WETA only wants rich, smart, influential people to watch their UK Channel!

 

WETA-UK Only Available in HD as of 8/4/2020

When WETA management decided to convert the UK channel to HD, instead of adding an HD channel, on 8/4/20, they cut off access to 1000s of loyal viewers who can only afford SD.

There are several things to consider:

• There is no free way to get HD service and it would only be to see one extra channel.
• If a viewer could afford HD, he or she would have it already.
• On 09/15/2020, News channel 8 reported that one in three people in the DMV  (DC, Maryland, Virginia) are food insecure.
• A can of tuna, equal to one meal, if on sale is $1.
• Comcast and Verizon each charge $10/month ($120/year) for HD which amounts to 8-10 meals a month. Of course, they raise the price every year so this is in perpetuity.
• They are not making more money by going HD only. That is, unless they have financial interest in the companies who charge extra for HD service. (Did anyone say Conflict of Interest?) They are just cutting off the less fortunate.
• WETA could easily have kept the SD channel and added an HD channel, thereby serving the entire viewing community.
• Most of the  UK TV shows are old and don't look better in HD.

I wrote to the station on 8/5/2020. The station's response to my concern, though mostly polite, contained a self-justifying fallacy and an insult. Management mistakenly thinks there are only a "few" poor people in the DMV and that HD only would only be a "mere inconvenience" to these inconsequential viewers.

Further, it was much to my despair to view their web site section for corporate sponsors saying they could have "unparalleled access to the Washington area’s most influential, educated and affluent audiences." So, those who are not influential or are poorly educated or poor financially are not deemed worthy of being able to view programming not available elsewhere for free.

Please help me encourage WETA management to put back an SD channel.

WETA https://weta.org/contact/Community-Advisory-Council

Contact WETA: https://weta.org/contact

Email: digitalmedia@weta.org ; tv@weta.org

References:

WETA's Audiences | WETA https://weta.org/support/corporate/audiences

Metro's Safe Track Surge 16

Safe Track Surge 16 begins   June 17, 2017.  

 

 

 

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) last SafeTrack surge -- Surge #16 – will completely close the Shady Grove and Rockville Red Line stations from Saturday, June 17 through Sunday, June 25.

 

Metro will be providing shuttle bus service from the Shady Grove and Rockville stations, but is urging commuters to avoid the stations if possible, particularly during weekday, peak travel hours and consider telecommuting, ride sharing and other alternatives.

 

Travelers are also encouraged to consider using the Brunswick Line MARC Train from Metropolitan Grove or starting their Metrorail trip at Twinbrook, White Flint, Glenmont or Wheaton stations.

https://www.wmata.com/service/track-work.cfm

Other News:
Changes in Metro hours, fares, schedules take effect June 25

Metro WMATA Safetrack Plan

 

After many safety issues the past several years, Metro’s General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld decided to close down a fair portion of the system to get repairs done quickly and safely. While this will bring inconvenience the next year, it is better than putting the public safety in jeopardy for the next three years which is the estimate without the massive shutdowns.

What’s New:

• Repairs start at 8 PM Monday through Friday
• Some repairs occur during weekdays 10 AM – 3:30 PM
• Metro service ends at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays
• Enact Safety Surges – long shutdowns or single tracking during rush hour for critical sections

The conclusion: although there will be shuttle buses available for closed stations, use alternative travel methods if you are able to or ask for permission to telework. I suggest taking the MARC train!

The Official Schedule:

