John Matthews
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) So far, so good. But it’s early yet.
The second “safety surge” of Metro’s year-long SafeTrack program got underway over the weekend, and had its first real commuter test Monday, with early results appearing to be promising.
For the first time since the program started at the beginning of June, all-out station closings are involved.
The Orange, Blue and Silver Lines are shut down between Eastern Market and Minnesota Ave/Benning Road, and the Blue line is only running trains between Franconia-Springfield and Arlington Cemetery. Shuttle buses have been lined up to replace trains, and for the most part, buses did appear to be working well Monday, though sizable crowds lined up early to use the service.
However, those buses can handle only a fraction of the load that trains normally carry, so Metro has been aggressively urging riders to find other options, including telework, for the duration of the scheduled shutdown period – through Sunday, July 3rd.
What else can you do to get around? You have several options, including carpooling, telework, bike share, using D.C. Circulator buses and traveling outside of peak hours. Prince George’s County and D.C. officials are adding service where they can to alleviate pressure as well. For example, free bus service will be provided from the New Carrollton Metro to the Green line during the duration of Surge Two.
However, Metro officials are clearing hoping that weeks of warnings have prompted many workers to simply avoid commuting altogether and telework instead.
For the latest information on Metro’s SafeTrack plan, and tips on how to get around, CLICK HERE.
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