Bad Radios Strike Again

Metro's dysfunctional radio system contributed to the death of two Metro workers and the derailment of a train, according to National Transportation Safety Board reports released Friday.

In the death of two Automatic Train Control workers on Jan. 26, 2010, the NTSB concluded the following:

Had the Operations Control Center (OCC) operators provided the crew of striking hi-rail vehicle 15802 with the cell phone number of the first automatic train control technician and instructions to coordinate their work, the accident could have been prevented.

The cell phone number the NTSB refers to is a PERSONAL cell phone number, sources said.

Sources within Metro say that in many cases, the PERSONAL cell phones are the primary means of communications because the radio system is so bad.

Metro has a multimillion dollar radio system that doesn't work, and they are depending on personal cell phone coverage, in many cases, for the safety of their employees. That had disastrous results that January night at Rockville.

Screwed up radios also played a role in the Farragut North derailment, according to the NTSB, which concluded "the probable cause of the accident was the train operator's failure to follow proper operating procedures, which resulted in her operating the train past a red signal and over the interconnected derail."

But when you read the details, poor communications surely added significantly to a very stressful situation in which an operator, who'd been out on worker's comp for nine years, had their decisions clouded by spotty communications with OCC.

Here's what the NTSB had to say:

The operator of train 641 stopped the train and called the OCC for permission to proceed, as required. However, the operator experienced difficulty communicating with the OCC; she reportedly was "calling and calling and calling." Moreover, the train operator reported that she heard the OCC controller respond to train 156, but the radio messages were garbled and she could not understand the instructions.

The bottom line:

Radio records show communications between the OCC controllers and various train operators. Radio transmissions from train 156 to the OCC were weak and garbled at times. The operator of train 156 had a train-mounted radio and a portable radio; neither radio was reported to be malfunctioning.

According to several sources within Metro, the radio problems are only getting worse.

Time and time again, EVERY SINGLE Metro worker I talk to says the radios (here, here and here) cause or compound all the delays, accidents--everything. They can't communicate among themselves, which makes it hard to communicate with us.

Several employees have said Metro knows the radios are wired incorrectly yet management does nothing about it. Specifically, the wires don't have the capacity to handle the information passing through them.

"It's like trying to suck a golf ball through a garden hose," said one employee.

Said another, "It doesn't make sense to rely on personal cell phones at critical times. How's your personal cell phone coverage in Metro? I bet it's better than Metro's radios. That's not comforting to me."

There's so much in these reports to latch onto, and I recommend anyone with an interest in Metro read them.

For example, in the $9 million collision at the West Falls Church rail yard, the NTSB concluded "the failure of the train operator to control the movement of his train as it approached the standing train, possibly due to his fatigue" was the cause.

Amazingly, despite two killed and millions of dollars in damage, the NTSB issued no recommendations for Metro despite compelling evidence that the faulty radios contributed to two of the three incidents.

Another little tidbit about the reports that may only be of interest to me as a journalist is the timing of their release. As anyone knows, if you want to release bad news, do it on a Friday afternoon. Why the NTSB would, in essence, help Metro by doing that I couldn't say.

Think about that next time you ride.

As the bodies and wreckage pile up, there's still no one watching Metro. Quite the contrary, by issuing damning reports on a Friday afternoon, the NTSB may actually be enabling Metro by shielding it from the spotlight.

Other items:
Metro blocked, locked emergency exits (Examiner)

What would Metro Whiteboards Say?

In a post the other day, a contributor wondered why Metro continues to be unable to provide timely information about service disruptions before riders pass through the fare gates.

One commenter suggested the London Tube model as a possible solution.

In London, most Tube stations have whiteboards, onto which the Tube equivalent of station managers can provide information about service outages, etc. If there are none, they sometimes try their hands at being witty.

One commenter offered suggestions about what a Metro whiteboard would say:

SLEEPING
Do Not Disturb

ON BREAK
Do Not Disturb
(posted all day)

DO NOT ASK STATION MANAGER QUESTIONS
call 202-637-7000

HEY LADIES
My number is 555-555-5555

What else might you see on a Metro whiteboard?

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Metro throws party for itself for taking a year to build a staircase (Patch/Examiner)
Weekend track work: Red, Orange, Green, Yellow, Blue (WMATA)

Some Inside Metro Question Official Explanation about Opening Doors

Via @monicaarpino Nothing like the breeze of open metro doors - while moving. Red line b/n Van Ness & Tenleytown. @unsuckdcmetro http://pic.twitter.com/Knkteaxu

There is a group of knowledgeable Metro employees who are not buying Metro's public explanation about what caused the doors to open while a train was moving (and here).

