Metro will closed 17 more stations Thursday in an effort to reserve cleaning supplies and protect its employees amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The following stations will be closed until further notice:
- Federal Center SW
- Federal Triangle
- Mt Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center
- Judiciary Square
- Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter
- Greensboro
- Eisenhower Ave
- Virginia Square
- Cleveland Park
- Grosvenor-Strathmore
- Cheverly
- Clarendon
- East Falls Church
- College Park
- McLean
- Morgan Boulevard
- Van Dorn St
The Smithsonian and Arlington Cemetery stations were already closed to limit riders taking public transit to see the cherry blossoms. They will also remain closed until further notice.
Metro will also close some station entrances to conserve cleaning supplies and create additional workforce flexibility. The stations will remain open for customers to enter and exit from other available entrances.
- Anacostia – Entrance serving parking garage at Howard Rd north of the Anacostia Freeway closed; bus bay side open
- Farragut North - SW corner of L St & Connecticut Ave closed; 2 other entrances open
- Dupont Circle - South Entrance 19th St & Connecticut Ave closed; Q Street (north) entrance open
- Metro Center - 12th & F streets entrance closed; 3 other entrances open
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport - North entrance closed (Terminal C); South station entrance (Terminal B) open
- U Street – Memorial side U St & Vermont Ave closed; 13th & U streets entrance open
- Gallery Place – Chinatown - 9th St & G St entrance closed; 2 other entrances open
- L'Enfant Plaza - 7th & D streets entrance closed; Maryland Ave & 9th & D streets entrances open
- Friendship Heights – Jennifer St entrance closed; Western Ave entrance open
"These steps will help reduce the risk of exposure to employees and save critical cleaning supplies for the remaining stations," Metro said in a statement Wednesday night.
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Metro says it increased its inventory of essential cleaning supplies, but it wants to make its current supply stretch as suppliers are experiencing delivery delays.
Metro significantly scaled back service this week "as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to disrupt all aspects of life in the region."
Here is the service plan for the week of Monday, March 23 to Friday, March 27:
Metrorail:
Trains will operate every 20 minutes on all lines except the Red Line. Red Line trains will operate every 15 minutes.
Stations serviced by multiple lines will see trains arrive every 7-10 minutes. For example, Rosslyn, served by the Blue, Orange and Silver lines, will have train service to D.C. about every 7 minutes.
The Smithsonian and Arlington Cemetery stations will remain closed until further notice to keep non-essential cherry blossom travel off the rail system.
Metrobus:
Buses will run on a modified Sunday schedule. Supplemental trips will not operate; however, some routes that provide weekday-only service to essential federal workplaces have been added to the schedule.
Visit wmata.com for a list of routes that are – and are not – operating this week.
Beginning Tuesday, all Metrobus customers will enter and exit the bus using the rear doors only, except customers who require use of a wheelchair ramp. Metro is also temporarily suspending fare collection on Metrobus, because all farebox and SmarTrip equipment is located at the front door.
MetroAccess:
All subscription trips remain canceled. Please limit all travel to only the most essential.
“Metro will do everything we can to protect the everyday heroes who are driving buses, running trains, monitoring stations and helping people with disabilities. Our frontline colleagues make a choice each day to leave their homes at a time of great anxiety and uncertainty. They do it out of a sense of duty – and to support this community. In turn, I ask the community to support them by staying home,” Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld said in a release.
A Metrobus driver tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Saturday.
Metro has asked the public to limit their use of public transit to essential travel only.
“We all need to think of transit service as a limited resource because, right now, it is. If you are boarding a bus when you could walk, that increases the likelihood of the bus reaching capacity and having to bypass a stop where a doctor might be waiting to get to her shift,” Wiedefeld said.
Metro said too many people continue to use Metrobus, and if continued usage for non-essential trips becomes a public health concern, it may consider discontinuing all bus service.
"Simply put: public health concerns take priority over individual transportation needs," the release said.
