Forest Hills Connection || News and Life in Our DC Neighborhood

Covering Forest Hills, Van Ness, North Cleveland Park and Wakefield

The DC media fill holes in Van Ness Metro entrance coverage

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Metro’s plans to close the west entrance at Van Ness have drawn the media’s attention to our little corner of Washington.

At first, most outlets took Metro at its word that the Van Ness entrance would be closed Monday. The Washington Post and WTOP stories published online that morning were written as though it had already happened.

WJLA had reporters at the station most of the day, and their story’s final update, at 9:48 p.m. Monday, still said: “The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority began the installation Monday of four new entrance escalators, which closed the west entrance of the Van Ness Metro station.”

The steady stream of passengers in and out of the station all day, with nary a workman in sight, told another story. The Post and WTOP tried again, and by Tuesday evening, they both got it right (after reading Forest Hills Connection, we hope).

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The WTOP version even refers to the Greater Greater Washington post that was adapted from our piece last Friday.

Metro’s spokesman is still getting it wrong, though. WTOP’s Ari Ashe writes of Dan Stessel: “He points out that the east entrance remains open and people can cross the street.”

If it were just a matter of crossing a street, few would object to the timing of the project. But as ANC 3F Chairman Adam Tope tells the Washington Post: “You know what rush hour is like on Connecticut? Cars running lights. Cars sticking into the intersections. We’re worried from a pedestrian-safety standpoint.”

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What’s the final word on when the project will begin? We’re still waiting for that, and so is everyone else. Martin di Caro covers transportation for WAMU and WUSA:

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