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WMATA Forum   » Question & Answer with WMATA guests   » Metro Deputy General Manager James Gallagher (Feb. 4, 2005) from noon to 1 p.m.  
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Salting the platforms
Author Message
Catwoman Whose responsibility is it to salt the platforms during the day while it is still snowing - the station managers? Those tiles are really slick and I rarely see it resalted after the initial start to the day.
James Gallagher Hi catwoman. When snow or ice is expected, our Plant Maintenance workers report to work earlier than usual to begin the task of snow removal. During the mid-day, the crews continue to treat station areas that are exposed. These individuals treat station entrances and platforms throughout the day. We do remind our customers who use Metrorail to use extreme care and caution while walking on station mezzanines and platforms and not to run for a train.
ICE
Author Message
Catwoman You've come up with a "snowfall policy" ie. more than 8 inches - run underground. What is your ice policy? Can it be that clear cut? Why can Chicago keep their trains running in snow and we can't - what's the difference. Two questions I suppose.
underground service
Author Message
Gary I see ads saying Metro can only operate underground in heavy snows. How do I get to my home near West Falls Church station if the train stops at Ballston? Will you run extra bus service from there? Thanks.
James Gallagher Gary: If we get a snowstorm to the degree that we are only offering underground service (8" or more of snowfall) you should monitor newscasts, our Web site and our e-alerts. We will give plenty of advance notice if that occurs. However, if weather conditions worsen, it is very unlikely that we would be able to operate extra service or even existing service if conditions deteriorate.
nashpaul
Quote: Gary: If we get a snowstorm to the degree that we are only offering underground service (8" or more of snowfall) you should monitor newscasts, our Web site and our e-alerts. We will give plenty of adv...

So what are passengers supposed to do? If we are encouraged to depend on Metro, we need to be able to depend on Metro.

Extra benches near Pedestrian Bridge at Franconia Springfiel...
Author Message
dumbenefits I ride the Metrorail to Franconia Springfield metro station on a regular basis and transfer to a bus for the second part of my commute home. I was wondering if there were any plans to make more benches available inside the station near the pedestrian bridge? Usually you can watch for arrive buses from the bridge while standing, but the extra luxury of sitting is always more than welcome.

And with the intense winter weather, waiting outside in the bus bay can be incredibly taxing especially from a health standpoint.

Large snow fall in various areas
Author Message
Catwoman Given our geography here in the area, it seems to me we could conceivable have a large snowfall in VA while New Carrollton could have a much smaller total. If that is the case, would you run underground in all areas or would you look to run underground only in those areas with over 8 inches of snow?
Non-clean metro during snow
Author Message
eckoiboy


Hello GM James Gallagher. Thanks for your time to hear everyone out today. During the snow fall, many people including myself noticed how dirty the trains were . The carpets were full of filth and dirt for numerous amount of days (maybe a week or more). Not only were the trains filthy from the inside, but from the outside as well. The same thing applies to the stations, no one seemed to be cleaning it after days. Were you aware of this and are you planning to do something about this and if you are, what are you planning to do?
Clearing parking lots
Author Message
Catwoman Hi. My question is related to clearing parking lots. After our snowfall last weekend, it doesn't look like the parking lots have been plowed or salted. After a couple of days of melting and refreezing, the parking lots (Landover) is especially treacherous. What is the routine for looking after these lots after the original snow plowing to make sure the refreezing of the water has not created hazardous conditions?
slippery tiles
Author Message
govgal I noticed that whenever the tiles get wet, they become very slippery. I have tried to adjust my footwear, but they all slip on the wet tiles. Is there anything you can do about this?
James Gallagher Govgal: We endeavor to remove snow and ice from the platforms as quickly as possible. However, we encourage our customers using the rail system to use extreme care and caution and not to run for the train.
nashpaul
Quote: Govgal: We endeavor to remove snow and ice from the platforms as quickly as possible. However, we encourage our customers using the rail system to use extreme care and caution and not to run for the t...

Can Metro step up cleaning of station floors and platforms during inclement weather? The Judiciary Square station (to take one example) was very slippery to walk slowly (not run) for several days after the snowstorm. This days after there were no difficulties walking on sidewalks outside.

