Metro going back to 4-car trains on weekends
Sun photo/Kim Hairston
Ed Cohen, past president of the Transit Riders Action Council and a vigilant watchdog when it comes to the Maryland Transit Administration, called to report severe overcrowding on the Metro subway on Saturdays since the MTA began running trains at 20-minute intervals instead of the previous 15-minute headways.
Cohen (above) said that after making the change recently, the MTA continued to run two-car trains -- which became jam-packed as the numbers of rider per train swelled.
Now the MTA has reversed course. An agency spokesperson said MTA personnel noticed the same thing and decided to go to four-cars trains on weekends to alleviate the crowding. She said the new policy was in place last weekend.
The spokesperson said the MTA will run six-car trains Saturday because of the Baltimore marathon but will go back to four-car trains Sunday when the Ravens play.
Comments
Nice. Sick of feeling like a sardine. When will the 15m headways be restored?
Posted by: Jed | October 7, 2009 6:44 PM
I think I speak for everyone who rides MTA when I say that riders would prefer more frequent service than longer trains. I'd rather stand for a few minutes on a moving train and arrive sooner than stand for a few minutes in a station and arrive later. And I would also prefer keeping the South entrance to Lexington Market later, but I'll fight one battle at time.
Posted by: Mitch | October 8, 2009 9:39 AM
Baltimore has a subway?
I know we do, but I think most people in the area don't even know it exists.
Posted by: Brian | October 8, 2009 12:58 PM
This was a good move--I noticed it this past weekend.
Posted by: Maurice | October 12, 2009 12:52 PM