1. June 4 - 16 (13 days)- Continuous single tracking between East Falls Church & Ballston
2. June 18 - July 3 (16 days)-Line segment shutdown between Eastern Market & Minnesota Ave/Benning Road
3. July 5 - 11 (7 days)-Line segment shutdown between National Airport & Braddock Road
4. July 12 - 18 (7 days)-Line segment shutdown between National Airport & Pentagon City
5. July 20 - 31 (12 days)-Continuous single tracking between East Falls Church & Ballston
6. August 1 - 7 (7 days)-Continuous single tracking between Takoma & Silver Spring
7. August 9 - 18 (10 days)-Continuous single tracking between Shady Grove & Twinbrook
8. August 8 20 - September 5 (17 days)-Continuous single tracking between Franconia-Springfield & Van Dorn St
9. September 9 - October 20 (42 days)-Continuous single tracking between Vienna & West Falls Church
10. October 10 - November 1 (23 days)-Line segment shutdown between NoMa & Fort Totten
11. November 3 - 11 (9 days)-Continuous single tracking between West Falls Church & East Falls Church (Starts 10PM November 2)
12. November 12 - December 6 (25 days)-Continuous single tracking between Greenbelt & College Park
13. December 7 - 24 (18 days)-Line segment shutdown between Pentagon & Rosslyn (Except Morning of Saturday, December 17)
14. January 2 - 13 & January 23 - February 3 (24 days)-Continuous single tracking between Braddock Rd & Huntington/Van Dorn Street (Starts 10PM January 22)
15. March 6 - 19 (14 days)-Continuous single tracking between West Falls Church & East Falls Church

(c) WMATA

Source:

http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=6105

http://www.wmata.com/Images/Mrel/MF_Uploads/surgesched.pdf 

Updates Info

Things have been busy and I am finally getting to blog updates.

I have updated the 2016 Holiday Schedule and The MARC Riders Advisory Council

Check out those tabs at the top of the page.

Jack is Back! Jack Diamond Morning Show Returns to Mix 107.3

(c) Cumulus Media

For those of us who felt the loss of our morning routine after  Cumulus Radio cancelled the Jack Diamond in the Morning show in May 2013, we can now breathe again. As it says on their web page "Jack is Back" 6 AM to 10 AM as of November 16, 2015. 

It was by accident that I turned Mix 107.3 back on a few weeks ago when I was driving around town. And, low and behold, there was a statement about Jack Diamond. It's a good thing I was driving slow because I about fell out of my seat.

As soon as I got home, I went online and Yes, life is good again. Jack is Back!

"Love Your Show Babe"

How to Read the MARC Monthly Fare Increase Chart

Maybe I'm getting to be a woman "of an age" but I had no clue how to interpret the Monthly Fare increase chart once they finally posted it. (May it have been because I asked about it the day before?). Anyway, according to my co-worker, you determine the new "weekly" fare and then look down the corresponding column. Ta Da.

The other bit of news is the Monthly rate increase starts in August, not July.
Link: http://mta.maryland.gov/new-fare-pricing


(C) 2015 MTA

 



Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) will increase transit fares effective June 25, 2015

2010 (c) Washington Post Apartment Showcase

Another reason why I'm glad O'Malley is no longer is office - but his effects linger on...
His 2013 Gas Tax Bill mandated fare and service increases every 2 years for Local Bus, Light Rail, Metro Subway, and Mobility/Paratransit. It mandated increases for Commuter Buses and MARC every 5 years.

For those of you who take public transportation in Maryland be aware that fares for Commuter Bus and MARC train will increase by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the last five years starting June 25, 2015.

The MARC fare increases will be rounded to the nearest dollar meaning single fare prices will increase by a dollar. There is no chart yet for multi-use fares - Weekly and Monthly - but the CPI will be applied to those as well. We will need to wait and see.

The other change for MARC passengers is the cost of buying a ticket on the train will increase from $3.00 to $5.00 unless they qualify for senior/disability fares. More problematic for some, MARC will no longer cross-honor the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) monthly passes.

See: Brunswick Line Pricing

See also:  http://mta.maryland.gov/new-fare-pricing

** Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013 (known as the gas tax bill).

Sources: MTA web site and Baltimore Sun.
 

MARC CSX-related Heat Restrictions

Oldie but Goodie:

CSX Heat Restrictions or Heat Orders: 

Passengers on the Brunswick and Camden Lines often see messages during the spring and summer informing them that there are “heat orders” in effect. 

CSX Transportation, the owner of the Brunswick and Camden Lines*, reduces the maximum speed of passenger trains by 20mph (but not under 40mph) under one or both of the following conditions:

• Consistent ambient temperatures of 85 degrees or greater 
• A 25 degree swing in temperatures either warmer or colder in a 24-hour period. 

 Delays can be 15 minutes to over an hour. This is because tracks can warp and cause derailments so it’s a serious matter.


