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Cycling a popular alternative to Metro maintenance hassles

WASHINGTON — Cycling as an alternative transportation mode is proving especially popular since Metrorail’s aggressive maintenance plan began last week.

“After a week of single tracking along the Orange/Silver Line between Ballston and East Falls Church, automated counters in the county’s Rosslyn-Ballston corridor show an increase of between 70 and 90 percent in bike ridership from the same period last year,” said Eric Balliet, spokesman for Arlington County Transportation.

Use of the local rent-a-bike service Capital Bikeshare is up between 20 and 50 percent in Arlington.

Overall bike use in the District is also up. 42 percent more cyclists are using the Key Bridge, for example, between the city and North Arlington.

Capital Bikeshare numbers in D.C. are at a record high and up six percent. The service will be adding additional morning Corral Service near Farragut Square and at the Eastern Market Metro station during the second surge of Metrorail maintenance.

Capital Bikeshare’s new popularity corresponds with a new price structure that allows one-way trips of up to 30 minutes for $2.

The service is a partnership among D.C.’s Department of Transportation, BikeArlington, the City of Alexandria and Montgomery County.

Audit: Metro put millions of federal dollars at risk in failed Buy America program

WASHINGTON — Oversight and contracting failures at Metro risked an immediate loss of millions in federal funding, a new audit report from Metro’s Office of Inspector General found. The audit of Metro’s Buy America contract award and oversight process found $68 million in bus, paratransit or rail car vehicle and parts purchases did not meet federal contracting requirements, and $517 million of the $1.4 billion in contracts reviewed did not follow the Federal Transit Administration’s nonbinding suggested best practices.
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