The nation of Qatar is paying $100,000 to keep D.C. metro running after normal business hours

[Ziggy Stardust]

Metro will stay open later for Caps-Lightning Games 3 and 4 — thanks partly to … Qatar?

Metro announced early Monday morning that it will extend service by one hour Tuesday night to accommodate fans attending Game 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs’ Eastern Conference finals between the Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning. With the puck scheduled to drop at 8 p.m., Metro’s usual 11:30 p.m. weeknight closing time could have presented a problem for fans if the game goes to overtime.

D.C. Council member Jack Evans, also chair of the Metro board, said last week that he had been in discussions with a couple of companies that were considering paying the $100,000 fee to keep Metro open an additional hour, and Exelon and Pepco stepped up for Tuesday night.

On Tuesday, Evans told The Washington Post that the tiny, wealthy nation of Qatar has agreed to pay the $100,000 fee to keep Metro open until 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, when the Capitals host Game 4. That game also is set for an 8 p.m. start.

Evans led a delegation of D.C. government officials and private business representatives to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates last April in hopes of getting foreign investors interested D.C. projects. The government of Qatar previously invested heavily in the development of D.C.’s City Center.

Maybe they'd be interested in funding a new arena in Calgary?

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[Zaddy]

How long before the World Cup of Hockey is played in Qatar?

 

[Albatros]

How long before the World Cup of Hockey is played in Qatar?

2024 max. Seriously.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

How long before the World Cup of Hockey is played in Qatar?

Only if they can do it outdoors in the summer.

 

[LeHab]

Metro will stay open later for Caps-Lightning Games 3 and 4 — thanks partly to … Qatar?


Maybe they'd be interested in funding a new arena in Calgary?

For World Cup 2022 Qatar is building a modular stadium that can be moved to a different location. Mind playing in a Soccer stadium?

Qatar's modular shipping container football stadium can be disassembled

As for footing the 100K bill, makes sense to get a bit of positive publicity with all those investments in DC area.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I hope the people in the DC area are happy, honestly I really am.

With that said and knowing this isn't a political thread but obviously Qatar has baggage. So, I am a little stunned from just a PR standpoint that they would consider accepting money so publicly from Qatar given their abysmal Human Rights record which has only gotten worse during the World Cup push. I guess we shouldn't care who makes the trains go, but man this isn't a good look, at least in my opinion it isn't at all.

 

[LeHab]

With that said and knowing this isn't a political thread but obviously Qatar has baggage. So, I am a little stunned from just a PR standpoint that they would consider accepting money so publicly from Qatar given their abysmal Human Rights record which has only gotten worse during the World Cup push. I guess we shouldn't care who makes the trains go, but man this isn't a good look, at least in my opinion it isn't at all.

Article refers to a recent DC delegation to UAE & Qatar seeking investors -> D.C. going after Mideast money for development projects | dmped

Don't think they mind too much where the money is coming from and this type of goodwill gesture is a PR move to change perception.

 

[AmericanDream]

I hope the people in the DC area are happy, honestly I really am.

With that said and knowing this isn't a political thread but obviously Qatar has baggage. So, I am a little stunned from just a PR standpoint that they would consider accepting money so publicly from Qatar given their abysmal Human Rights record which has only gotten worse during the World Cup push. I guess we shouldn't care who makes the trains go, but man this isn't a good look, at least in my opinion it isn't at all.

agreed, typical of US officials to ignore what is going on within that country but happily take their money...pretty sad to be honest. oh well.

 

[Bjorn Le]

Well, Qatar has a bit of a lobby in the US so this makes sense. Still, a little weird.

 

[cptjeff]

I hope the people in the DC area are happy, honestly I really am.

With that said and knowing this isn't a political thread but obviously Qatar has baggage. So, I am a little stunned from just a PR standpoint that they would consider accepting money so publicly from Qatar given their abysmal Human Rights record which has only gotten worse during the World Cup push. I guess we shouldn't care who makes the trains go, but man this isn't a good look, at least in my opinion it isn't at all.

Taking money from Qatar is way, way down on the list of PR problems for the DC Metro right now. When the system catching on fire, running about one train every 12 years outside of rush hour, and having escalator repairmen who can spend a decade replacing one escalator stop being the standby small talk jokes, then they might have to worry about a PR hit related to Qatar.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Taking money from Qatar is way, way down on the list of PR problems for the DC Metro right now. When the system catching on fire, running about one train every 12 years outside of rush hour, and having escalator repairmen who can spend a decade replacing one escalator stop being the standby small talk jokes, then they might have to worry about a PR hit related to Qatar.

can you guys also fix that bass ackwards fare system too? I have never seen another subway that charges different rates based on how far you're going...or charges a buck to get out of the system.

 

[LadyStanley]

can you guys also fix that bass ackwards fare system too? I have never seen another subway that charges different rates based on how far you're going...or charges a buck to get out of the system.

Seen that in many other mass transit options (usually rail/light rail).

 

[Identity404]

can you guys also fix that bass ackwards fare system too? I have never seen another subway that charges different rates based on how far you're going...or charges a buck to get out of the system.

DC Metro goes way out into VA and Maryland. It makes sense.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Seen that in many other mass transit options (usually rail/light rail).

big difference between commuter rail and subway

 

[Fenway]

Deal Off to Keep Metro Open Late for Caps Game 4

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Deal Off to Keep Metro Open Late for Caps Game 4

I guess ride sharing services in D.C. will be seeing an uptick as a result.

 

[cptjeff]

big difference between commuter rail and subway

And the Metro is a hybrid between the two.

The primary reason many subways don't have distance based rates is because they were built before it was possible to do so, since it requires all of the faregates tie into the same computer network. Many if not most newer systems have them.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

And the Metro is a hybrid between the two.

The primary reason many subways don't have distance based rates is because they were built before it was possible to do so, since it requires all of the faregates tie into the same computer network. Many if not most newer systems have them.

Also Americans tend to pay a lot less for public transit compared to commuters in Europe. And MOST subways in the world use distance fares rather than flat fares.

But we also get a lot less, so there's that.

 

[Jumptheshark]

obviously we can not get too political here--but for those who are of a political nature will understand from a PR point of view WHY they are doing

for those who want to know and do not know

google "Qatar and Sanctions"