* Heat orders do not take effect on the Penn Line until temperatures reach 95 or 100 degrees...

See What are Heat Orders Link for more details:

Reminder - Tots for Tots 2014

(c) Marine Toys For Tots

http://quantico-va.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/Default.aspx

Hi all,

As a child, I benefited from this program and as I grew and funds were better, I tried to donate whenever I can. Our church handles a lot of practical needs. But to me, a "toothbrush" is not a Christmas present.

I urge you to take some time this year to share with those less fortunate than yourself:

http://quantico-va.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/donate-toys.aspx

Mailing address:              
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
The Cooper Center
18251 Quantico Gateway Drive
Triangle, VA  22172-1776
Email: mtftf@toysfortots.org

 

 

Updating Your AlertDC and AlertMontgomery Accounts

In the past several weeks, those of us who signed up for area alerts, had to go and re-enroll. To keep current on all travel and neighborhood issues, be sure you sign up:

This is an important message from the District of Columbia AlertDC system.

 

 

Dear AlertDC Subscriber: As of August 25, 2014, the District of Columbia emergency alerting notification system, AlertDC, has transitioned to a new software platform. The new system is customizable, and allows you to pick and choose what kind of alert notifications you want to receive and how you would like to receive them. Attached you will find the press release issued announcing the launch of the revamped emergency alert and warning system. Should you have any questions or if you received this invitation in error, please reply to alert.help@dc.gov. Regards, District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency

 

On August 25, 2014, AlertDC migrated to this new system. You will receive an email with a link to update your existing account information. For additional information, please visit alertdc.dc.gov.

ear Alert Montgomery subscriber 

Important changes are coming to the Alert Montgomery system in the next few weeks. The new enhancements to our alert system will improve the speed, reliability and customization of alerts you can receive. What this means to you is that you will need to re-register your Alert Montgomery County account in order to take advantage of the enhancements on the new system. 

We are scheduled to launch the new service on October 15, 2014. On that date you will receive an email from the new Alert Montgomery vendor, Everbridge, with a trusted and secure link prompting you to take the following actions: 

 

1) Create a username and password;  

2) Review current user information and update if necessary; 

3) Customize the methods in which you wish to receive notifications (choose your devices and prioritization of selected devices); and 

4) Choose the types of alerts you would like to receive. 

For account holders who signed up prior to October 2014, we will transfer your account data to the enhanced version of Alert Montgomery; however, you must log on to create a username and password as well as double check your contact information and alert categories. 

For more information, visit the Alert Montgomery Frequently Asked Questions page at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/oemhs/AlertMontgomery/FAQ.html, call 311 or 240-777-0311. 

 

The Montgomery County  

Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security

 

Sent to OEMHS, ALL MONTGOMERY (E-mail accounts, Pagers, Cell phones) through Alert Montgomery

31st Annual Brunswick Railroad Days

Looking for some fun this weekend? Check this out (from MTA Alerts, 09/29/2014):


(C) City of Brunswick, Maryland

What: The 34th Annual Brunswick Railroad Days

Where: Brunswick, Maryland

When: October 4 and 5, 2014, 10 AM to 5 PM.

 

Details:
Explore Brunswick’s heritage and history and enjoy model train exhibits, local food vendors, entertainment, a children's activity area, and arts & crafts vendors.  Its great fun for the entire family!

As a part of the festivities, MARC Train and Bombardier Transportation Services will operate special excursion train trips from Brunswick to a point west of Germantown at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. each day.

Train trip tickets are $11.00/adults; $5.00/children 3-12 and seniors over 60; and free for 2 years old and younger (regular MARC one-way, weekly and monthly tickets ARE NOT honored since these trips are sponsored by the City of Brunswick).

Limited advance sales for the train excursions are available on the City of Brunswick’s website and will be available for day of sale at Brunswick City Hall.  Get your tickets soon--these trips are popular and sell out quickly! 

https://www.brunswickmd.gov/RailroadDays

Contact the City of Brunswick with any questions about Brunswick Railroad Days.  https://www.brunswickmd.gov/contact"  or Lisa Berray at brunswickrrdays@gmail.com