The DC Traveler

When the Washington, DC government announced new taxi fare structure for DC cabs, in January, drivers weren’t happy.  Most cabbies felt the fares were set too low.
Many cab drivers went on a one-day strike on Halloween in protest. They also planned a once-weekly strike during February and March. 
This past Monday, the first strike impacted commuters and travelers starting early in the morning. The impact was not, however, as severe as expected. 
The next four upcoming strikes are scheduled to start at 7:00 a.m. and run until after the evening rush hour. Strikes are planned on the following …read more

Comments Off

On the heels of this week’s devastating local transportation announcement that the $5 billion, 23-mile Metro subway extension connecting Dulles Airport to the rest of Washington’s Metro system was unfit for federal funding; all three of Washington’s airports made the short list of top airports to experience the longest flight delays, the Washington Post reported.
This news will not sit well with frequent Dulles travelers, as Dulles Airport just opened an additional 15 gates, adding capacity to handle additional flights.
Dulles was listed as third worst airport for delays in the nation, behind only chronically delay-plagued Newark and New York’s JFK.  …read more

Comments Off

On Tuesday, a new concourse opened at Dulles airport, adding another 15 gates to the “B” terminal, bringing the total number of gates at the airport to 128.
Dulles serves over 20 million passengers annually over 120 destinations.  Over over 30 domestic and international airlines fly in and out of Dulles. Additionally, the airport annually handles 27 million pounds of mail and over 400 million pounds of cargo.
The expansion opens additional gates for JetBlue, Virgin America, and AirTran.  Delta and American are scheduled to also use some of the new gates.
The new section of the B terminal is …read more

1 Comment

Metro is warning riders to expect 30 minute delays on the Red, Blue and Orange lines trains this weekend, from Friday at 10:00 p.m. until midnight on Sunday night as work is performed at the Metro Center station.  Similar delays will also be encountered the following weekend, Feb. 15 – 17.
At several points, Metro trains will be forced to share a single track, requiring trains to wait as traffic clears.
With possible snow predicted for this weekend and temps expected to be below freezing, riders should dress warm and plan accordingly.
Image – Flickr 
_____________________________________________
Technorati Tags: Washington DC, DC, Washington, travel, …read more

Comments Off

After much emotion, a Halloween strike by cab drivers and claims by cabbies the earth might spin off its axis if cab fares are set too low, the DC government announced the new fare structure.
In a move to simplify the fare structure, the new raters which go into effect April 6th, will eliminate the current zone system and replace it with a distance-sensitive meter system.
The initial meter pull, originally suggested at $4.00 for the first 1/6 mile, was reduced to $3.00, with each additional 1/6 mile costing 25¢.
The additional passenger and rush-hour surcharges are also being eliminated.  Maximum fares …read more

3 Comments

I might sound like your mother, but if you head out tonight to enjoy some of the many New Year’s Eve celebrations, please make sure you have a designated driver.  If you do overindulge and need a ride home, you can get home safely by using the
Drivers unable to safely drive their car can request a free cab ride home, up to a maximum value of $50, starting at 10:00 p.m. and until 6:00 am on January 1st. If the ride costs more then $50, the passenger is responsible anything in excess of the $50 maximum.
The program is available …read more

Comments Off

In effort to save money, immediately after Thanksgiving, Metro reduced the number of weekend and off-peak weekday subway train cars from 6 to 4.  But the money-saving decision was not favorably received by riders.
After strong complaints from Metro riders regarding crowds when shorter trains arrived at stations full, causing some passengers to be unable to board the overcrowded trains and subsequent long waits for the next train, all compounded by the less-frequent off-peak schedule, Metro reversed it’s decision.
The shorter 4-car trains will now only be used after 7:00 p.m.
This issue comes on the heels of several recent …read more

Comments Off

It’s time once again for the 32nd annual Marine Corps Marathon.
Some great viewing locations of the 15,000 expected runners include the starting point, where you can watch the massive wave of runners near Arlington National Cemetery (Pentagon station on the Blue or Yellow lines) followed by the start of the 10K race.  Spectators can then either cross the Memorial Bridge to a point near the eleven-mile marker next to the Lincoln Memorial or grab the Metro from Pentagon or Arlington Cemetery to several Metro stations near the route, (Federal Triangle, Smithsonian or L’Enfant Plaza stations) and watch the runners …read more

Comments Off

No, not on the latest Iraq War funding bill, but once again, the DC region has been singled out for its traffic issues.
According to a recent Texas Transportation Institute traffic study, the DC metro area is tied for second (along with San Francisco/Oakland and Atlanta) with the longest commuting times behind only Los Angeles.

Drivers in the DC metro area were reported to have spent 60 hours due to rush-hour traffic delays on average annually (or 30 minutes each day stuck in traffic).
The study cited that while freeway capacity in U.S. metro areas have increased by 45%, traffic increased by over …read more

Comments Off

The Travel & Culture theme for this month is a “rant”. So I came up with a list of ten things that I see tourists do frequently that isn’t helping their reputation while visiting DC.  Hopefully I’ll include a couple hints versus just bitching.
I’m not a DC native, yet since I  moved to the DC area, I’ve always thought DC residents are usually very helpful and overly gracious to most tourists.  I think people want you to enjoy your visit to the Nation’s capital.  Most people throughout the area seem more than willing to take countless photos of you and …read more

3 Comments