As previously discussed here, MARC had announced plans to add new trains in February – including one in the afternoon rush from Washington to Baltimore, and one later train at night for folks who want to have a night on the town in DC and then get home while they are still all inebriated and what not.
That schedule was released yesterday, and goes into effect on February 11. It is, in some ways, a bit of a disappointment. First – the rush hour train was set for 5:10 p.m. to depart Union Station, 10 minutes earlier than the current 5:20 p.m. express that makes no stops between Union Station and BWI, and is woefully overcrowded just about every night. What’s unfortunate, however, is that this new train will do very little, if anything, to relieve the overcrowding on the 5:20 train. The 5:10 will stop at New Carrollton and Seabrook (places the 5:20 doesn’t stop anyway), and then will terminate at Penn Station in Baltimore at 6:01. It won’t even stop at BWI. Nor will it stop at Halethorpe (making it useless to me). Not to mention, since it won’t go past Baltimore, it also doesn’t offer an alternative option for riders who go beyond Penn Station to Edgewood, Aberdeen, and Perryville.
So, all those folks (which make up about 90% of the train most days) are still going to be on the 5:20 train. Hundreds of people exit the train at BWI and Halethorpe, and the train looks like the Ghost Express when it leaves Halethorpe, with many of the folks that are remaining on board headed to points beyond downtown Baltimore. What MARC has basically done is add a train that is useless to the majority of its riders, not to mention adding one more train that can now break down or suffer some other sort of failure right before the 5:20 departs, which will throw off its schedule, as well.
The new late night train leaves Washington at 11:45 p.m. and makes all stops. On the surface, this isn’t bad. I don’t know how many people will use it, but it’s nice to have one additional late-night transit option for getting between DC and Baltimore. However, it still leaves the annoying gap between 8:40 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. during which there is no MARC service northbound. This is what really needs to be addressed. A 9:45 p.m. train would be perfect. There is an Amtrak 10 p.m. regional to BWI, but if you are using one of the smaller stops along the MARC line, this does you no good (and it costs $12 one way, last I checked).
There was no announcement about weekend service, which is something I think that is sorely needed, even if it’s only a couple trains a day to start. But that also requires additional funding and such. We should see this in the near future since the Maryland General Assembly passed a bill yesterday that taxes breathing in the state.
OK, that’s not true. But I wouldn’t be surprised.
Quickies
* When walking to a set of the machines you show your pass/insert your card to in order to ride or exit Metro, and you are headed for one, don’t suddenly decide at the last minute you are going to use the one I’m going to instead, forcing me to stop and wait for your sorry ass. This has happened 3 times this week, and the next time it happens, I’monna trip ya.
* Dude, when you are on the MARC, and your stop is up next, you don’t need to be right by the door of the train to get out. It will give you plenty of time to exit. But when you are a jackass that not only stands in the doorway, but has two bags with you and puts the bags down in front of you, thus taking up the entire aisle – don’t get bitchy when someone comes along and accidentally (perhaps) kicks one of your bags into the middle of next week because you didn’t give them any room to get by.
* IPod chick on the Metro this morning – not only was your music on your headphones way too loud … it really, really sucked.
MDR
3 comments:
Ipod people are annoying to be sure, when they've found that even 11 isn't enough and jack that up to 25. However, even more annoying are the "I've got a cell phone music player" people. They believe that because their cell phone has the capability to play music anywhere, we want to hear the low quality speakers at a volume that makes it all feedback and vibrations. Trust me, we aren't impressed by your choice in music nor by your ability to have a music playing cell phone. In fact, our opinion of you is dropping by the second...
Yeah, there's that, and really, the whole idea of having a real song, with lyrics, as your cell phone ring tone just seems idiotic to me.
I don't know, I kind of wish I could get the DC United ringtones that Bobbyboswell.com put on his blog site (which I never go to unless you haven't updated your blog in a while because I am such a loyal customer of your blog and would never visit a rival blog because that would be morally and ethically wrong in an Enron kind of way). Alas, my phone is too antiquated to get ringtones that aren't the vendor approved ringtones that they want to charge $2 for...
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