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The Metro system, once a reliable point of pride for D.C.’s boosters, has had a rough few years: Safety problems, escalator outages, and rising prices have made the subway a regular subject of local griping. At times, it can be hard to keep up with the torrent of unflattering Metro-related scoops. As a public service, Washington City Paper is offering beleaguered riders this irregular round-up of recent media lowlights:
- Wednesday marked the second anniversary of the 2009 Fort Totten Red line crash that killed nine people. At the memorial ceremony, Mayor Vince Gray committed to building a park for the victims.
- “The style of rail car that crushed to less than a third of its size in the crash is still being used across the system, despite repeated warnings from the NTSB that they aren’t crashworthy. Metro has ordered replacements but they won’t all arrive until 2016.”
- Metro’s bus drivers are concerned about their safety. One of the agency’s solutions? Shields!
- Counting to ten is hard.
- Riders must like seeing something and saying something, because suspicious packages are everywhere.
In obvious good news this week, Metro had the brilliant idea to declare “Independence from Track Work” on July 4. And the Metro board passed the agency’s 2012 budget with no fare increases and only minor service changes.