Metro News Release

For immediate release: March 29, 2009

Metro temporarily detours F4 Metrobus route

Change in route follows Thursday's incident in Riverdale

Metro officials this morning, (March 29) have temporarily detoured the Metrobus F4 route (New Carrollton-Silver Spring) as Metro continues to investigate Thursday’s incident involving two Metrobuses and a MARC train at a highway-rail crossing in Riverdale, Md.

Under this detour, Metrobuses will no longer operate across the highway-rail crossing at Queensbury Road and Lafayette Avenue where last week's accident took place.

All trips westbound will run their present routes to Riverdale Road and 49th Avenue, then turn right at Queensbury Road, turn left at Taylor Road, turn left at East-West Highway, turn left at Baltimore Avenue and onto its regular route.

All trips eastbound will run their present route to Queensbury Road and Baltimore Avenue, then turn left at Baltimore Avenue, a right onto East-West Highway, a right onto 49th Avenue, a left onto Riverdale Road and then on its regular route.

“While we are in the early stages of our investigation, out of an abundance of concern for the safety for our customers, we have decided to temporarily change the route of the F4 to avoid the railroad crossing,” said Gerald Francis, Metro’s Deputy General Manager and Chief Operating Officer. “Over the next few weeks, we will monitor the performance of the route, and if it’s successful, we will make this change permanent.”

To communicate this temporary service change, Metrobus officials will post signs at 11 bus stops affected by the detour and will also deploy street supervisors to communicate this change to bus customers who use this portion of the F4 route.

Last Thursday afternoon, a Metrobus was involved in a collision with a MARC train and another Metrobus at Queensbury Road and Lafayette Avenue in Riverdale, Md. At the time of the incident, Metrobus 6040, which had 30 to 35 passengers on board, was traveling eastbound on Queensbury Road and attempting to cross the railroad tracks when it was delayed by a second Metrobus attempting to make a left turn. The second Metrobus, number 9731, was traveling westbound on Queensbury Road. While bus 6040 waited for bus 9731 to complete its left turn, the railroad crossing gate hit the rear of bus 6040 and it was unable to move. The impact of the train collision with bus 6040 caused it to spin and strike the driver’s side mirror of bus 9731. Seven passengers on bus 9731 were taken to an area hospital with minor, non-life threatening injuries. Approximately 12 people were on board the bus. The bus operator of bus 6040, which was struck by the train, was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Prince George’s County police and fire authorities along with Metro Transit Police and Riverdale Police are investigating this incident. It is Metro’s standard procedure to remove bus operators involved in accidents and to conduct its own internal investigation.

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News release issued at 2:58 pm, March 29, 2009.