NTSB Findings, WMATA Failures, Nationals Baseball Plans

Less than a day after the Metro crash that took nine lives and left dozens injured, questions are being raised concerning the safety and reliability of the Metrorail system. Here’s what we’re reading to get more information this afternoon:

--Many are citing a 2006 report by the NTSB that was issued after the crash at Woodley Park in 2004 - view it here - specified that 1000-series Metrorail cars can be susceptible to telescoping, which could result in destruction of the car. The NTSB said that replacement cars should be designed with crashworthiness in mind. In the meantime, the report noted that 1000-series cars are scheduled for retirement between 2012 and 2015. There are 290 1000-series cars in service. They do not contain data-recording devices such as a black box.

--Check out the Washington City Paper City Desk column for more info and updates.

--Dr. Gridlock and the Washington Post have compiled a timeline of Metro alerts from last night. There is major frustration over reports through the night that listed “mechanical difficulties” as the cause of delays on the red line, and many passengers stuck in said delays had no idea about the accident until friends and family informed them.

Editor's personal comment
WMATA really needs to get on the ball when it comes to communications. E-communications and social media are incredibly easy to get with these days and can be properly acheived with little investment. What is the excuse? The alerts and notices yesterday, especially those delivered through email and twitter, were ridiculous and useless. And in some cases, incredibly distatseful and even untrue. Like this tweet: "All: Disruption cleared." which came out around 10PM last night.


The Washington Nationals have issued an e-mail to fans that includes the following information about tonight’s game:

The Washington Nationals express their deepest sympathies to those affected by
yesterday's Metrorail tragedy on the Red Line. A moment of silence will take
place before this evening's game vs. the Boston Red Sox in honor of the victims.

Metro has advised all customers to plan for extra travel time both on
Metro and the roads due to yesterday's accident. All Nationals fans attending
tonight's game vs. the Boston Red Sox are encouraged to allow more time for
their trip and to anticipate delays both coming to and leaving the ballpark.

Fans may park for free at RFK Stadium's Lot 8 and take the free Nats
Express to Nationals Park. The Nats Express begins at 5:30pm and runs through an hour-and-a-half after the final out.

Parking is available around Nationals Park and may be pre-purchased at www.nationals.com/waytogo. Nationals Park Garages B and C will open today at 4:30pm, while all other lots will open at 5:00pm.

Fans planning to take Metro should visit www.wmata.com for
up-to-the-minute information on station closings and delays.

Safety and accessibility are two of my major concerns coming away from the incident. We’ve all moaned and groaned about the costs of riding Metro. The estimated property damage from the 2004 accident was estimated by the NTSB to be over $3 million. While the 1000-series trains are operable, it is clear that they are not the safest option for Metro passengers. Retiring and replacing these cars sooner than originally planned may be worth additional costs to riders if it ensures a safer ride in the long run. I’d rather see Metro spend money on replacing cars now than to see another estimate of millions of dollars in damage. The safety of passengers must be paramount for any public transportation system.

While watching coverage of the crash yesterday, I thought of what it might be like if things had played out a little differently. What if the trains had collided in a tunnel? If I’m underground riding Metro, there’s no chance of me getting cell phone reception. How many of us would be able to call for help? WMATA announced earlier this year that Verizon, Sprint/Nextel, AT&T, and T-Mobile would be installing a new wireless infrastructure underground during the next four years (http://www.movingmomentarily.com/2009/03/verizon-envy-on-metro-no-more.html). Putting pressure on this project might at least give riders some peace of mind while careening through the many underground tunnels in the Metrorail system.

(Written by Lisatella)