If the tiles are inherently slippery, please make an effort to keep them clean.

James Gallagher Nashpaul: Thank you for the question and the information on Judiciary Square. We will make every attempt in the future to keep the platforms and mezzanines cleaner by devoting extra resources after a snow event.
how snow affects rail cars
Author Message
Gary I heard that some rail cars have been snow-hardened. Why are some rail cars affected by snow more than others?
Snow In Parking Spots
Author Message
lolajl While I understand the need to get the snow removed as soon as possible from parking lots, there are a few spots that shouldn't be dumped on. At New Carrollton on the Rt. 50 side, in the 3rd parking lot, there is a huge mound of dumped snow right at the spot where there is a slope for wheelchairs. Being as parking is scarce due to the new garage being constructed, more of an effort should be made to keep this spot clear.
Orange line problems
Author Message
Alex In the past few weeks, Orange line trains between Dunn Loring and East Falls Church have frequently had to force off all of their passengers during the morning commute because the train could no longer function. O

f course, this results in crowded trains full of people late to work. What is the problem with this portion of the Orange line in terms of trains remaining in service? Is it the weather? What is being done to resolve this problem?

Thank you.
Cracked Rail
Author Message
caligirl Last Friday you had two separate incidents involving cracked rail on the Blue line....was that due to the recent snow falls and frigid temperatures??
Bus Information
Author Message
caligirl As an avid bus rider what is the best method for me to use in obtaining the most current bus information during a snow storm besides calling your information line?
Metro rail's policy on service during inclement weather.
Author Message
J I, as do many thousands of people, rely on Metro rail to get to work. In a region with some of the most inept drivers on a good day, I find it appalling that Metro will put more of those drivers on the road when more than 8 inches of snow falls by closing above ground stations and only running trains every 30 minutes. I live in Aspen Hill and work for a government contractor in Arlington. From Forest Glen to Union Station, the Red line is above ground. To force the tens of thousands of customers who ride those segments of Metro rail that are above ground to find alternative forms of transportation, i.e. cars on the roads, on snowy days is preposterous. Boston and Chicago get much more snow than the Washington area. If those cities shut everything down for 8 inches of snow, no one would get anywhere for much of the winter. What does Metro plan to do for those using Metro above ground when they are still expected to get to work? Instead of further inconveniencing Metro rail customers with more sub-standard service, why not properly fix the system to perform as it should? This isn't Florida. It snows here. It always has and always will. Get it right or quit trying.
eckoiboy

But why can a city like NY or Chicago do it when it snows more then 8 inches?Are the Metro trains different then others?
Friday Morning Alarm
Author Message
defenderjim This morning, Friday Feb 4, about 8:50am, Red Line metro at various Metro stations including Chinatown and Metro Center.

A very loud alarm could be heard at various metro stations. The train held at each station for several minutes.

An announcement was never made as to why there was a loud alarm sounding in the metro stations.
We were never told as to why the train was holding for several minutes at each station.

1: Why was there a very load system wide alarm "going off"?
2: Why was the train holding for an extended period at each station?

At Metro Center I asked these question to a Metro employee. I was told that the alarm was too loud to make an announcement.

I do not appreciate being "blown off".

Inside the station, sure, it was very load. But once inside the actual Metro Rail cars, an announcement would have been easily heard and understood.

In a post 9-11 era, a load alarm like this can be cause for concern for people.

Some real communication would have been really apreciated.

Thank you for your time.

-Jim

Icy Conditions
Author Message
Carmen What are the current operating procedures for eliminating ice and snow from the platforms and the parking garage during inclement weather. Is there a time frame for deicing sidewalks and making sure the platforms are not saturated with melting snow? I am a rider from the Largo Town Center station and I notice that the sidewalks are very icy.
James Gallagher Carmen:

Thank you for the question and information pertaining to the Largo Town Center station. We will dispatch our Plant Maintenance to review the sidewalks at the Largo Town Center station. As for our operating procedures for the removal of ice and snow from platforms and parking garages, our Plant Maintenance workers report to work earlier than usual to begin the task of snow removal. During the midday, the crews continue to treat station areas that are exposed.

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