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Metro News

Wednesday morning Metro troubles on four lines

Updated at 9:47 a.m.

Normal service has resumed at the Rosslyn station on the Blue and Orange lines.

Updated at 8:30 a.m.

The cold continues to affect Metro’s rails and trains Wednesday morning, as four of its five lines have had troubles.

Delays continue on the Green Line after trains had to share a track between U Street and Georgia Avenue.

There was also a problem with an earlier disabled train at Columbia Heights station but that problem was resolved by 8:32 a.m.

As of 8:44 a.m., there were still some delays from Orange and Blue and Green lines as a result of the morning’s problems, according to Dan Stessel, a spokesman at Metro.

Updated at 8:02 a.m.

There have been troubles on four of Metro’s rail lines Wednesday morning, making it a rough commute for riders.

At 7:45 a.m., Metro said there were delays on the Blue and Orange lines to Franconia and Vienna stations because of a disabled train at the Rosslyn station.

Trains shared a track between the Foggy Bottom and Clarendon stations until about 8 a.m. Metro said riders should expect residual delays in both directions.

Earlier in the morning, there were problems on the Red and Green lines as well.

Trains on the Green Line sharing a track until about 7:30 a.m. Officials said delays continued because of an earlier problem with a disabled train outside of the West Hyattsville station.

The earlier troubles on the Red Line were fixed. At 7:12 a.m., Metro sent an e-mail alert saying that normal service was back at the Tenleytown station after earlier issues in that area.

Updated at 7:41 a.m.

Riders on Metro Red Line should expect delays Wednesday morning because of earlier troubles with a train that was malfunctioning at the Rhode Island Avenue stop.

Earlier in the morning trains on the Red Line were sharing a track between Friendship Heights and Van Ness stations in an unrelated problem. That situation was resolved, Metro said.

Updated at 7:31 a.m.

Trains on Metro’s Green Line are no longer sharing a track but delays continue in both directions because of an earlier situation that involved a disabled train outside the West Hyattsville station.

For more information on transportation-related stories click here.

Original post at 6:03 a.m.

Metro riders on the Green Line should expect delays in both directions Wednesday morning.

Trains are sharing a track between Fort Totten and Prince George’s Plaza stations because of a disabled train outside the West Hyattsville station.

There was an earlier problem on the Red Line because of a disabled train but that problem has been resolved.

Metro had a disabled train on its Red Line outside the Tenleytown station around 6:30 a.m. but the train was moved by 6:51 a.m. Trains had to share a track between Friendship Heights and Van Ness stations. Just before 7 a.m., trains were no longer sharing a track but Metro officials warned that delays could continue in both directions on the rail line.

VRE sent an email alert Wednesday morning to its passengers warning that power is out at its stop at the L’Enfant Station at 6th and C streets SW. VRE officials said riders should use caution when getting on and off trains because the platforms are dark.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/wp/2014/01/29/wednesday-morning-metro-troubles/

Metro News

First Silver Line test run complete, but no results or service start date yet

Tracks are seen stretching out from the McLean Metro station in this Nov. 4, 2013, photo.

Officials say they are analyzing data collected from the first full test run of Silver Line train service conducted over the weekend but still have no firm date for when work on the $5.6 billion rail project will be completed.

“Rail project officials, the contractor Dulles Transit Partners and WMATA are now tabulating, evaluating and analyzing all the information obtained from the demonstration,’’ officials with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, said in an e-mailed statement. “There is a huge amount of data and information to be dealt with and discussed by all the parties involved. When those evaluations are completed, we look forward to discussing the findings.”

Officials would not say when the analysis would be completed.

People familiar with the test run said it turned up a number glitches, including ones linked to the system’s automatic train control system, a key safety component that controls train movement and speed and ensures proper spacing between trains — an issue that had delayed completion of the project for several months. The individuals asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

In at least one instance during Saturday evening’s testing, they said, a train encountered a red signal, indicating that it should stop, yet still received speed commands directing it to move forward. Marcia McAllister, spokeswoman for the rail project, said officials would not comment beyond their e-mail statement.