Metro's explanation, as reported in the Washington Post was:

Metro said the transit agency’s investigation team had replicated the incident in a rail yard and found that there was a “misalignment of the contact head that transfers information between two cars.” That created an electrical short and caused the door to open, Metro officials said.

However, none of the sources I talk to or anyone they know has seen the massive failure be replicated.

I contacted the Tri-State Oversight Committee, which is supposed to oversee Metro safety, and they'd not seen it either. They issued the following statement:

"Since the date of the [Washington Post] article you note, TOC personnel and engineering consultants made three visits to two Metro rail maintenance facilities. TOC staff interviewed car maintenance staff, inspected the coupler assemblies from the incident train and reviewed WMATA's new tools and procedures for testing contact head alignment. The "replication" you noted took place one day prior to our first site visit. TOC and WMATA continue to work together to evaluate the failure modes of the train lines, and at this time the investigation is not yet complete."

There are those who don't believe Metro ever replicated the problem.

"Engineering's explanation does not make sense either logically or technically," said a source. "There are those who think it was a water-caused problem. The train has since dried out, and the engineering department is grasping at straws. They probably are being pressured to come up with a story to justify the failure. It also lets them appease the masses to calm any hysteria."

The source went on to say that if the doors opened because of a misaligned coupler which caused errant signals, "EVERY door would have opened from car 1264 on back, not just one car out of the four cars total. Electrical signals do not pick and choose where they go. They travel the entire consist (train)."

Metro Bus Driver Dumps Handicapped Riders, Speeds Off

Illustration from this Flickr

I hear a lot from readers about buses speeding past stops, failing to pick up riders. This takes that lack of service to a new level.

From Matt:

On 20 May, I boarded the 96 bus west from New Jersey Ave. at approximately 3 p.m.

When the bus stopped near 10th and U St NW, two men were waiting to board. As the doors opened, it was obvious that both were mobility impaired in some way, as they were not moving very fast. The first man was trying to help the second onto the bus. The first man had his bus fare in cash in his right hand, which he was also using to brace himself on the bus as used his left hand to assist his friend onto the bus.

As the men were boarding, the bus driver decided to lower the bus. This caused the first man to lose his balance, stumble off the bus, and drop his bus fare on the ground. As he backed up to pick his bus far off the ground, the bus driver closed the doors on him and took off. The two men stared in amazement as the bus that they were boarding sped off down U St.

I was horrified to see this behavior by the bus driver. It showed absolute lack of compassion, and possibly malice, toward two disabled individuals who were trying to board his bus. It's even possible that one of the men had been injured by the bus that was speeding away. I wanted to stop the driver from moving away from the individuals, but being in the back of the bus I didn't have time before the bus was already two blocks down U St. I seriously regret I wasn't able to help the two men.

The bus number was 6467.

Employee Hit by Train

Via RT @MCFirePIO MCFRS - Update photo of ongoing rescue. pic.twitter.com/XZsQ4CqF
Breaking. More details as/if I get them.

The victim is a mechanic with 25 years of experience, Metro says. Metro has just announced yet another "safety stand-down."

When asked what a safety stand-down means, a source said, "Considering all the stand downs we've had, nothing. Couch quarterbacks telling you what to do."

Source says victim missing one hand and one leg below the knee. #wmata

— Unsuck DC Metro (@unsuckdcmetro) May 29, 2012

MCFRS- update pt extricated. En route to trauma ctr. Scott

— Scott Graham (@MCFirePIO) May 29, 2012

Source: Victim still conscious. They're pulling him out. #wmata

— Unsuck DC Metro (@unsuckdcmetro) May 29, 2012

Sources say taking EMTs a long time to set up equipment to lift train. Easy access to victim via repair pit. Operator distraught. #wmata

— Unsuck DC Metro (@unsuckdcmetro) May 29, 2012

Employee was hit by train as train came out of wash. Incident happened at 3 mph at Shady Grove. Victim conscious but in bad shape. #wmata

— Unsuck DC Metro (@unsuckdcmetro) May 29, 2012

Metro employee injured in rail yard wmata.com/tiny.cfm?id=52…

— @wmata (@wmata) May 29, 2012

Hearing there has just been a serious incident in which a Metro employee was badly injured. #wmata

— Unsuck DC Metro (@unsuckdcmetro) May 29, 2012

Any Other Victims of Violent Panhandlers?

Metro seems to be turning a blind eye to this problem. Back in April, a similar incident was reported.

