The Pope's visit to Washington later this month may cause hours-long delays at some Metro stations -- and officials and asking the public to plan ahead.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend events during the three-day papal visit, which could produce near-inauguration ridership levels at some Metro stations, Metro said.
Riders should expect crowding on all trains Sept. 22 through 24, especially at the Brookland-CUA Metro station, which is the closest station to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the smallest Metro station on the Red Line.
The Brookland station accommodates fewer than 5,000 boardings per hour under normal conditions, Metro said in a statement. More than 25,000 ticketed guests are scheduled to attend the Mass Sept. 23 led by Pope Francis.
To try to handle the flood of riders, Metro plans to provide shuttle bus service from the Fort Totten and Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood Metro stations. Metro will run additional trains during non-peak hours during the Pope's visit but "does not have the ability to add significant capacity during the traditional morning and evening rush hours," Metro said.
The Brookland station may be designated as "exit only" before the event with the Pope and "entrance only" after the event.
Riders are encouraged to telecommute if they can, buy SmarTrip cards and purchase enough fare to last through the entire visit.
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Bus riders should also expect delays, Metro said.
