Wondering about moving forward, now that we have a new administration (and one that embraces rail travel) about one of the economies of this pending extension. Several evenings over the past couple of months I have made my way down 267 and seen parking garages, stations and walkways lit up, even at very late hours. Also, the rails appear to be electrified (blue lights) and signals on. When in operation I understand the efficacy of keeping the wheels greased, so to speak.
However, in the three Loudoun garages, which were paid for by Loudoun County bonds, there is still no parking. Yet they remain lit. When Metro (who I understand does not have the keys in hand) is talking about drastic austerity, in the interim, who is paying for all of this electricity? There must be some savings. Blocking off the garages and using even half the lighting with night vision cameras should be able to tackle any nefarious activity that otherwise exists there - or perhaps even lights triggered by motion detectors (such as frozen food at Harris Teeter). Same with the walkways and outer parking. If they are not running trains daily, is there a way for the transformers to remain primed without using excess power to electrify unused or barely-used rails? The savings would not be tremendous, but they would be savings. I think that while many of the lights are LED, some are still halogen or similar.
There is also the part about WMATA and/or airport authority setting a good example, the energy equivalent of "wear the damn mask." So who is paying for this, and the answer is probably us through taxes or other means. The contractor can focus on fixing/replacing stuff they screwed up without spending money lighting up empty spaces.
If someone here has light to shed (metaphorically) I'd like to learn more. Thanks. Bill Edwards
Rails and Ragtime Rhythm
