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I am a big fan of the Washington City Paper. This week's issue is by far one of my favorites as it features a breakout of the District's neighborhoods with borders redrawn according to their reputation, their population and of course, their foundation. After reading a few pages into it, I was in tears laughing. I tried to read it cover to cover, but of course, I was impatient and cheated. I jumped straight to where I live, which according to DC City Paper is referred to as Subarubia.
I laughed out loud, as I knew exactly what they were talking about.
How often have I cursed at the Subaru Outback's with the bike racks driving down Wisconsin Avenue on a Sunday afternoon? We all know them, the "I just biked Rock Creek Park and now I have to fill my mud stained Outback with groceries from Whole Foods." They have priorities after all. Kashi cereal, odwalla juice, organic friendly bags...it is a lifestyle, I get it. Don't always respect it, but I get it. For the record, I own a Honda, which I don't drive...ever. Even before the gas price hikes, I rarely drove my car. Still don't really drive. So I am just as green as you are, if not greener. I am proud of my very small carbon footprint.
But back to the 'hoods...similar to my eclectic tastes, I am not limited to one 'hood. Although I am rooted in Subarubia, I am often in Laptopia (where I am actually writing this blog post - how fitting) and even spend a few nights a week in Episcopalia. So does that make me a Subalaptiscopalian (Play on that annoying AT&T commercial)?
One thing I do love about this city, is with every walk I take, I continue to discover how diverse it is. I explore the Land of the Lofts one weekend and then pick out a house in C-Spanistan the next weekend. I occasionally head down to Fannypackistan to take in the sights, all which remind me why this is one of my favorite cities after all. Just the other day, I discovered the Sixth and I Synagogue. What a beautiful building. I actually saw a concert there. It was a great venue and an amazing show.
Come on, you have to admit, when you drive across the memorial bridge on a clear night and see the Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson illuminated in spotlight, it takes your breath away. That is one of the reasons I always insist on picking up friends from Ronald Reagan National Airport when they arrive at night. Just so we can drive the parkway and cross that bridge and get their reaction as they are welcomed into the Nation's Capital by our sights and sounds. I also give a great night tour of the monuments. It is my signature service for family and friends visiting DC.
I look forward to discovering the additional sections of the city and until then, this issue of the DC City Paper will be my Fodors Guide. I wonder if they make a pocket edition?
Till next time.
Taken from the WMATA site:
June 19 is Dump the Pump Day, a great time to try Metro, the affordable alternative to skyrocketing gas prices. We know you'll be on board, but just how many of your fellow commuters will join you? Give us your best guess. If your number is right (or closest), we'll give you a SmarTrip® card loaded with $100 in value. If more than one person has the winning number, we'll draw randomly from the closest ones.
My thoughts: The last thing I need is more people trying Metro. Yes, I agree that metro is the affordable alternative to exorbitant gas prices, but only when trains run on time, don't derail and are not overwhelmed with crowds during rush hour. Okay, so despite my complaining...I took a guess. I think I entered 825,287 passengers on 6/19. Here is to hoping I win. I could use the extra 100 bucks on my SmarTrip card.
I was on my way into work today when I realized I forgot my ID. When I went back to get it the metro was already jam packed. I decided rather than wait it out for three trains I would jump on the bus and take it as far as I can before braving the rails during rush hour again. As a result, I had an adventurous route into work today. Over bridges, under rivers, through a cemetery - all just another commute in the Nation's Capital region. I wonder if my commute home can top it? It might make for a good feature story - different modes of transport to get to work today.
I don't normally read the Examiner, nor the Express, as I feel they are a huge waste of paper and don't like how they are left on the city's buses, metros and streets. This week however, the headline of the paper caught my eye when it featured the rise in passengers on DC's metro.
While reading this article, I laughed to myself as my eyes crossed these words - "Metro officials are considering putting retired buses back in service and adding more eight-car trains if the trend escalates." How exactly does a bus get pulled out of retirement? As a frequent bus passenger, I am very interested in this process. These days, I spend more time on the bus than I do the metro. After a tip from a good friend, I discovered the crosstown bus. The crosstown bus was one of the best moves I made when it comes to my commute. That decision was just confirmed as I read this article.
Apparently, "the railway now is routinely seeing close to or more than 800,000 riders a day, with most of the passengers traveling during rush hour." Great observation Mr. Metro man, but what are you doing about it?
Allow me to provide some more featured quotes from Metro's General Manager interview:
My responses in blue.
- "We still have some room, but it will not be pleasant conditions." - That is an understatement!
- "It’s like highways — there is a point where there’s no additional capacity.” - Like highways?!
- "The system could handle up to 950,000 or even 1 million passengers if more riders traveled during off-peak times." - Oh sure, let me just tell my employer/client to change their hours.
- "You might have to operate those cars without air conditioning. I’m not willing to make that call yet." - Thank goodness you have some sense - the AC is one of the few remaining benefits.
I don't have the ultimate solution, but I do know that years ago I used to enjoy taking the metro and showing it off to all those that visit me in this Capital City. Until we figure out how we can handle the surge of riders (can you blame them with gas being priced at $4.50?) I am going to stick to the crosstown buses and take in more of the city from the above ground view. Plus, at least this way, I always get a seat.
Until next time.
After a stressful week of public transportation, I am taking to the skies. Yep, I am flying west to LA. No, not in protest, just for pleasure. I am flying Virgin America and I am anxious to see how I like the flight. I will post on that shortly. I promise pictures too.
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