But whether this and other issues that surfaced during the test are considered minor glitches that can easily be addressed or are signs of more serious problems that could result in additional delays remains to be seen.

As part of the test conducted in the overnight hours of Jan. 25, officials ran 10 trains along 11 miles of track and through the five stations that make up the first phase of the Silver Line. The first phase of the much-anticipated rail line has four stops in Tysons and one in Reston at Wiehle Avenue.

The automatic train control system is critical to trains’ safe operation. It was the failure of this system to detect the presence of a train on the tracks that was blamed in part for the2009 Red Line crash, which killed nine people and injured dozens of others.

Software problems linked to the ATC system forced MWAA to delay handing over the Silver Line project to Metro in November, as originally planned. It was the second time in six months that MWAA, which is building the rail line, had to delay the planned turnover. While MWAA is overseeing construction of the rail line, it will be managed and operated by Metro.

Earlier this month, Pat Nowakowski, executive director of the rail project said that enough of the software issues tied to the ATC system had been dealt with for this past weekend’s test to be completed, but he acknowledged that some issues still remain.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/first-silver-line-test-run-complete-but-no-results-or-service-start-date-yet/2014/01/28/b5e9a1b4-8860-11e3-916e-e01534b1e132_story.html

Alt Transportation, Metro News

Dale Drive station will be built at same time as Purple Line, officials say

Maryland transit officials say they will build a Purple Line station at Wayne Avenue and Dale Drive in Silver Spring when the 16-mile light-rail line is built between Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

Maryland Transit Administration officials previously said they would design the Purple Line to allow for a future station at Dale Drive but wouldn’t build it until there was community consensus for it, as the Montgomery County Council had requested.

Some residents had opposed the station, saying they were concerned it would bring commercial and higher-density residential development to the neighborhood east of downtown Silver Spring. Those who favored it said a station would help residents reach the Silver Spring Metrorail station more easily.

Michael Madden, the MTA’s manager for Purple Line planning, said Tuesday that planners recently decided to build the station with the rest of the line because community support for it has grown. After releasing the project’s final environmental impacts study, he said, the state received 16 comments, including a petition signed by 203 people, favoring a Dale Drive station. The state received four comments from those opposed, he said.

A $2.2-billion Purple Line does not have full construction funding. State officials are pursuing federal aid, as well as private funding. Construction would begin in 2015 at the earliest, with the line opening in 2020, officials said.

A station at Dale Drive is projected to serve about 960 Purple Line passengers daily in 2040, Madden said. It would be the second lowest-ridership station along the 16-mile line. The lowest-ridership station, in Long Branch, would have an estimated 890 daily passengers in 2040, he said.

Even so, Madden said, a Dale Drive station would serve that community by helping people reach the Metrorail system more easily. Its costs were already included in the project’s overall $2.2-billion cost estimate, Madden said.

“We always assumed we’d build it,” Madden said. “The only question was when.”

Madden said the County Council has said it has no intention of increasing zoning densities around a Dale Drive station.

Jean Cavanaugh, who lives in the area, said she and some other residents are still concerned that those intentions could change in light of the county’s overall approach to concentrating new development around transit stations. She said the state has done no survey or other study to scientifically measure community sentiment about a Dale Drive station.

“The very fact that they’re putting a transit station in a neighborhood leads one to think the neighborhood will become more dense,” Cavanaugh said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/wp/2014/01/28/dale-drive-station-will-be-built-at-same-time-as-purple-line-officials-say/

Metro News

Audit questions MWAA’s handling of federal funds for D.C. area’s Silver Line

A new federal audit raises questions about whether the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is properly managing $975 million in federal funding it received to build the Silver Line rail project.

