Metro News Release

For immediate release: October 24, 2005

Metro urges riders to plan alternative routes home

Metro is encouraging riders to plan other ways to get home with the help of Alternate Route Planning Guides.  The pamphlets will be available this week in rail stations.

"It’s a good idea to know an alternate way to get home from another Metro station or by bus in cases of bad weather or some other type of regional emergency," said Leona Agouridis, Metro’s assistant general manager of customer communications.

Metrorail service is limited to underground stations when it snows more than eight inches.  One or more stations also may be closed for numerous reasons, such as a fire or police incident. There may be instances where stations are overcrowded, and it’s more practical to walk to a less crowded station or board a bus.

The new brochures guide Metrorail riders through the process of planning several alternate routes home using Metro’s online Trip Planner.  The last underground stations are listed for each of the rail lines and riders are encouraged to plan at least one alternate route from that point in their daily commute. There’s also a fill-in-the-blank section where riders can list alternate routes home, as well as emergency contacts, which is meant to be carried with them while commuting.  The brochures can be found at http://www.wmata.com/riding/safety/04_Alternative_Metrorail_Route_Planner.pdf

Riders also may call customer information at 202-637-7000 (TTY 202-638-3780) for route planning assistance. 

News release issued on October 24, 2005.