New Lighting at L'Enfant

[JDC]

Over this past weekend (11-16 and 11-17), new lighting was installed at L'Enfant over the mezzanines that span over the Yellow/Green lines. They removed the old 'cans', most of which were not working, and installed the type of lighting we've recently installed elsewhere. It includes both hanging lights that project light down AND upward as well as lighting panels installed on the ceiling and directing light downward. I think it looks great, and certainly makes the area feel safer. https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1073 ... 4168093322" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Robert Paniagua]

Looks nice, I really like the new lighting setup, hopefully, they'll do it for the rest of the system (at least underground)

[dcmike]

hopefully, they'll do it for the rest of the system (at least underground)

And so it is.

http://wmata.com/about_metro/news/Press ... aseID=5619" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[JDC]

I'll criticize Metro when it's due, but I will also applaud them when it's due. Metro is really making a lot of (finally) publicly visible changes these days, and this is just a sign of them. And a big one, too. Cannot wait to see this roll out. For those who have yet to experience this new lighting, it's really quite amazing. The mezzanines at L'Enfant really have a different feel to them.

[Sand Box John]

I haven't seen the new lighting in person so I will have to reserve comment on if I like new lighting or not. Based on the pictures I have seen it appear to be significant improvement. My problem with it, based on the pictures I have seen, is it make the lighting more uneven then it was before its installation. As most here know I am a Harry Weese purest, I am not a big fan of the idea of hanging lights from the crown of the station vault arch.

Among the list of stations that will get the lighting improvement is Anacostia, Pentagon and Rosslyn. The mezzanines in the Anacostia station are on the surface not in the station directly above the platform. In Pentagon and Rosslyn will the lighting improvement be confined to area above the bridge over the lower level platform or will it extend to the north and south above the escalators between the upper and lower platforms?

It seems to me if they are going to hang them over the mezzanines they might as well hang them the full length of the station to make the lighting in the entire station more even.

[afiggatt]

PlanItMetro has a writeup on the new lighting: New Station Mezzanine Lights Show the Way. Says the new lighting, some or most? from using LED lamps, will save on electrical power consumption and maintenance but provides no specifics. Ok, but how much on power consumption and maintenance? If the LEDs are replacing fluorescent lamps, not going to see much power savings on a lumens per watt basis. The long life span and reliability of the LEDs lowering maintenance costs are likely where the real savings are.

Better lighting at all the underground stations over the next 2 years. The don't ask what the stains are from carpet in the cars getting replaced for the Series 5000 & 6000 cars and the roll-out of the Series 7000 cars over the next 2 years. The service disruptions from the weekend track work may continue, but the Metro will at least look better by the end of 2015!

[Sand Box John]

The life of an expediency of an LED lamp is about 1.5 times that of an equivalent florescent lamp, power consumption is roughly 40% less then the equivalent florescent of the same lumens. I do know that florescent tubes have a longer life if they are not turn off and on several times a day. As to saving, that may end being a wash, a 4' florescent tube retails for about $8.50 an equivalent 4' LED lamp retails for about $68.00.

The platform LED bulbs cost WMATA in the range of $30.00 a piece, they replace incandescent bulbs that cost less then $1.00.

[JDC]

I like restful, and in general the stations are still 'restful', but these areas were just plain dark - which made them hard to navigate and unsafe. Coffee can lighting did not fix this issue, and this does (I'll admit maybe they went a bit too far, but I'd rather it be too well lit then under lit). It's only jarring now because the rest of the stations are so dark.

[farecard]

The life of an expediency of an LED lamp is about 1.5 times that of an equivalent florescent lamp, power consumption is roughly 40% less then the equivalent florescent of the same lumens. I do know that florescent tubes have a longer life if they are not turn off and on several times a day. As to saving, that may end being a wash, a 4' florescent tube retails for about $8.50 an equivalent 4' LED lamp retails for about $68.00.

The platform LED bulbs cost WMATA in the range of $30.00 a piece, they replace incandescent bulbs that cost less then $1.00.

The real savings is labor not lamp cost. But there is still the hours of cleaning them. What's needed is a way to literally hose them off. Given helicopters clean live 50kV lines, it should be possible to do likewise on the horizontal lamps in stations.

[degrees83]

Speaking of L'Enfant. I do not know where this post would go because I am tired of looking for it, but when I was waiting for my eastbound green line train I saw tracks that come into the northbound tracks from the west, just past the entrance to l'enfant station via the train tunnel. where do those tracks come from and is there the same track branching off going southbound?

[Sand Box John]

"degrees83"
Speaking of L'Enfant. I do not know where this post would go because I am tired of looking for it, but when I was waiting for my eastbound green line train I saw tracks that come into the northbound tracks from the west, just past the entrance to l'enfant station via the train tunnel. where do those tracks come from and is there the same track branching off going southbound?

Upper level Green Yellow lines, the through route tracks in the junction south of the station go to the Waterfront station and beyond to Branch Avenue. The diverging route tracks go to the Pentagon station via the Fenwick Bridge and beyond to Huntington and Francolnia-Springfield.

129 Mile System Track Schematic

[JDC]

Walking out of McPherson Sq. today, I noticed several lifts stationed on the mezzanine leading to 14th and I. Looking upward I saw new junction boxes for electrical. Looks like McPherson will be one of the next stations to have the new lighting scheme.

[JDC]

New lighting at McPherson Sq. is up and running as of this morning (1/8/14). So it took about two weeks to install. The mezzanine experience is completely different - it was always a dark and difficult to see space, which is now transformed. https://plus.google.com/photos/10733877 ... 4168093322