The 20-page audit, by the Department of Transportation’s inspector general, identified several instances in which MWAA inappropriately used federal dollars to pay expenses unrelated to construction of the first phase of the $5.6 billion rail project — one of the largest infrastructure projects in the United States.

In one example, MWAA used $16,000 in grant money to pay for lobbying services, even though such expenses are not allowed under federal rules. The lobbying services were provided by former authority board members, according to the audit report, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post.

In another instance, the airports authority used grant money to pay $54,000 in expenses related to the second phase of the rail project, even though the money was earmarked for Phase 1.

Auditors found that the authority does not have a reliable system for tracking costs and determining which were eligible for federal dollars. Authority officials also could not provide supporting documentation for millions of dollars in expenses, auditors found. Although some of that money might have been spent properly, the authority lacked the records to prove it, the report said.

“Many of the findings included in this report, which covers a time period from 2009 to 2011, relate to issues identified earlier in a 2012 independent audit by KPMG which the Authority had requested, and efforts to address the issues have been underway since then,” MWAA spokesman Chris Paolino said in an e-mailed statement. He said the authority has revised its procedures to ensure that necessary documentation is kept in a centralized location. “We are confident we can account for all expenses in question,” he said.

Paolino later said the authority had returned to the government $15,500 for lobbying-related costs highlighted in the audit report.

With an estimated $289 million in federal funding still unspent, auditors said it is critical that safeguards be put in place to protect federal taxpayers’ investment in the project. The Federal Transit Administration, which is overseeing MWAA’s management of the project, agreed.

“FTA continues to work diligently with MWAA to ensure that internal controls are developed and implemented and we share the OIG’s concerns that MWAA must develop corrective actions for the deficiencies found in this and prior audits,” wrote FTA Administrator Peter M. Rogoff in his response to the inspector general’s findings. “We recognize that while some progress toward greater accountability has been made, more work remains to be done in the area of internal controls.”

FTA spokesman Brian Farber said that in the future, invoices submitted by MWAA will be closely scrutinized before payment is made and that the FTA will be aggressive in seeking repayment of ineligible expenses.

MWAA has been grappling with other criticisms, related to a series of delays that pushed back the opening of the first phase of the rail project. This week, officials announced that they had resolved most of the software issues that caused the most recent delays, and they said they expect to complete work on the rail line next month. No date has been set for passenger service to begin.

This most recent audit was an outgrowth of a previous investigation by the inspector general of authority operations, an examination in which auditors identified many examples of mismanagement and lax oversight. For instance, one top executive hired relatives for jobs at the authority, and another accepted Super Bowl tickets and other gifts from contractors doing business with the authority. In all, 10 people were fired or disciplined after the release of that report.

MWAA officials have touted their efforts to address many of the ethical and operational issues identified in that November 2012 audit. But the new report raises questions about whether the authority has done enough to correct problems that have emerged in recent years.

The federal auditors also said authority officials were less than forthcoming when it came to providing documents.

“MWAA took extended periods of time to provide the requested information, which was frequently incomplete and required additional follow-up requests,” the report says. “Ultimately our scope was limited to a review of documents MWAA provided by our final cut-off date of June 14, 2013 – 4 months after MWAA representatives committed to providing all requested documentation.”

Auditors found that the airports authority could not be counted on to identify ineligible expenses for which it had been reimbursed and was slow to return the money to the government when it did identify an improper reimbursement.

When auditors asked for a list of transactions that had been improperly charged to the government, MWAA officials said it would take 1,700 hours to compile such a list.

“Unfortunately, because the information requested by the IG was from an earlier time period, many of the documents the IG was seeking were not retrievable by the deadline the IG established,” Paolino said in the e-mailed statement. “Following that deadline, we continued to compile and centrally organize relevant records, including those in question by the IG. We now have readily available documentation for the expenses that have been questioned by the IG, and we look forward to sharing this documentation with the FTA.”

The audit was requested by Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) and Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa). Latham is chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation, housing and urban development, and related agencies; Wolf is a member of the committee.

