Metro News Release

For immediate release: March 18, 2009

Metrorail to open at 5 a.m. on Saturday for the National Marathon

Metrobus and MetroAccess vehicles rerouted for marathon

Metrorail will open two hours early—at 5 a.m.—on Saturday, March 21, to help participants get to the starting line for the SunTrust National Marathon. The race begins at 7 a.m. near the Stadium-Armory Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines.

Prior to the start of the race, all Red Line trains will operate every 12 minutes. All Blue, Orange, Yellow and Green line trains will operate every 15 minutes from the ends of each rail line and every seven to eight minutes in downtown Washington, D.C.

Massive numbers of road closures for Saturday’s SunTrust National Marathon will hinder most downtown Metrobus routes and MetroAccess service. Patrons who rely on Metrobus and MetroAccess service are likely to be rerouted due to the race route on Saturday. Metro encourages Metrobus and MetroAccess riders to build extra time into their Saturday trips and if possible, reschedule their trips to mid-afternoon or use the Metrorail system.

The marathon will cause 41 Metrobus routes in the District of Columbia to be detoured. Buses are expected to return to their normal routes in the early afternoon.

The following District of Columbia Metrobus routes will be impacted: 5A, 13A, 13B, 13F, 13G, 32, 34, 36, 38B, 42, 52, 54, 64, 70, 80, 90, 92, 96, 98, A42, A46, A48, B2, D4, D6, D8, G8, H2, H4, H8, L2, M6, N6, N22, P6, S2, S4, U6, V8, X2 and X8.  For more information on specific detours, please visit http://www.wmata.com/bus/metrobus_detours_new.cfm and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Several thousand race participants are expected to assemble near Stadium-Armory for the 7 a.m. start. The race course will wind its way through Washington, D.C., and conclude back at Stadium-Armory by 1 p.m.

Race spectators can ride to the Stadium-Armory, L’Enfant Plaza, Federal Triangle, Smithsonian, U St/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo, Shaw-Howard U, Waterfront-SEU, Navy Yard and Anacostia Metrorail stations.

For more information on Metro services, please call (202) 637-7000 or visit Metro’s Web site at www.metroopensdoors.com.

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News release issued at 8:35 am, March 18, 2009.