ALEXANDRIA, VA -It actually happened. Alexandria’s Metro stations shut down on May 25 for much-needed track repair. How long will they be out of commission? The entire summer. That’s right. All stations south of Crystal City will be closed until September 8. Things are going to get interesting over the next several months.
“I think we are treating this like a storm coming to the city,” Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson said at a recent Del Ray Business Associationmeeting. “There’s no sugar coating. It’s going to leave a mark.”
Platform work will be conducted around the clock, Wilson said, adding that the first week of the city and Metro’s efforts after the shutdown will determine how commuters will react throughout the summer. The estimated $300-400 million 2019 Metrorail Platform Improvement Project was undertaken to “address structural deficiencies after decades of exposure to the elements,” according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
“If the first week is a colossal failure they’re [commuters] going to do things we don’t want them to do,” Wilson said.
Here’s how the city and its transportation partners are responding to a summer without Metro:
What’s Happening The following stations are shut down until Sept. 8, 2019:
● At impacted Metro stations with parking garages, parking will be free, with Metro shuttles (see Metro shuttle map attached)
● DASH will operate free Blue Line shuttles, seven days a week, between Franconia-Springfield, Van Dorn Street, King Street Metro, Old Town Alexandria, and Reagan National Airport
● DASH will operate additional trips on existing AT3 and AT4 routes, which serve the Pentagon
● DASH will also offer reduced fares on regular routes through its mobile app
● Plan your trip by calling DASH at 703-746-3274
Commuter/Traveling Tips
● Plan to leave a half hour ahead of your usual departure time ● Want to get there faster? Check out https://sluglines.com/ to find carpools that will sail right through those HOV 3 lanes
The City is paying Potomac Riverboat Company $85,000 to mitigate the cost of a water taxi ticket from the Alexandria waterfront to the District Wharf. Commuters will have the option to take a five-minute shuttle ride to the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station.
● The first routes leave from Alexandria at 6:40 a.m., from The Wharf at 6:05 a.m.
● The ride takes about 25 minutes
● City residents and people working in Alexandria are eligible for partial reimbursement
● A commuter round trip regularly costs $10 daily and the reimbursement would be $8; a 2019 commuter pass will cost $199 with a $100 reimbursement.