Officials with the FTA, which is responsible for overseeing the federal grants to MWAA, said they concurred with the audit’s findings. They said a financial management system has been put in place for Phase 2 that may address many of the concerns raised in the most recent audit.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/audit-questions-mwaas-handling-of-federal-funds-for-dc-areas-silver-line/2014/01/16/345ac5e4-7ef9-11e3-93c1-0e888170b723_story.html

Metro News

Metro employee caught stealing cash

The Metro transit system periodically tests the honesty of its employees, presenting unsuspecting workers with opportunities for misconduct to see how they respond. Last week, in one such “integrity check,” a subway station manager failed miserably, Metro says.

Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said a plainclothes Metro police officer, pretending to have found a small amount of cash in the National Airport station, turned over the money to a manager there, who was supposed to have forwarded it to the transit system’s lost-and-found office. But the cash went in her pocket instead, Stessel said.

He declined to say whether the money was in a wallet because Metro police are “not comfortable revealing specific details” of their procedures. But wallets and other items of moderate value are often used in integrity checks.

After the manager, Judy Williams, 58, of Oxon Hill, allegedly pocketed the cash on the afternoon of Jan. 13, she was arrested and charged with misdemeanor larceny, Stessel said.

The incident was first reported by Unsuck DC Metro.

Metro News

Major test of the Silver Line this past weekend

Construction on the Silver Line in November. The new 11 mile rail line is expected to open in early 2014. (Tracy Woodward/Washington Post)

One of the last big tests before the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority hands the first phase of the Silver Line over to Metro takes place this weekend.

Saturday night, officials conducted a“simulated service” exercise, running trains along the new spur of the rail extension between East Falls Church and Wiehle Avenue. The goal is to see how the new line integrates with the rest of the system. As part of the trial run, 10 eight-car trains will operate along the rail line at the same time Metro is running regular Orange Line service.

The testing was completed by Sunday morning.

Officials at MWAA, which is responsible for overseeing construction of the $5.6 billion rail line, said they expect to hand it over to Metro sometime in February. They had originally anticipated the project would be completed in September, but a series of delays and problems with software systems related to the automated train control system forced them to delay the hand-off. Once it takes control of the Silver Line, Metro has up to 90 days to conduct training and its own testing of the rail line.

Officials have not said when passenger service will begin on the highly-anticipated new line, which will include four stops in Tysons Corner and one in Reston. Preliminary work on the second phase has already begun. That portion, which includes a stop at Washington Dulles International Airport, is expected to be completed in 2018.

Metro News

Last week, brake problems, cracked rail, tunnel fire lengthened rail commutes

Metro train

Metrorail had delays throughout the week, but trains kept running despite snow and extreme cold. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

Last week’s snow and cold affected both drivers and transit users, but the biggest disruptions occurred on Metrorail lines.

In his monthly report to the Metro board on Thursday, board chairman Tom Downs focused on the impact of the cold temperatures, a likely cause of that morning’s cracked rail, which slowed riders on the Blue and Yellow lines during rush hour. Downs recognized “the difficulty the system has operating when the temperature is in single digits. Cracked rail is a phenomenon that everybody who operates a railroad understands. Large changes in temperature can easily fracture rail. There is no cure for it. … The only thing I can say to our customers is that we’re sorry and we try to repair the damage as quickly as possible when it occurs.”

Richard Sarles, Metro’s general manager, talked about Tuesday’s snow. “Throughout the storm,” he said, “Metrorail and Metrobus continued serving our riders, and Metro’s parking lots and stations remained plowed, salted and shoveled …

“While some of our equipment is feeling the effects of the deep freeze that followed the storm, our employees deserve special recognition for their hard work through the storm and this week as they battled the cold to keep people moving.”

Snow totals on Tuesday were the deepest in the region in four years, but they did not force Metrorail to curtail above-ground service. Metrobus limited service to its snow emergency routes late Tuesday and early Wednesday.

