Metro News Release
For immediate release: September 4, 2009
Metro details shuttle bus service plans for this weekend's Blue and Yellow Line station closures
Free shuttles to run from Pentagon to Pentagon City, Crystal City, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Braddock Road and Franconia-Springfield stations
Starting tonight at 9:30 p.m., until closing (midnight) on Monday, Sept. 7, Metro will undertake a complete track overhaul on the Blue and Yellow lines that will close the Pentagon City, Crystal City and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metrorail stations. Customers using the Blue and Yellow lines should add 45 minutes to their travel plans to transfer to free shuttle buses to get past the affected work area. Throughout the weekend, extra Metro employees will be on hand to guide customers to their connecting shuttle buses, which will run about 10 minutes apart during the day and every 15 to 20 minutes apart during the evenings. Regular service will resume when the Metrorail system opens on Tuesday morning, Sept. 8.
During this weekend’s station closures, Metro will operate four separate free shuttle bus services from the Pentagon Transit Center to the Pentagon City, Crystal City, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Braddock Road and Franconia-Springfield Metrorail stations.
“This weekend, our customers have a selection of free shuttle buses to choose from depending on where they want to go,” said Milo Victoria, Metro’s Assistant General Manager for Metrobus. “By offering four buses to Pentagon City and Crystal City, National Airport, Braddock Road and Franconia-Springfield, we are aiming to minimize inconvenience and maximize customer demand. Our free shuttle bus service will get customers where they want to go. It will just take a little longer.”
The designated free shuttle buses for this weekend’s closures are:
Pentagon-Braddock Road shuttle: To get to the Braddock Road Metrorail station, a shuttle bus will depart from the Pentagon Transit Center lower level bus bay #6 and make one stop on Jefferson Davis Highway at 23rd Street in Crystal City. The shuttle bus stop at the Braddock Road Metrorail station is at bus bay B.
Pentagon-Franconia Springfield shuttle: To get to the Franconia-Springfield Metrorail station, a shuttle bus will depart from the Pentagon Transit Center lower level bus bay #7. The shuttle bus stop at the Franconia-Springfield Metrorail station is at bus bay D.
Pentagon-Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport shuttle: To get to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metrorail station, a shuttle bus will depart from the Pentagon Transit Center lower level bus bay #8. The shuttle bus stop for the Airport station is located on the southern end of the ticket level concourse.
Pentagon-Pentagon City and Crystal City shuttle: To get to the Pentagon City and Crystal City Metrorail stations, a shuttle bus will depart from the Pentagon Transit Center lower level bus bay #9. The shuttle bus stop at the Pentagon City Metrorail station will be at the eastern side of South Hayes Street (across from the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City) at 12th Street South. The shuttle bus stop at the Crystal City Metrorail station is on Bell St., north of 18th Street.
This weekend’s free shuttle buses between the Pentagon and Pentagon City/Crystal City, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Braddock Road Metrorail stations will operate about every 10 minutes during the day, and about every 10 to 12 minutes after 9 p.m.
This weekend’s free shuttle buses between the Pentagon and Franconia-Springfield Metrorail station will operate about every 12 minutes during the day on Saturday, Sept. 5, about every 15 minutes during the day on Sunday, Sept. 6, and Monday, Sept. 7, and about every 20 minutes after 9 p.m.
In addition to the free shuttles Metro will also provide free shuttle buses at the Braddock Road Metrorail station for customers who want to get to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Crystal City, or Pentagon City Metrorail stations.
This weekend, Metro will conduct six projects in the area of the station closures. Metro will replace four track switches at the Pentagon City Metrorail station, replace 2,000 feet of rail, 735 ties, perform concrete and deck joint repairs along the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metrorail station aerial structure, conduct fire line maintenance and install cable to upgrade cell phone service in the Metrorail system. The track switch replacement is work recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board and the cell phone service upgrade is a Congressional mandate.
As a result of this weekend’s maintenance work, the Blue Line will be split into two segments operating between the Largo Town Center and Pentagon Metrorail stations, and between the Franconia-Springfield and Braddock Road Metrorail stations.
The Yellow Line will be split into two segments operating between the Greenbelt and Pentagon Metrorail stations and between the Huntington and Braddock Road Metrorail stations.
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Media contact for this news release: Steven Taubenkibel or Lisa Farbstein at 202-962-1051.
For all other inquiries, please call customer service at 202-637-7000.
News release issued at 12:04 pm, September 4, 2009.