Metro News Release

For immediate release: April 16, 2008

Extra Metro service in place for people to attend pope-related events

In preparation for the Papal Mass at Nationals Park, the transit agency will offer more Metrorail service, have more personnel assisting riders at key stations and is selling the One Day Metrorail Mass Pass to ease travel on Thursday, April 17.

In anticipation of crowded trains, Metrorail will operate continuous rush hour service from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., on Thursday, April 17, and have extra personnel to help patrons get to and from the Mass. In addition, the new expanded west entrance of the Navy Yard Metrorail station, just one block from the new ballpark, will be converted to exit only before the Mass and entry only afterward to speed the flow of customers.

“Our riders can expect parking lots to fill earlier than usual on Thursday, heavy crowds at the end-of-the-line stations in the early morning, riders who are unfamiliar with traveling on Metro and generally very crowded conditions,” said Metro General Manager John Catoe. “Bus service will also be significantly impacted due to road closures. With that said, we are ready to get people to and from the region’s Pope-related events.”

No bicycles will be permitted in the Metrorail system until after 7 p.m. on Thursday due to large crowds. Bicycles are never permitted during rush hours.

Because Metro anticipates carrying large crowds to and from the Navy Yard Metrorail station for the Papal Mass, attendees are encouraged to buy the Mass Pass or regular farecards with enough for a round trip, or have enough value on their SmarTrip cards for a roundtrip fare ahead of time to avoid long lines at farecard machines in stations on the day of the Mass.

The $9 commemorative Mass Pass is a paper farecard that can be used for unlimited travel on Metrorail all day on April 17 only. The regular one-day pass costs $7.80, but cannot be used before 9:30 a.m. on weekdays. The Mass Pass is available at Metro sales offices at Metro Center, the Pentagon Transit Center and Metro headquarters. The passes will also be sold at the designated stations.

Thursday, April 17

On Thursday, April 17, Metro expects to carry at least 25,000 people to and from Nationals Park for the Papal Mass.

Metrorail will open at 5 a.m., and will operate continuous rush-hour service until 7 p.m. However, non-peak fares will be charged mid-day, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trains will operate every three to four minutes in downtown Washington.

Extra station managers, rail supervisors and Transit Police officers will be at the Navy Yard Metrorail station to assist riders and provide directions about how to get to Nationals Park. Metro will also have volunteers to answer questions from riders between 5:30 and 10 a.m. at 14 stations that are expected to be crowded. They include: Navy Yard, Branch Avenue, Columbia Heights, Greenbelt, L’Enfant Plaza, Gallery Place-Chinatown, Metro Center, Shady Grove, Vienna/Fairfax-GMU, New Carrollton, Franconia-Springfield, Union Station, Fort Totten and Brookland-CUA Metrorail stations. Volunteers will remind patrons to check their SmarTrip cards or paper farecards to ensure they have enough money on the cards to enter or exit the Metrorail system.

Metro will hand sell the special one-day Mass Pass from 5:30 to 8 a.m. at the Branch Avenue, Columbia Heights, Franconia-Springfield, Vienna/Fairfax-GMU, Union Station and Shady Grove Metrorail stations, and from noon to 4 p.m. at the Navy Yard Metrorail station. Only cash will be accepted.

Metro anticipates that Metrobus routes A9, P17, P18, P19, W13 and W14 will be detoured due to the Pope’s arrival and departure from Nationals Park.

Metro is the best way to get to the ballpark for the Mass because of the convenience of the Navy Yard Metrorail station, one block from the new ballpark.

On weekdays, riders must have a SmarTrip card to pay for parking at all but six Metrorail parking facilities. Customers can pay the daily parking fee with a major credit card or SmarTrip card at the Anacostia, Franconia-Springfield, Largo Town Center, Vienna/Fairfax-GMU, Shady Grove and New Carrollton. Customers are able to use their Discover, Mastercard, Visa, American Express or Japanese Credit Bank cards at these locations.

To help Mass attendees get to Nationals Park for the service by Metrorail or Metrobus, Metro has created a special Web site (www.wmata.com/papalvisit) and commemorative brochure. The Web site and brochure provide information about getting to the Mass on bus and rail, purchasing the Mass Pass or regular fare cards, and parking. The brochure is available online and in Metro stations. In addition, a printable version of the brochure in Spanish and French can be found online.

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News release issued at 4:05 pm, April 16, 2008.