Government and school closings, followed by delayed openings, sharply reduced rush hour ridership. But those who did travel encountered problems throughout the week. Not all the problems were related to the snow and cold. As the storm intensified Tuesday afternoon, signal problems and train equipment problems — usually doors and brakes — led to delays of up to 20 minutes, according to Metro reports.

During Wednesday’s big chill, service on all lines was disrupted by track and train problems. The most common cause of delay was a brake problem. Out of 51 incidents logged by Metrorail on Wednesday, 22 were attributed to brake problems. Five trains had door problems. During the rush hours, most delays reported by Metro were under 10 minutes. But at 8:23 a.m., a Blue Line train experienced a brake problem and unloaded passengers at the Arlington Cemetery station, an outdoor platform, resulting in a 14-minute delay on the line.

At 9:25 a.m., an Orange Line train was offloaded at McPherson Square (underground) because of a brake problem, and riders were delayed 24 minutes. At 4:12 p.m., passengers had to get off a Green Line train at College Park (outdoor platform) because of a door problem, resulting in an 18-minute delay.

The delays listed here are from Metro’s reports for the week. Passengers waiting for trains often send out Twitter messages giving longer times for the delays. They also experience the residual effects of delays in that they may have to pass up trains that are just too crowded to board. A Wednesday morning Tweet from Sarah Dunn: “Longest Metro ride this a.m. in 4 yrs living in D.C.; 90 min. from Dunn Loring to McPherson. Usually takes 30 min.!

Also, the tidiness of the aftermath reports masks the uncertainty riders experience during the disruptions. Many complain that they aren’t getting enough information over the loudspeakers in the stations and on the trains to estimate the length of a disruption or figure out alternative routes. A Wednesday Tweet from Brian W.: “Are any OL [Orange Line] trains moving? Been sitting at Clarendon for 30 min. and seen no trains.”

The worst disruptions on Thursday affected riders on the Blue, Yellow and Green lines. During the morning rush, many riders on the Blue and Yellow lines were delayed about a half-hour because of a cracked rail between Braddock Road and Reagan National Airport. Workers had to install a new 39-foot section of rail. Meanwhile, trains traveling in both directions shared the one open track around the problem area. Rails can crack when they experience sharp changes in temperature, such as the 50- degree swing that occurred this week.

Near the start of the Thursday afternoon rush, a fire on the tracks between Archives and L’Enfant Plaza delayed riders on the Green and Yellow lines. Trains shared a track between Mount Vernon Square and L’Enfant Plaza. Metro estimated the resulting delays at up to 20 minutes, The Washington Post’s Mark Berman reported.

On the roads
During such Metrorail disruptions, some riders speculate about whether they would have been better off driving. It’s difficult to compare the results this week. Road crews benefit far more from government and school shutdowns than does Metrorail, because the lack of traffic gives the plows a much better chance at keeping lanes open. The difference between this Tuesday afternoon’s relatively easy commute in snow and theghastly eight-hour commutes of Jan. 26, 2011, was the federal government’s timely decision to close offices for the day. The delayed openings on Wednesday morning also helped.

The region’s highway departments acknowledged the difficulties involved in the cleanup: They urged people to stay off the roads during the height of the storm.

During Friday morning’s commute, the major travel disruption occurred on Rockville Pike, where an early morning water main break near White Flint Mall shut down traffic in both directions. The Post’s Dana Hedgpeth reported at 10:36 a.m. that lanes have reopened both ways.

Metro News

NTSB closes another Metro safety recommendation

Finally progress!

Metro has now closed 21 of 29 recommendations

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has closed another safety recommendation, bringing the total number of recommendations closed to 21 out of 29.

“We continue to make steady progress toward making the system safer for riders and employees,” said Metro General Manager Richard Sarles. “We remain committed closing the remaining eight recommendations as soon as possible, while continuing to foster a culture of safety, shared responsibility and vigilance.”

