Ballston appears to have begun emitting smoke. This would happen right at the peak of rush hour just when hordes of hungover Washingtonians need to be at work for Seis de Mayo. [...]

Union Station, c. 1906

Via Shorpy, here’s an old photo of Union Station when it was new, as seen from the side of the rails. Besides the old steam locomotives, notice anything glaringly different from how this scene looks now, 104 years later?
(See it big.)
1 person likes this post.
Unlike

Red Line Delays Due to Track Fire

An “arcing insulator” has caused a fire on the Red Line tracks (Shady Grove direction), outside Dupont Circle. At the same time, a track circuit issue is giving Metro problems at Farragut North. Single-tracking is currently in effect between Dupont and Van Ness. Expect major delays in both directions this afternoon. Official WMATA release [...]

Suspicious Package at Thomas Circle

Thanks to @jjohnson for the photo
Just got some buzz that Thomas Circle has been closed and evacuated for a “suspicious package.” And here’s another photo of the yellow tape around the area right now from The American Spectator’s Philip Klein.
Guess we’re all a bit on edge after yesterday’s failed Times Square bombing attempt.
Update: The security [...]

Nesting Duck at National Garden

This mother duck seems to have found an excellent nesting location in the Firecracker Flower bed right outside the National Garden, facing Independence Ave SW. Let’s hope she gets her eggs hatched and the ducklings safely through the garden to the First Ladies’ Water Garden without having to cross any roads or drain covers.
Bigger photo [...]

Earth Day with NASA on the National Mall

April 22nd is Earth Day, so for this whole week NASA is celebrating it with a “NASA Village” on the National Mall near Smithsonian Metro.
Like
Unlike

Orange Line Delays Due to Man Struck at Cheverly Metro

(Cheverly Metro photo by Genista)
Looks like a guy jumped on the tracks and got hit by a train at Cheverly this morning. Expect delays on top of already bad weekend single-tracking for maintenance.
More from CHVBlog, DCistand Post’s Get There.
Like
Unlike

Million Militia Man March Probably Not Pushing Through

Via The Washington Independent, we have news of the arrest of nine militiamen for conspiracy to overthrow the government. Among the arrested: Kris “Pale Horse” Sickles, who about a year ago posted — and then quickly pulled — a YouTube video calling for a “Million Militia Man March” on Washington, in which large numbers of [...]

Not Quite Peak Bloom Yet?

I did a round of the Tidal Basin today, and it looks like moving Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom dates back a week might have been premature; still a lot more buds than blossoms. It’s already very picturesque, however, so you won’t regret going this early, but there is still lots of promise for next week.
2 [...]

Sick

“We need a doctor,” came the yell. Some of the last words you want to hear on Metro; they indicate that somewhere on the train, someone may be suffering or dying — and of more callous concern, that WMATA’s “Sick Customer” policy goes into effect, stopping the train and triggering cascading delays down the line.
It [...]

Washington Harbour Boardwalk Flooded

We’ve got a major Coastal Flood Warning today, with the tidal Potomac swelling to 3-4 ft above flood level, and 5-10 ft around Georgetown. Be safe and cautious if you live or work near the Potomac River or the C&O Canal, and don’t try to drive through flood water. The National Harbour boardwalk and parts [...]

Shooting at Pentagon Metro

(Video from ArlingtonNews)
Update, the next day: Pentagon shooter J. Patrick Bedell was a software engineer from California, with lots of online trails: a Wikipedia profile, a blogspot blog, an Amazon review and wish list, a Linked In page, and a SourceForge project. See DCist and Gawker for additional details on Bedell’s disturbed online presence.
(Earlier updates [...]

Theodore Roosevelt Island in Snow

Speaking of unhikable, unbikable paths, commenter Phil noted that Theodore Roosevelt Island trails are still a mess of snow and fallen trees and branches. I got to see that firsthand over the weekend; most of the island is still shin-deep in snow, and the boardwalk remains uncleared of branches and ankle-to-shin deep accumulation, with an [...]

Trees Down on the Towpath

The C&O Canal Towpath has been closed since last week between 31st and Wisconsin in Georgetown due to huge trees downed by the weight of Snowmageddon 2010. No word on when NPS plans to clean up the mess, so if your jogging route takes you down the C&O anytime soon, you might want to detour [...]

Foggy Bottom Metro Escalator Fail (Again)

Those of you who ride Metro from Foggy Bottom Station, does this scene look familiar?

Like
Unlike

Flood Warning

The Washington Harbour Boardwalk in Georgetown is underwater this morning, as the muddy, debris-strewn Potomac River swells to flood level following Sunday and Monday’s rain. NWS has issued a Coastal Flood Warning for our area. Highest afternoon tides will be around 5:30PM.
The rest of the Harbour is behind a floodwall that they have ready just [...]

Massive Orange Line Metrofail

An offloaded train at Rosslyn Station in the midst of rush hour has resulted in some pretty bad delays on the Orange Line. Unsuck DC Metro Twitter is keeping watch. Thanks to Mark for the Twitpic. More details from the Post’s Get There blog.
Like
Unlike

Senate Subway, Then and Now

From historical photoblog Shorpy we get this underground gem:

That’s the Senate Subway, c. 1915, just two years after it started operation, part of the whole Capitol Subway System. After the jump, you can see how the Senate Subway still uses open-air cars, though somewhat more modernized.
(Update: Well, boy is my face red; the ‘today’ photo [...]

AA Flight from DCA Overshoots Runway in Jamaica

American Airlines Flight 331, a 737-800 originating from DC National Airport, overshot the runway on landing in Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica, with heavy rain. The plane broke into pieces and came to a stop on the beach, just short of the water. At the moment we are hearing 154 on board, no [...]

Snowbank Blocking Pedestrian Crossing

Some snow plow operation in Arlington has seen fit to pile this massive snowbank right on top of a pedestrian crossing outside Clarendon Metro, forcing walkers to walk around it, on the road, dodging ice and skidding cars to get across Wilson Blvd. Hey, Arlington, I know it’s hard to figure out where to put [...]