Normal 0 Metro is getting ready for the huge crowds anticipated for the upcoming 2011 National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs from March 26 to April 10. Transit officials are adding more cars, cutting back on track work and readying the air conditioning.
“Metro will convert five six-car trains to eight-car trains. The cars will remain in service after the festival,” Richard Sarles, Metro’s General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement. “We will add 10 rail cars or 640 more seats to our weekday morning and afternoon peak service starting on March 21, increasing the number of rail cars available for customers from 850 to 860 rail cars.
“We will also operate eight-car trains during the weekday, off-peak daytime hours to accommodate the expected crowds and will be prepared to use eight-car trains on the weekends if necessary,” Sarles said.
Even with the additional cars, riders should expect crowded conditions. Crowds have increased each year of the Cherry Blossom Festival. Last year, Metro recorded three of its top five highest weekday ridership days in its 34-year history and it also recorded its fourth highest Saturday ridership day. Overall, Metrorail recorded 10,930,795 passenger trips, a 5.7 increase in ridership (595,368 more trips) compared to the same period in 2009 when Metrorail recorded 10,335,427 passenger trips.
“In anticipation of large crowds expected to attend the events, we will curtail weekend track maintenance and rehabilitation work during the weekend of March 26- 27, and the weekends of April 2-3 and 9-10,” Sarles said. “We will have personnel available on stand-by in the event we have to respond to an operations issue, and we will conduct track maintenance during late-night weekdays and when the system is closed."
To keep the crowds comfortable as the weather warms up, Metro is also inspecting and overhauling air conditioning units across the fleet.
The transit agency has also released the following advisory for riders.
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During the Cherry Blossom season, customers can do their part to help ensure that their trip is pleasant by remembering the following travel tips:
• To avoid crowds, visitors should travel during non-rush hour times and if possible, avoid traveling Metrorail at the height of the afternoon peak period, from 4 to 6 p.m.
• Regular commuters, especially those who work for the federal government and whose offices are in the vicinity of the Smithsonian Metrorail station, the most frequently used station for tourists arriving at the National Mall, are urged to stagger their arrival and departure times for work. As alternatives, commuters can use the L’Enfant Plaza, Archives-Navy Memorial, Federal Triangle and Union Station Metrorail stations.
• Visitors are encouraged to buy the $8.30 Metrorail One-Day Pass for multiple trips. The One-Day Pass can be used after 9:30 a.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends.
• Visitors should buy a SmarTrip card, which is used to pay the fares on Metrorail and Metrobus, and is the only way to pay for parking at most Metro-operated parking lots. Customers can pay for parking with Discover, Mastercard, Visa, American Express or Japanese Credit Bank credit cards at the Glenmont, Grosvenor-Strathmore, Rockville, Shady Grove, Greenbelt, New Carrollton, Landover, Largo Town Center, Addison Road, Branch Avenue, Suitland, Naylor Road, Anacostia, Huntington, Franconia Springfield, Vienna-Fairfax-GMU, Dunn Loring-Merrifield, and East Falls Church Metrorail stations. Visitors can purchase a SmarTrip card from Metro’s Web site for $25 (with $20 of value on the card) or for $10 at any Metrorail station with a parking facility (with $5 of fare value on the card). SmarTrip cards can hold up to $300 of fare value.
• Metrorail riders who pay their fare with a SmarTrip card instead of a paper farecard save 25 cents per trip. Metrobus riders who pay with a SmarTrip card instead of cash save 20 cents per trip.
• Regular commuters should allow extra time for travel. All riders are reminded when traveling on Metrorail to please walk into the center of the rail car so that they do not block the rail car doors.
• For safety reasons, stand back from the platform edge as trains approach the station.