The recommendation closed by NTSB was issued in the wake of the tragic 2009 Fort Totten collision:

  • R-09-16 Develop a program to periodically determine that the electronic components in your train control system are performing within design tolerances

In the more than four years since the Fort Totten incident, Metro has improved safety through its massive rebuilding program focused on safety projects, implementation of a confidential close-call reporting system (a first among heavy rail systems), an industry first “loss of shunt” detection system, restructuring and expansion of the Safety Department with direct reporting lines to the General Manager, and improved independent oversight.

In November, NTSB closed seven additional recommendations:

  • R-07-025 Ensure appropriate coordination between all departments responsible for maintenance and design to resolve issues before new equipment is purchased.
  • R-07-026 Establish a single point of responsibility within [Car Maintenance] to quickly evaluate and incorporate actions identified through accident investigations or related research.
  • R-07-027 Establish written procedure regarding rail lubrication for single-track operations over switch, turnouts.
  • R-08-001 Review and update [operating rules] to provide for layers of protection for Roadway Worker – adding requirements for Briefings, Scope & Duties, acknowledgement from trains.
  • R-09-010 To all Transit Properties – Review medical history and physical examination forms and modify them as necessary to elicit information regarding sleep apnea or other sleep disorders.
  • R-09-11 To all Transit Properties – Establish a program to identify operators who are at high risk for obstructive sleep disorders and require that such operators by appropriately evaluated and treated.
  • R-10-11 Completely remove unnecessary wayside maintenance communication system to eliminate potential for interference with Automatic Train Control system

Of the remaining eight recommendations, three have been submitted to NTSB for closure. The remaining five recommendations involve longer-duration projects – such as replacement of Metro’s entire 1000-series fleet with new 7000-series railcars. Metro began testing its first 7000-series trainset earlier this month.

Metro News

Weekend Metrorail service adjustments January 31-February 2 due to rebuilding

Track work, Track work, Track work!

Reconstruction of the Metrorail system will continue over the weekend of January 31 – February 2 with service adjustments beginning at 10 p.m. Friday night and continuing through system closing on Sunday.

Green Line trains will operate a regular weekend schedule. Trains on the Blue, Orange, and Yellow lines will operate every 24 minutes and Red Line trains will run every 24 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont, with additional trains providing service from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. between Farragut North and Silver Spring.

Metro is investing $5.5 billion to install new rail, ties, platforms, escalators, signals, lighting, communication systems, and more. It represents the largest capital investment — and work effort — since the system’s original construction in the early 1970s.

Red Line 10 p.m. Fri, Jan. 31 through closing Sun, Feb. 2
Trains every 12-24 minutes

Red Line trains will operate as follows:

  • Between Shady Grove & Glenmont: Every 24 minutes throughout the weekend
  • Between Farragut North & Silver Spring: Every 12-14 minutes from 9AM-9PM only

Work Performed: Crews will improve track infrastructure, including rail joint elimination and fastener replacement between Farrgut North and Van Ness.

Travel Tips

  • Metrobus service may provide an alternate travel option for some riders. To check, plan your trip using Trip Planner and select the “bus only” option.
  • Before traveling, consult the trip planner at wmata.com to check the special schedule and reduce your wait time. (Trip Planner is updated to reflect weekend rebuilding schedules on Fridays; please check on Friday afternoon or later.) You will experience the additional wait time on the platform. Once your train departs the station, it is not expected to encounter additional delays en route.

Orange Line 10 p.m. Fri, Jan. 31 through closing Sun, Feb. 2
Trains every 24 minutes

Orange Line trains will operate every 24 minutes throughout the weekend.

Work Performed: Ongoing major platform reconstruction at Minnesota Ave and Deanwood stations

Travel Tip: Before traveling, consult the trip planner at wmata.com to check the special schedule and reduce your wait time. (Trip Planner is updated to reflect weekend rebuilding schedules on Fridays; please check on Friday afternoon or later.) You will experience the additional wait time on the platform. Once your train departs the station, it is not expected to encounter additional delays en route.

