Metro Surge 11 Nightmare Begins in Arlington, Here's What to Do

ARLINGTON, VA — It's here. Metro Surge No. 11, perhaps the most brutal and difficult "Surge" of them all, begins Monday and will last until four days before Christmas, snarling commutes on the Orange and Silver Lines and leaving Arlington residents waiting 20 minutes for a train, and then crammed in like sardines once one actually arrives.

So what does the new "Surge" actually mean for commuters? It means there will be continuous single-tracking between the East and West Falls Church stations. That will mean backups up and down both the Orange and Silver lines in Arlington.

"Orange Line trains will run every 20 minutes between Vienna and New Carrollton.," Metro says on its website. "Expect crowding on all Orange/Silver line trains."

The problems are expected to be so bad that Metro suggests that riders look for other forms of transportation for the next month, and avoid traveling at rush hour. Metro is calling it a "severe reduction in service."

And if you use Metro on weekends, be aware that train frequencies could change. That has meant entire line segment shutdowns in past Surges.

So what are your options if you rely on Metro and don't have a car? Arlington County has set up a page just for commuters to help you out.

Arlington County will be making temporary changes to streets around Orange Line Metro rail stations to better accommodate additional Metro and regional buses during rush hours. That includes removing some street parking and converting some street sections into bus-only streets.

Arlington Transit will use larger buses for the ART 55 route, which services Metro stations in North Arlington.

The county is also encouraging local businesses to allow for telework or flex time, and urging commuters to look into ridesharing, biking or walking. You can find a list of options on the Arlington County's SafeTrack page here.

Image via WMATA