Arthur David Olson

Closeup of a badly-worn bus RIde On bus stop sign including the text below, from June 24, 2025. STOP ID NO. 23848. 17 Takoma/Langley TC. 18 Takoma/Langley TC. LTD Mon-Fri Service.

Closeup of a spanking-new RIde On bus stop sign including the text below, from August 9, 2025. STOP ID NO. 23848. 17 Takoma/Langley TC. 18 Takoma/Langley TC. LTD Mon-Fri Rush Hour Service Only.

Quarterly #TakomaPark check good news: at least one bus stop sign rendered legible (on Maple Avenue at Grant Avenue). Thanks @rideonmct.bsky.social.

(Images from 6/24/2025 and today, 8/9/2025. I'm guessing there are other changes, perhaps precipitated by survey images I sent to the county.)

Quarterly @Chobani.twitter.com check, from your Department of Redundancy Department: "live and active cultures."

Fix: "active cultures." (Only Zombani yogurt has dead and active cultures.)

Quarterly @PGCountyDPWT.twitter.com check: buses still wordily show and announce "Stop requested. Please use the rear door to disembark from the vehicle."

Good fix: "Stop requested. Please use the rear door to get off."

Better: "Stop requested. Please use the rear door."

Top of a receipt, including the text below. Langley Park. www.campero.com. 1355 Universty Bvd E. 08/09/2025.

Quarterly #TakomaPark check: Pollo Campero still claims to be in Langley Park; it is firmly inside @takomaparkmd.gov city limits and has 20912 ZIP code.

Quarterly @metrobusinfo.bsky.social check: still no audio from real-time display at stop 2000236 (University at Langley).

Fix: install and maintain paper timetables everywhere, then remove and sell every last electronic display in the system.

@wmatagm.bsky.social

BTW: kudos to @metrorailinfo.bsky.social procurement folks for getting a system with a small (120 GB) drive. With about 90 GB free, looks as if lower-cost 80 GB drives will suffice in future purchases.

@wmatagm.bsky.social

Side-by-side portrait-orientation electronic displays with diagnostic messages at the tops of both and rail system diagrams at the bottoms of both.

Closeup of diagnostic messages, including the text "None of the servers ("10.11.85.10:2223") are currently listening.

New @metrorailinfo.bsky.social check: diagnostic messages at to of displays at Glenmont Station entrance.

Referenced server, 10.11
85.10, does not respond to pings; the address is part of the "arpa" domain of DNS services.

@wmatagm.bsky.social

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.arpa

On an outdoor rail platform, two overhead electronic displays. Right-hand display has a blue pious windows on the right-Hans side; left-hand display does not.

Detail from blue popup window, including the text "Don't you want to allow your PC to be discoverable buy other PCs and devices on this network?"

Odd @metrorailinfo.bsky.social display disparity at Takoma Station.

Guess: right-hand display is the primary system display.

Claim: system shoulda been permanently configured as unduiscoverable before deployment.

Fix: remove all electronic displays in the system.

@wmatagm.bsky.social

On an outdoor rail platform, overhead white-on-brown signs with the destinations Shady Grove and Glenmont.

Fun fact: Metrorail's Red Line runs from Shady Grove, where there is no shade and no grove, to Glenmont, where there is no glen and no mont.

Just outside Takoma Park, Maryland, a McDonald's parking lot with spaces labeled "DRIVE THRU 1" through "DRIVE THRU 4." There are vertical signs at the head of each space. In background, across New Hampshire Avenue, the Crossroads Transit Center.

Closeup of vertical sign at head of parking space. Under the number 1, the text "Reserved Drive Thru."

Quarterly #TakomaPark adjacent check: and last and least for now, still oxymoronic @McDonalds.twitter.com drive thru parking at New Hampshire and University.

Fix: "drive in parking."

Just outside Takoma Park, Maryland, a McDonalds parking lot with vertical signs at the head of each space. Behind the parking spaces, the McDonalds building. In background, New Hampshire Avenue.

Closeup of vertical parking lot banner including the number 1 and the text "Curbside Pickup."

Quarterly #TakomaPark adjacent check: still a @McDonalds.twitter.com at University and New Hampshire with "curbside pickup" that isn't from the curb.

