Bowie family left in the lurch by MTA
Neil Ottenstein of Bowie wrote this plaintive note after a particularly grim experience with the Maryland Transit Administration's light rail service on Saturday night.
I don't know whether either of you are the appropriate people to notify, but I thought I'd write in case you are and you didn't know about the transportation situation last night after the Orioles game.
It had been my understanding that Light Rail service would run through one hour after an Orioles game, so that in situations like last night when there was a rain delay which made the game end shortly before midnight there would then be service until about 1 AM. Unfortunately, this was not the case last night. My son and I arrived at the light rail station at midnight and shortly thereafter a light rail train to BWI arrived. We expected that there would be one to Glen Burnie/Cromwell station shortly after this, but there was no train. If we had known this was going to be the case we might have tried the BWI train and at least traveled closer to Cromwell. We continued to wait another 40 minutes before calling home to wake my wife to pick us up. We also gave a ride to a couple who were there and who couldn't contact someone to pick them up. When we arrived at Cromwell there were at least a half dozen other cars there whose owners presumably were stranded in Baltimore or at some stop on the way down on the BWI train. I will be contacting the MTA on Monday and contacting the Orioles later today asking them about the situation. This was a most distressing situation and I hope that this will never happen again.
I asked MTA spokeswoman Jawauna Greene to loook into what happened, and she delivered a prompt -- if not entirely satisfactory -- reply.
I just spoke to Light Rail operations. As you are aware, we are under very strict budgetary constraints related to overtime. Our customers are now feeling the pinch as we maintain core service during our peak ridership hours. On this occasion, Light Rail couldn't run the train because there was no one available to work. The MTA should have sent a supervisor to inform riders and help them find rides, but they didn't. It was an awful oversight on our part. Please know that MTA management has advises and admonished staff to make sure this doesn't happen again
"Awful oversight" is putting it lightly. Budget constraints are a headache, but there is never an excuse for leaving riders stranded. Somebody in MTA operations should have a big, fat letter of reprimand in his or her personnel file by now.
It also strikes me that the MTA should have some type of arrangement with the Orioles to put vital announcements regarding light rail, MARC and other services over the public address system. What do you say, MTA? A little consideration doesn't cost much money.
Comments
The MTA recently completed (most - still working on an escalator to street level) of the renovations to the Lexington Market metro station and announced they would be reopening the south entrance on Sunday, August 30. That looked to be correct since the stairs from the platform level have had the plywood block them removed, but when I attempted to enter the station at about 9:30 last night the new entrance was gated. I got the pleasure of walking another block to the north in one of Baltimore's less attractive neighborhoods. Why was the new entrance gated last night? There was a large crowd at Camden Yards, so why isn't the entrance closest to the stadium open after games?
Posted by: Mitch | September 1, 2009 2:30 PM
Pathetic!
Would it have been that hard for the BWI Train driver to announce that it was the last southbound train when he saw people waiting at the stop but not boarding?
Of course, in defense of the driver, he may not have been told he was the last southbound train!
Maybe the MTA should stop running the commercials during Orioles games advertising that they will be there after the last out!
Posted by: Richard | September 1, 2009 2:45 PM
The Metro has tended to close the Southside Entrance at 8PM. It is much more noticiably annoying during baseball games. They also close the eastside gate to Charles Center early, which is quite annoying to those in the financial district and the Light St side of the harbor. It is also extremely unfriendly toward those unfamiliar with the system. It's definitely on my list of long-standing Metro grievences. (Of course, remember when State Center Station CLOSED at 8PM?!)
Nate Payer
TRAC
Posted by: Nate | September 1, 2009 3:51 PM
It's issues like these that contributes to low ridership on Light Rail and Metro. And MTA wants to build more rail?! Fix what you got first.
Posted by: Brian | September 1, 2009 4:29 PM
Do they need less staff with a gate closed? If not, I fail to understand why they do it.
Posted by: Jed | September 1, 2009 5:40 PM
@Jed,
IIRC, yes. Because I think there are turnstyles and ticket machines at both ends. I almost never go in or out of the Mechanic entrance at Charles Center, but I'm pretty sure that's how it works.
Nate Payer
TRAC
Posted by: Nate | September 1, 2009 8:21 PM