Metro News Release

For immediate release: January 27, 2004

Employees urged to stagger trips home: Icy conditions hamper Metrorail, Metrobus, Metroaccess

Employees who are being released early from their offices today due to icy conditions in the region are urged to stagger their tips home today on Metrorail and Metrobus, which will allow the transit system to better handle the large numbers of commuters heading home early.

This morning’s freezing rain and ice on the heels of yesterday’s snowfall have caused train malfunctions and have significantly hampered Metro’s ability to keep trains on schedule. The Orange Line has been most heavily impacted by the icy conditions.

"We brought approximately 160,000 people to work this morning during the rush hour, which is about 75 percent of a typical weekday morning, and if everyone tries to leave for home at once, people can expect to wait up to three hours for a train home," explained James Gallagher, Metro’s Assistant General Manager for Operations. "We do not have the railcars available to move everyone at once. People should stagger their trips home, just like they do on their way into the office."

Metrobus will provide additional rush hour service today to accommodate the workers who are heading home early today. Afternoon rush hour service, where buses operate on their routes with greater frequency, will begin at 12:30 p.m. and then again at about 4 p.m. for those who are maintaining a more typical workday schedule.

Metrorail, which has been hampered by icy track conditions, especially on elevated tracks, will run trains as frequently as weather conditions permit to get people home. Federal employees and others who were granted early release are encouraged to leave at the staggered hours that their agencies set to allow the transit system the time it needs to move the large numbers of people back home. If employees all leave at once, a bottleneck of customers will result in longer waits at stations and extremely crowded conditions which will increase the commute time home.

"Because of a shortage of railcars caused by ice and snow conditions, customers may have to wait for one or two trains to pass through their station before they can board," Mr. Gallagher said. "In other words, trains are likely to be shorter and more crowded this afternoon."

News release issued on January 27, 2004.