From Erika:

I'm writing because I wanted to bring to your attention an awful event that occurred recently on the DC Metro involving my roommate. She is a graduate student at Catholic University and frequents the Red Line to get to and from campus. Last Thursday afternoon, while taking her routine trip to school, she was publicly attacked by a young man posing as a panhandler after she refused to give him money. I won't get into specifics, but suffice it to say that thankfully, my roommate was not badly hurt, but instead left with a headache and a small cut on her face after being struck twice. Following the assault, she said that her attacker sat across from her on the train, making threats (specifically, that "she was lucky that other people were around") until another patron escorted him from the car as the train approached the Fort Totten station.

My roommate has since notified the Metro authorities (at her home station of Silver Spring after no security was present at her destination station). She also notified a Montgomery County officer upon returning home, but has not received much support on the matter; instead, the officer said that he couldn't do anything about the situation because my roommate didn't need immediate medical attention. We realize that this may be because the event occurred beyond his jurisdiction. She did receive some information from a station manager in Silver Spring who said that this gang of aggressive panhandlers has been active for a year and a half. He mentioned that he has received reports of them spitting on and threatening patrons who do not give them "donations" (mostly targeting single travelers, regardless of gender/race). Despite these reports, the transit police have neglected to do anything about this. To our knowledge, the attack on my roommate is the first reported case of this group committing physical assault on a person refusing to provide money.

With little attempt made to do anything about deterring this sort of behavior, I think it's important to, at the very least, increase awareness among members of the greater DC community about this group's propensity to be violent. Specifically, Metro riders should be wary of African-American males in their early-20s who approach them carrying folders (presumably containing information about a charity that they support).

They wear street clothes and will often congregate near the Silver Spring station. One of these individuals approached my roommate by slamming his folder down on the book that she was reading at the time. I'm not sure that all members of the group are comparably aggressive.

I am taking serious issue with the lack of effort put forth by the authorities to put a stop to this. As mentioned earlier, several harassed people have come forward to the Silver Spring station manager, alone, and nothing has been done to alleviate these people's concerns evidenced by the panhandler gang's continued harassment of innocent travelers. That said, I would greatly appreciate any support that you are willing to provide to change this. Increasing awareness is an obvious first step.

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Cheaper SmarTrip cards? (Examiner)

Metro Moves Ahead on Anti-Harassment Campaign

One of Metro's new PSAs (Photo via aliciasanchez)

From Allie:

I’ve been working with Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS) and WMATA on the campaign to combat sexual misconduct in the Metro system and wanted to share an update with you.

WMATA formed a task force and is working with CASS (formerly Hollaback DC) to address the problem. They recorded my story and others’ to use as part of a training video for their employees, are working with outside groups to develop meaningful training for all WMATA employees, and are crafting a station announcement.

Public service announcement posters regarding sexual misconduct are rolling out, so you should start seeing them in the rail stations, and they’ll be going out on buses soon. There have been some issues along the way, as evidenced by a woman’s report that seemingly fell through the cracks (This particular instance was addressed.).

Moving forward, we hope to see evidence that WMATA views the issue of sexual misconduct as a passenger safety issue, whether or not the media is present to cover it, and continues to follow through with the changes they have promised.

Foremost on that list is creating and implementing a solid training program for all WMATA and MTPD employees. Also important is continuing to build a meaningful partnership between WMATA and CASS.

Metro riders are the strongest asset in this campaign. Here’s what you can do to help:

1) Whether you’re a victim or a bystander, please report what you see and experience. Tracking ALL harassment and assault allows WMATA to find patterns and better distribute the MTPD officers.

2) A good description can mean the difference between a statistic and an arrest. Height, weight, eye color, skin color, hair color are all good. Also look for things that stick out: tattoos, scars, distinctive clothing, the way a person moves or talks, hairstyles, facial hair, jewelry, glasses, etc. What makes this person different from all the other thousands of people riding Metro? Photos can help, but be careful not to escalate the situation or to give a thief access to your electronics.

Please pass this information to other riders, and share what you see with both WMATA and CASS. We don't want sexual assaults and harassment to be swept under the rug.

As someone who was assaulted on the Metro, I can’t tell you how important it is to make these reports and to watch out for your fellow riders.

Thanks to those who step in when you see someone in trouble.

(202) 962-2121, (or 911 for immediate emergencies)
harassment@wmata.com
www.wmata.com/harassment
www.collectiveactiondc.org

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How Metro maps are printed (Tumblr)

Guest Blogger: Dan Stessel Recaps One Year at Metro

It was a year ago today that Metro chief spokesman, and social media trailblazer, Dan Stessel guest blogged here. In that post, he said "I believe Metro customers deserve clear information ... I am committed not only to doing whatever I can to keep our customers informed ... but also to listen and advocate on their behalf. Let the conversation begin."

