rail lines all the time when it gets hot. This isn't abnormal. The real problem with Metro is that, unlike other transit agencies in this country, it has never gotten a steady share of funding. Much like Amtrak, which has to fight for a smaller appropriation every year, Metro faces a similar process to get funding.  

My point isn't that because a heat kink happened that the silver line shouldn't go through.  It's that after hitting a number of problems in a row we've got to ask ourselves if this is merely a fluke or if we've increased the odds of such problems through lack of funding.  Things happen - such is life.  But when things happen a lot we're not doing something right.

Which gets to what both of us are saying - that Metro has a funding problem.  

And my point, going one step further, is that the funding problem should be fixed before adding more to the system.  If the current configuration is underfunded, how on earth can we expect that it'll all be properly funded after more trains/tracks/stations/employees/etc are added?  

Metrorail (WMATA) has explained that they have unique challenges, such as escalators that are exposed to the weather.

I'm sure that WMATA has a very rational explanation as to why I inevitably end up carrying my baggage up or down at least one non-functional escalator every time I travel to or from National Airport, even though this trip involves no escalators exposed to the weather.  The fact that I've never experienced a non-functional escalator anywhere else in northern Virginia (or Russia, or Mexico, or any third world county for that matter) seems to be irrelevant to WMATA.

I certainly hope that you're not implying that WMATA won't be able to handle the proposed Tysons expansion, since they're dealing so well with their current demand and handling maintenance on their current system so competently!

My memory of Northern Virginia living is that every mall I set foot in--Tysons, Fair Oaks, Springfield Mall, you name it--had at least one escalator shut off more often than not. Escalators are notoriously high maintenance. Metro may have more than its share, but the idea that Metro, and only Metro ever has broken escalators seems more than a bit overstated.

I can never recall seeing an escalator out of commission at Tysons mall. But to dwell on such minutia misses the point. WMATA is routinely failing on basic maintenance issues, such as elevator and escalator operation.  

it's hard to believe that you consider them to be minutiae.

to which I refer is nitpicking the semantics of my original post in order to distract the discussion away from the real point:

WMATA can't perform basic maintenance, such as keeping escalators and elevators running, that the vast majority of the world has no trouble with.

Heck, WMATA couldn't even manage running parking lots. They mismanaged that to the tune of millions of dollars stolen by the parking lot attendants.

So I agree with the gist of Eric's post: WMATA needs to solve the funding, maintenance and management problems they have with the current system before adding 24 miles of additional track. Excuse me, that's 24.12 miles;)

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITI...

This looks like good news, even if Dubya tries to f it up.

This article has a glaring omission.

According to this AP article from earlier in the week (http://www.wtop.com/?sid=1336300&nid=25), Sen. Tom Coburn is blocking the bill in the Senate.

Remember, without dedicated Metro funding, there's no rail through Tysons and then to Dulles. I don't know how Coburn will be convinced to support this. He usually is stubborn about these issues.

Any Senate rules wonk out there want to enlighten us on how one Senator gets to block legislation indefinitely?  I thought it required 41 votes to maintain a filibuster.

I didn't look hard enough before asking:

Senate rules, Rule VII
2. Until the morning business shall have been concluded, and so announced from the Chair, or until one hour after the Senate convenes at the beginning of a new legislative day, no motion to proceed to the consideration of any bill, resolution, report of a committee, or other subject upon the Calendar shall be entertained by the Presiding Officer, unless by unanimous consent: Provided, however, That on Mondays which are the beginning of a legislative day the Calendar shall be called under rule VIII, and until two hours after the Senate convenes no motion shall be entertained to proceed to the consideration of any bill, resolution, or other subject upon the Calendar except the motion to continue the consideration of a bill, resolution, or other subject against objection as provided in rule VIII, or until the call of the Calendar has been completed.

Thanks, Wikipedia.  http://rules.senate.gov/senate...

when Senator Dodd decides to place a hold on an unconstitutional warrantless spying bill that includes retroactive indemnification for law-breaking companies -- then Senator Reid can just disregard the hold. But Senators like Tom Coburn and Jim Inhofe are always allowed to have their minority party holds treated like the word of God.

Strange institution, this Senate.

funding there may be no rail anywhere.  The new line should be the least of the worries.

Would never have let this happen.  ;-)

It was definitely the third delay of the week.  Monday was the derailment and Wednesday was the kinky rail (sorry, couldn't resist), but I didn't see reporting about Tuesday's delay.

I was on the platform at F-West when they announced that there was an "issue" at Courthouse that was affecting trains in both directions.  The platforms and trains were packed.  It was easily worse that the Monday or Wednesday delays for me, but I never found out why.

to get this funding situation straightened out?  I know there has been talk about it for years, but nothing has come of it.  Is there someone here who knows what the problems have been that have prevented them from reaching some sort of agreement?

...he's just fundamentally opposed, so that's a huge hurdle. So Dulles Rail may either die in court or in Oklahoma. For Coburn, he has no dog in this race. Consider how the Metro funding is being added -- to an Amtrak bill. Mass transit in general. Crazy Republicans usually hate mass transit of any kind. This doesn't seem promising.