Fix: "outdoor pickup."

In Silver Spring, Maryland, on Piney Branch Road near University Boulevard, a sign pole with (from top) a Ride On bus stop sign and a Metrobus J4 timetable.

In Silver Spring, Maryland, on Piney Branch Road near Flower Avenue (south side), a sign pole with (from top) a Ride On bus stop sign, a Metrobus stop closure notice, a Metrobus Braille placard, and a Metrobus J4 timetable.

In Silver Spring, Maryland, on Piney Branch Road near Flower Avenue (north side), a sign pole with (from top) the back of a Ride On bus stop sign, a Metrobus stop closure notice, a Metrobus Braille placard, and a Metrobus J4 timetable.

Quarterly @metrobusinfo.bsky.social check: still dregs of Route J4 on Piney Branch Road (near University Boulevard and on both sides near Flower Avenue).

Fix: remove closure notices, Braille placards, and timetables; leave timetable holders for use by @rideonmct.bsky.social.

@wmatagm.bsky.social

In Silver Spring, Maryland, view east along south side of University Boulevard across Forston Street. No street name signs are visible.

In Silver Spring, Maryland, view east along south side of University Boulevard across Bayfield Street. No street name signs are visible.

Quarterly @mcdotnow.bsky.social check: still no replacement for street names signs at University and Forston as well as at University and Bayfield. These were destroyed by
@purplelinemd.bsky.social.

@govwesmoore.bsky.social

www.google.com/maps/@38.994...

www.google.com/maps/@38.995...

In Silver Spring, Maryland, view west along north side of University Boulevard west of Carroll Avenue. In foreground, a bus stop shelter. A trash receptacle is visible; no recycling receptacle is visible.

Quarterly @rideonmct.bsky.social check: still no recycling at recently replaced stop on University Boulevard at Carroll Avenue (west side, stops 26694 and 2000184). (There is a trash receptacle.)

Screen shot of a web page headed "Ride On Real Time" and including the text "UNIVERSITY E BLVD & NAVAHOE DR 26692."

New #TakomaPark adjacent check: @rideonmct.bsky.social web page shows stop 26692 at University and Navahoe; it has been moved to University and Carroll (on the east side of Carroll).

rideon.app/findbystopid

Screen shot of a web page headed "busETA." A popup window includes the text Univeersity Bl+Navahoe Dr Bus Stop #2000165." An arrow at the bottom of the popup window points to the intersection of University Boulevard and Carroll Avenue on an underlying map.

New #TakomaPark adjacent check: @metrobusinfo.bsky.social BusETA web page text for stop 2000165 is "University Bl+Navahoe Dr;" on underlying map and in reality stop is at Carroll Avenue (east side); it was moved from Navahoe.

Fix complicated by a west-side stop near Carroll.

@wmatagm.bsky.social

Just outside Takoma Park, Maryland, view west along north side of University Boulevard east of Carroll Avenue. Bus stop signs are visible; no shelter, seating, or receptacles are visible.

Quarterly #TakomaPark adjacent check: still no @rideonmct.bsky.social amenities at new(ish) bus stop (26692 and 2000165) on University east of Carroll.

Just outside Takoma Park, Maryland, view west along north side of University Boulevard east of Merrimac Drive. In foreground, an empty metal sign pole to the right of a wooden utility pole and top sign.

Quarterly #TakomaPark adjacent check: still an emptied sign pole on north side of University at Merrimac. University is an
@mdsha.bsky.social road; @PGCountyDPWT.twitter.com may be responsible for the service road where the empty pole is.

@govwesmoore.bsky.social

Just outside Takoma Park, Maryland, intersection of University Boulevard and 14th Avenue. In foreground, a sign pole with two black-on-white rectangular signs at the middle of the pole; top sign includes the text "8:00 PM - 5:00AM EXCEPT;" bottom sign includes the text "EMERGENCY VEHICLES."

Quarterly #TakomaPark adjacent check: still dregs of @PGCountyDPWT.twitter.com "do not enter" signage at University and 14th. Signage was destroyed by
@purplelinemd.bsky.social.

Fix: remove the dregs (sign and pole).

@govwesmoore.bsky.social

www.google.com/maps/@38.987...

