[Greater-baltimore] {Disarmed} FWD: Important MTA News for Friday

[Steve Brand]

Transit Today                         Local Bus, Light Rail & Metro News for You
 
  IN THIS ISSUE:
  Closings at Woodberry, Cold Spring and Mt. Washington Light Rail Stops
 Light Rail Next Arrival Signs Debut
 Help Us Improve Service
 Why Metro Subway Doesn't Run 24 Hours
 Fifty More Hybrids Make MTA Even Greener!    
      March 13, 2014   
    
           
             Closings at Woodberry, Cold Spring and Mt. Washington Light Rail Stops
 
 Please be advised that due to track reconstruction at Union Avenue, Woodberry, Cold Spring Lane and Mt. Washington Light Rail stops will be closed 8:00 p.m. Friday, March 14 through midnight Monday, March 24. In addition to installing a more durable grade crossing, MTA is installing a new "Train Approaching" warning sign to increase pedestrian safety. To minimize inconvenience to your travel as much as possible, buses and shuttle service will connect to the Falls Road and North Avenue Light Rail stops during the closure.   
           
    
 
            Light Rail Vehicle Arrival Signs Debut
 
 The second phase of the Light Rail System Upgrade Project, automated Next Vehicle Arrival signs that let you know when your train is arriving, are now at all 33 Light Rail stops. This upgrade now makes all stops fully ADA-compliant by offering both audio and visual messages. The first phase of the upgrade project, completed last year, involved installing new speakers and LED signs at all stops, new announcement workstations, software, electrical upgrades, network upgrades, communication cabinet upgrades, conduit installation, poles and all station electronics. Vehicle upgrades include new, clearer-sounding speakers inside each car, and these will be upgraded car by car as part of a mid-life overhaul project that began last October.   
           
    
 
            Text "RIDE" to 410-205-4559 to Help Us Improve Service
 
 As always, we welcome your comments or suggestions through "Rate Your Ride" simply by texting "RIDE" to 410-205-4559 and filling out a brief survey. This popular feedback program, created in September 2010 by the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance and managed by MTA since January 2012, generates thousands of responses every month. Comments are posted on the interactive website rateyourride.org and information gained is reviewed by MTA staff. Many suggestions have already led to service improvements of several Local Bus lines.   
           
    
 
            Why Metro Subway Doesn't Run 24 Hours
 
 We are frequently asked why our Metro Subway trains don't run all night, or at least late enough to allow people to return home safely after last call or a night out on the town. The gap after the last train at midnight and the first train in the morning is used for essential nightly track maintenance. Unlike some public transit systems with multiple tracks on the same routes, MTA does not have the duplication that would allow us to run trains on one set while performing maintenance on another. Third-rail power has to be shut down for maintenance crews to be able to operate safely and do the work that keeps the system safe and reliable, and trains cannot run when the power is down. Metro Subway does extend service for certain special occasions, such as New Year's Eve and certain sporting events, when large late-night crowds are expected.   
           
    
 
            Fifty More Hybrids Make MTA Even Greener!
 
 Coming soon to a neighborhood near you - 50 more 40-foot electric hybrid buses. The new hybrids are safer than ever with audible pedestrian warnings and even more cameras for added security. They also come equipped with beltless alternators that improve gas mileage and require less maintenance. Currently MTA has received 40 of the 50 new buses and now operates 353 hybrids - 49 percent of the 727 Local Bus fleet. Always at the forefront of the "green" revolution, MTA debuted hybrid buses on June 9, 2006, followed by the launch of MTAGoGreen.com on July 15, 2008. In 2011, a massive project involving 14,144 individual lighting renovations began in our Metro Subway system. The replacement of these  electric fixtures and bulbs with greener, more energy-efficient components not only helps save the Earth, but also saves a half million annually in taxpayer dollars. 
 
 Thank you for thinking green and riding MTA!   
           
    
 
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