Blue Line 10 p.m. Fri, Jan. 31 through closing Sun, Feb. 2
Trains every 24 minutes

Blue Line trains will operate every 24 minutes throughout the weekend.

Work Performed: Improvements to track infrastructure, including rail joint elimination, rail and fastener renewal between Pentagon City and Arlington Cemetery stations

Travel Tip: Before traveling, consult the trip planner at wmata.com to check the special schedule and reduce your wait time. (Trip Planner is updated to reflect weekend rebuilding schedules on Fridays; please check on Friday afternoon or later.) You will experience the additional wait time on the platform. Once your train departs the station, it is not expected to encounter additional delays en route.

Yellow Line 10 p.m. Fri, Jan. 31 through closing Sun, Feb. 2
Trains every 20 minutes

Yellow Line trains will operate every 24 minutes throughout the weekend. All trains will operate to/from Mt Vernon Sq, rather than Fort Totten. Riders traveling to/from stations north of Mt Vernon Sq should use Green Line trains and transfer at Mt Vernon Sq.

Work Performed: Improvements to track infrastructure, including rail joint elimination, rail and fastener renewal between Pentagon City and L’Enfant Plaza stations

Travel Tip: Before traveling, consult the trip planner at wmata.com to check the special schedule and reduce your wait time. (Trip Planner is updated to reflect weekend rebuilding schedules on Fridays; please check on Friday afternoon or later.) You will experience the additional wait time on the platform. Once your train departs the station, it is not expected to encounter additional delays en route.

Green Line Regular weekend service

For more information

For schedules, real-time train arrivals and station information, visit wmata.com. Metro riders can access Metro’s new mobile website by entering wmata.com into their smartphone browser. For assistance by phone, call Metro customer information at (202) 637-7000 [TTY 202-638-3780].

 

Metro News

‘No Pants’ day coming to Metro on Sunday

A rider joins in the No Pants Subway Ride last year. (Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post)

A rider is inspired to join the No Pants Subway Ride last year. (Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post)

Once again, Metro riders are getting ready to take a brave stance against wearing pants.

Sure, you could opt to keep wearing pants this weekend, cruelly imprisoning your legs in denim, cotton or, if you’re so bold, some type of cotton-nylon blend. Or you could participate in the annual tradition that we write about mostly to let people know why there will be Metro riders without pants on Sunday.

The No Pants Subway Ride is an event started by Improv Everywhere in 2002, even though this seems like the kind of thing that should have existed for as long as public transportation and pants existed. It’s a global event spanning dozens of cities, with subway riders planning to ditch their pants in places from Beijing to Berlin and fromMadrid to Sydney on Sunday.

In D.C., the group is meeting at Hancock Park (near C and 7th streets SW,  near the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station and just south of the Mall) at 2 p.m. Sunday, according tothe Facebook page for the event. People are reminded to appear nonchalant about their lack of pants, which makes sense, because it would really be much weirder if everyone on a Metro car was wearing pants.

Hancock Park. (Google Maps screenshot)

This page also reminds people to make sure they have their pants on them, perhaps hidden in a bag or backpack, because participants are urged to put on their pants should any authority figure make such a request. As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, more than 600 people had stated that they were planning to participate (insofar as joining a Facebook event can be considered an official proclamation of intent).

People heading to this event should expect to be a little chilly: the Capital Weather Gang forecast for Sunday calls for temperatures topping out in the upper-40s, with brisk winds. While this is practically spring-like when compared to temperatures earlier this week, it’s still frosty for someone wandering around in their underwear.

And riders should be prepared for waits on every line due to Metro’s ongoing reconstruction work. Trains on the Blue, Orange, Yellow and Green lines will run every 20 minutes, while the Red Line will run more often (with trains every eight to 10 minutes between Shady Grove and Union Station between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and every 16 minutes otherwise), according to Metro.