Just outside Takoma Park, Maryland, wide view of north side of intersection of University Boulevard and 14th Avenue. No street name signage is visible.

Quarterly #TakomaPark adjacent check: still no replacement for @PGCountyDPWT.twitter.com street name signage at University and 14th. Signage was destroyed by
@purplelinemd.bsky.social.

@govwesmoore.bsky.social

www.google.com/maps/@38.987...

Quarterly @metrobusinfo.bsky.social check: still no audio from real-time display at stop 3003402 (East-West Highway south side near Riggs Road).

Fix: install and maintain paper timetables everywhere, then remove and sell all these expensive, unreliable displays.

@wmatagm.bsky.social

In Prince George's County, Maryland, on Riggs Road, stacked roadside blue-on-white signs including the text "Community Policing Satellite Office" and "3500 East West Highway."

Quarterly @PGCountyDPWT.twitter.com check: still signage on Riggs north of Drexel for a defunct police satellite office.

Telling people there's a police office where there is none is dangerous and irresponsible.

In Prince George's County, Maryland, intersection of East-West Highway and Ager Road. In foreground on a traffic island, an empty metal sign support.

Quarterly @mdsha.bsky.social check: still an emptied sign support (and bad driver hazard) at East-West Highway and Ager Road.

Fix: remove the support.

@govwesmoore.bsky.social

Just outside Takoma Park, Maryland, view west along north side of University Boulevard from Navahoe Street. No school crossing signage is visible.

Quarterly #TakomaPark adjacent check: still no replacement for @mdsha.bsky.social school crossing signage on University at Navahoe. Signage was destroyed by @purplelinemd.bsky.social.

It's as if they want to kill children.

@govwesmoore.bsky.social

www.google.com/maps/@38.993...

Just outside Takoma Park, Maryland, view east along south side of University Boulevard from Forston Avenue. No school crossing signage is visible.

Quarterly check: still no replacement for @mdsha.bsky.social school crossing signage on University at Forston. Signage was destroyed by @purplelinemd.bsky.social.

It's as if they want to kill children.

@govwesmoore.bsky.social

www.google.com/maps/@38.994...

Quarterly #TakomaPark adjacent check mixed news.

Good: downed school crossing signage at University and Carroll is gone. Thanks to the responsible party, be it @purplelinemd.bsky.social or another.

Abysmal: it has not been replaced. It's as if they want to kill kids.

@govwesmoore.bsky.social

In Silver Spring, Maryland, view east along south side of Piney Branch Road west of Garland. A bus stop sign is visible; no shelter, seating, or receptacles are visible.

Quarterly check: still no replacement for bus stop shelter destroyed by @purplelinemd.bsky.social on Piney Branch (south side. stop 24908) at Garland. It was a
@rideonmct.bsky.social owned and maintained shelter.

@govwesmoore.bsky.social

www.google.com/maps/@38.998...

In Silver Spring, Maryland, view west along north side of Piney Branch Road at Barron. A bus stop sign, bench, and receptacle are visible; no shelter is visible.

Quarterly check: still no replacement for bus stop shelter destroyed by @purplelinemd.bsky.social on Piney Branch (north side, stop 24932) at Barron. It was a @rideonmct.bsky.social owned and "maintained" shelter.

@govwesmoore.bsky.social

www.google.com/maps/@38.999...

In Silver Spring, Maryland, view west along north side of Piney Branch Road east of University Boulevard. In foreground, a bus stop sign. No shelter, seating, or receptacles are visible.

Quarterly check: still no replacement for
bus stop shelter destroyed by @purplelinemd.bsky.social on Piney Branch (north side, stop 24930) near University. It was a @rideonmct.bsky.social owned and maintained shelter.

@govwesmoore.bsky.social

www.google.com/maps/@38.999...

In Silver Spring, Maryland, southeast corner of intersection of University Boulevard and Piney Branch Road. Bus stop signs are visible, as is a bench and trash receptacle; no shelter is visible.

Quarterly check: still no replacement for bus stop shelter destroyed by @purplelinemd.bsky.social on University (south side) near Piney Branch Road. It was a @rideonmct.bsky.social owned and maintained shelter.

@govwesmoore.bsky.social

www.google.com/maps/@38.998...