Metro riders experienced more delays on the Red Line this weekend, as work continued in preparation for the opening of the New York Avenue station on Nov. 20.
The same delays can be expected until the new station opens. Next weekend, the Red Line will be shut down between Union Station and Fort Totten, and another closing of this kind is scheduled for late October or early November.
For the past few weeks, trains shared one track between the Rhode Island Avenue and Judiciary Square Metro stops. This caused delays of an estimated 10-15 minutes for riders, including many AU students.
"The Metro is convenient when it's reliable," said Brianna Cox, a freshman in the Kogod School of Business. "But lately it hasn't been reliable."
Cox recently went to the University of Maryland with friends, and said it took them an hour and a half to get back to AU, a trip that usually takes 30-45 minutes.
"I like the Metro's cleanliness, but not the delays or the price," Cox said.
Some other students agreed.
"The delays are obnoxious," said Kristen Zearfoss, a sophomore in the School of Communication. "It's annoying to have to allow for extra time, especially with the price raises."
After experiencing the 15-cent price raise on base fare over the summer, many commuters are expecting more from Metro service. While some have their complaints, others find that the Metro is still an excellent way to get around D.C.
"It's easy and it's reliable," said Paige LaMarche, a Washington Semester student from Massachusetts, adding that the Metro is much easier than the transportation system in Boston.
LaMarche admits there are problems, though: "In the morning, it's so packed it's unbelievable."
That overcrowding is the source of many breakdowns that have recently plagued the Metro, James Gallagher, deputy general manager for operations, told The Washington Post. Gallagher said that too many people packed into a rail car may cause the doors to jam and trains to be delayed.
For Cox, a recent breakdown meant a 30-minute trip to get to Dupont Circle, which is only a few stops away from Tenleytown.
According to The Post, there have been almost twice as many breakdowns this year than there were three years ago.
Metro officials said that the problem is outdated equipment, and they want $1.5 billion from local governments to buy new rail cars and buses. Maryland's government just agreed to give Metro $329 million over the next six years.
Metro spokesperson Steven Taubenkibel said it already has 62 new rail cars and that Metro is "looking toward the future."
The new stop between Rhode Island Avenue and Union Station is another attempt to improve Metro service.
The station structure is already complete, and most of the work being done right now is on the tracks. It cost $103.7 million to build the station.
