D.C. Metrobus is preparing for a heavy increase in ridership as Metro initiates a 16-day partial shutdown of several lines of track, and officials are warning it could test the limits of their transit system.
The first phase of Metro repairs ended Thursday with moderate success, and Metrobus played a key role, helping to thin the crowd on Metro platforms. The next repair surge for SafeTrack, the Metro’s plan to repair the deteriorating system over 10-months, will have a more devastating impact on travel times across the region.
At full capacity a Metrobus holds only half the passengers of a single Metro car and a fraction of what a full train can carry. Officials at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will close two stations and initiate a 16-day shutdown Saturday of the orange, blue and silver lines between Eastern Market and Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road. The first surge only consist of single-tracking between the East-Falls Church and Ballston stations. (RELATED: The 5 Worst DC Metro Closures To Expect This Summer)
“This next phase of work by WMATA will have a much greater impact on the transportation network and it’s imperative that commuters develop travel alternatives now,” Leif Dormsjo, director of the District Department of Transportation said in a statement. “WMATA bus bridges will only be able to carry half the people who normally travel through the Eastern Market to Minnesota and Benning corridor. Metrorail customers who remain on the system should anticipate much longer commute times.”
Metrobuses will take the place of trains between Eastern Market and Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road stations and could turn Monday’s rush hour commute into a major headache. Officials say a crowded Metro car holds roughly 120 people and a full train holds roughly 1,000 riders. The buses are limited to a maximum of 60 riders. During the surge, buses will run every 5 to 10 minutes in the effected area. (RELATED: DC Bikeshare Making Record Numbers As Metro Sinks Into Abyss Of Delay)
Alternate transportation helped ease the crowd levels in Metro stations during the first surge repairs. Metrobus, Capital Bikeshare and other modes of transport led to a 30 percent drop in Metro ridership at stations between Ballston and Reston, where the repairs took place. The first repair surge kept all stations and lines operating, but the second will cut off portions of three very busy lines and close access to two stations, so Metrobus is entering uncharted territory when the shutdown begins Saturday, reports The Washington Post.
“We will do the best we can, but we just can’t replace the railroad on a weekday peak direction rush hour,” Jim Hamre, director of bus planning for Metro, told The Washington Post. “People will just have to work around that for that period. If you are trying to travel between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. or between 5 and 6 at night you are going to have to be patient. It is going to take more time.”
Officials warn that despite their best efforts to provide alternate transit, there will be major delays they cannot do anything about. Even with Metrobuses running every 5 to 10 minutes between Eastern Market and Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road stations, Metro is telling riders to expect lines and long waits before actually being able to board a bus. (RELATED: DC Commuters Abandon Metro, Making Already Horrible Traffic Even Worse)
D.C. officials will continue to enforce rush hour parking restrictions and expand no-parking zones to try to reduce traffic during SafeTrack. Mayor Muriel Bowser will also put a moratorium on construction projects in certain areas affected by the next surge. Residents attempting to drive into the city are complaining about the reduced parking options and expensive parking rates.
Commuters who drive into the District can continue to expect high levels of traffic and massive congestion throughout the region. The Virginia Department of Transportation noted during the first repair surge that highways leading into the District saw a large spike in traffic. The unusual congestion is reportedly adding hours to people’s commutes and could get worse come Monday rush hour.
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