Metro News Release

For immediate release: October 16, 2006

Features added to Metro’s online Trip Planner make it easier to travel

Metro’s popular online Trip Planner, which plots a rider’s travel itinerary from start to finish, now provides even more information to make the travel experience easier. The two new enhancements give riders information about escalator and elevator availability, and the most convenient station exit to use.

One new feature of the online Trip Planner lets riders know whether they will encounter out-of-service elevators or escalators along their planned route. If the rider will travel to a station where an elevator or escalator is out of service, an icon showing a person walking stairs will appear next to the station name on the travel itinerary. When the user clicks on the icon, they will see a popup screen showing the outage(s) at that station and the anticipated date the unit will return to service.

The second feature aims to minimize walking with improved directions to and from stations. Specifically, the directions now indicate which exit to use if the final destination station has multiple exits. For example, walking directions generated by the Trip Planner to Metro headquarters at 600 5th St., NW, Washington, DC, tell riders to use the F Street exit at the Red Line’s Judiciary Sq station.

Metro’s online Trip Planner is one of the most popular features on www.MetroOpensDoors.com, generating nearly 40,000 travel itineraries each day.

News release issued on October 16, 2006.