New Delays, Detours on Metro Start Saturday

A new phase of Metro's SafeTrack initiative is starting on Saturday, causing about four weeks of major delays for commuters on the Blue and Yellow lines.

During the second of Metro's 15 SafeTrack "Safety Surges," long-duration track outages for major maintenance in key parts of the system, there will be no Metrorail or Metrobus service on the Blue Line between the Arlington Cemetery and Rosslyn stations, the Metro system announced. Alexandria commuters will have to find other ways to get to work in Washington, D.C.

Under the SafeTrack initiative, Metro is accelerates three years of track repairs into less than a year by expanding maintenance work on the commuter rail system.

The second surge will run through Sunday, July 3, and the third and fourth safety surges will also cause delays for Alexandria commuters, according to city officials:

• During Surge #3, from July 5 through July 11, there will be no Metrorail service on the Blue and Yellow lines between the Braddock Road and National Airport stations.
• During Surge #4, from July 12 through July 18, there will be no Metrorail service on the Blue and Yellow lines between the National Airport and Pentagon City stations.

During each surge, Metro said, "trains and platforms are expected to be extremely crowded during peak periods and customers may experience extended delays."

The City of Alexandria is working with Metro to help out commuters, and it released a list this week of expanded services:

BUS

• Free high-frequency express shuttle buses will run between the Braddock Road and Pentagon City Metro Stations during Surges 3 and 4, to accommodate commuters on the Blue and Yellow Lines.
• Free shuttle buses will run between the Braddock Road Metro Station and National Airport during Surge 3, and between the Pentagon City Metro Station and National Airport during Surge 4.
• Free and increased frequency service on Metroway will run between the Braddock Road and Pentagon City Metro Stations during Surges 3 and 4.
• Free DASH bus service will run on the AT3 and AT4 routes during Surges 3 and 4. Service will be extended to begin at 5 a.m., added in the midday, and service hours will be extended into the evening.
• Metrobus will increase the frequency of service on the 11Y (Mount Vernon to Potomac Park) and 10A (Huntington Metrorail Station to Pentagon Metrorail Station) bus routes, with normal fares during Surges 3 and 4.

For information on other bus service changes by Metro and other jurisdictions, visit Metro's website.

BIKE

• The city is adding four new Capital Bikeshare stations prior to Surges 3 and 4, for a total of 24 citywide. Additional bikeshare capacity is being added at the Braddock Road Metro Station.
• Capital Bikeshare has added an option for users to buy a single trip for $2.
• City staff and volunteers will lead morning "bike trains" during Surges 3 and 4, to guide groups of cyclists between the Braddock Road and Pentagon City Metro Stations.

ROADS

• New carsharing and taxi areas will be added at the Braddock Road Metro Station
• To accommodate additional bus capacity, the city will temporarily prohibit street parking around Metro stations affected by surges, and will restrict some street sections to buses only. Please be alert for new traffic signs and patterns.
• The city has adjusted its 2016-'17 paving schedule to avoid work on major roads that may coincide with SafeTrack surges, and has asked private utility companies to do the same for scheduled maintenance.
• The Alexandria Police Department will provide additional traffic control at key intersections impacted by the surges.
• The city's Traffic Management Center will be fully staffed and ready to assist and adjust traffic signal timing based on traffic needs.

TELEWORK
The City of Alexandria is reaching out to employers, businesses and retailers to encourage teleworking and flexible work schedules. The city manager has directed all departments to expand telework and alternate work schedules for city employees.

For more information about SafeTrack and Alexandria's plans to help, please click here.

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