I asked Stessel for a progress report on the new era of openness and to highlight the accomplishments of the communications team.

Here is his response:































Other items:
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Rider reports doors opening on moving train (Examiner)

Metro takes Safety Gamble with Platform Crowding

Via @robertdkalb The scene at Metro Center ‪#wmata‬ pic.twitter.com/U0nrvVcG

Looks like Metro learned no lessons from the dangerous overcrowding at Rosslyn last year. One day, there's going to be a serious incident because of this "phenomenon."

From Liz:

On Monday, I was at Farragut West when the platform there was so crowded [because of a broken train] I felt like if someone sneezed, I would be blown onto the tracks.

Thinking my Metro bad luck was over for the week, I ended up at Metro Center (see above) last night, and it was even worse! Super dangerous!

How can Metro get away with it?

I understand that part of the [Metro Center] problem was a sick rider, but I think Metro should have better communications in place so that people can avoid the situation. I got nothing in my email before heading in.

When I got to the station, there was no warning about what was going on inside, so I swiped my card. Once I saw the chaos, my first reaction was to get out, but knowing I'd have to pay just to leave made me think twice about handing Metro my money for nothing. Human nature, right? I did end up leaving.

Furthermore, I wonder why the station managers aren't empowered to give riders a heads up. It wouldn't have been too hard for the station manager at Metro Center to stand at the fare gates and just say something like 'big delays, it might be better to try something else to get where you're trying to go. Here are the alternate bus routes." I don't know. Something proactive to minimize platform crowding.

Seriously, Metro, I want to work with you here, but you make it so very, very hard when you don't try to meet me halfway or take my safety into account.

Not all Metro Employees are Bad

Via @MedivalMetro After my 15 min wait, I was greeted by the sight of this lazy bastard reading in his folding chair. #WMATA http://yfrog.com/kffs4oyj

I've spoken to a lot of Metro employees over the three-plus years of working this blog. A lot of them are good people who are embarrassed by how far Metro has sunk. A lot of them feel helpless to turn the tide. They're just as frustrated, if not more, than all of us.

Moreover, if you think it sucks to ride Metro twice a day, imagine working there--all day!

Some of the crazy, bureaucratic stuff I've heard from employees is simply mind boggling. I wish I had a green light to publish all I've seen and heard, but alas, these people need their jobs, and Metro will punish them for talking to the media.

Yes, the fundamental right to freedom of speech is basically bullied out of a lot of Metro employees by an insecure management that doesn't trust them or want to hear any of their ideas.

But a few are brave enough to come forward here, and I take my hat off to them.

Lately, however, there's been a tendency, on Twitter at least, for riders to take pictures of every Metro employee they see who's not actively turning a screw or hammering a nail, labeling them as "lazy bastards."

More troubling, however, is being openly hostile to a Metro employee actually doing their job. This is from a Metro employee:

I had someone start yelling about Metro sucks this and blows that when I was offloading a train. He was at the far end of the train and was raising hell, "I ain't getting off this train, f*ck Metro" and so forth. Well, as people were exiting the train, I started toward the screamer. He saw me coming and turned toward me and took a posture of "lets go!" He looked like he was ready to fight. I kept walking toward him, and as he saw I wasn't going to run away, he turned and got off the train. As the doors were closing, and he was a mere five feet away (I was inside the train he was outside.), he tells me "f*ck you asshole, I should kick your ass for making me get off this train."

Seriously, don't do this.

This guy is simply trying to do his job. It sucks to get offloaded, but it's not the employee's fault.

Yes, there are "lazy bastard" employees and outright a-holes who work for Metro--too many. We should continue to call the bad apples out. I'm happy to put them on this blog.

But a lot of the "lazy bastard" employees you see out there may be sitting idly because Metro management can't get their act together.

I've run into Metro workers who seem to be milling around, and every time, I've gone up and struck up a conversation. Inevitably, it's some sort of SNAFU with management or some kind of interdepartmental squabble (and here) that's holding them up from getting the job done.

Next time you see a Metro employee "lazing" about, strike up a friendly conversation, ask them what's going on. Chances are, they'll tell you something that's much more interesting than meets the eye about how Metro operates. When they do, let me know.

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Dulles rail board spends $1 million studying itself (Examiner)
Purple Line funding uncertain (WaPo)