“First SafeTrack Surge ahead of schedule”, 2nd Phase Starts Saturday, Lots of Folks Biking too

From WMATA:

“Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld today announced that the first SafeTrack “surge” between Ballston and East Falls Church is ahead of schedule in many categories of planned work, including rail tie replacement, insulator renewal, fastener renewal and leak repairs. As of the end of the day Monday, June 13 — 77 percent of the way through the project — 96 percent of the planned work had been completed.”

Also folks are riding bikes – from DDOT:

“The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) today announced record ridership on Capital Bikeshare during the first week of WMATA’s SafeTrack repair campaign. Capital Bikeshare had 89,436 users last week. That is 6% higher than the previous record week established during Bike to work Week in May of 2015.

The spike in ridership coincides with the introduction of a new single-trip fare allowing residents, visitors and commuters to take single bike trips of up to 30 minutes on Capital Bikeshare for just $2. Since the launch of the new initiative on June 4, 2016, single-trip fare usage has more than doubled from approximately 600 to more than 1,300 trips daily.

Overall bike ridership is also up. Weekday ridership is 31% higher on the 15th street cycle track with almost 600 more bike trips per day compared to June 2015. Ridership is up 40% on the Met Branch Trail with over 270 more bike trips per day, and 59% higher on Eye Street SW with an increase of 230 more bike trips per day. Similarly, the Key Bridge crossing to and from North Arlington shows a 42% increase in weekday bike trips with 900 more trips per day for the first two weeks of June compared to June 2015 weekdays.

To support the growing ridership, additional morning Corral Service is available at 17th St & K St NW in Farragut Square. Farragut Square joins existing morning Corral Service at 21st St & I St NW and 13th St & New York Ave NW. DDOT is also expanding bikeshare capacity at Eastern Market Metro Station during the second surge of SafeTrack.”

From MPD:

“Attn. Metro Rail riders using Eastern Market, Potomac Ave and Stadium-Armory stations.

SafeTrack Surge #2: Eastern Market to Minnesota Ave/Benning Road, June 18-July 3

Reminder: Metrorail now closing at midnight Friday and Saturday nights

Beginning this Saturday, June 18 until closing, Sunday, July 3, the Orange and Silver Line will be shut down between Eastern Market & Minnesota Ave/Benning Rd. There will also be no Blue Line service between Arlington Cemetery and Rosslyn.

Weekday train service will operate as follows:

• Orange Line trains between Vienna and Eastern Market and between Minnesota Ave and New Carrollton will operate every 10-12 minutes.

• Silver Line trains between Wiehle-Reston East and Eastern Market and between Benning Rd and Largo Town Center will operate every 10-12 minutes.

• Blue Line trains will run every 12 minutes until 10:00 p.m. between Franconia-Springfield and Arlington Cemetery only.

• Yellow Rush+ trains will operate all day.

• At 10:00 p.m. all trains will operate every 20 minutes.

• No rail or bus service between Arlington Cemetery and Rosslyn during peak hours; travel via L’Enfant Plaza instead

**NOTE** Free shuttle bus service will replace trains from Eastern Market to Minnesota Ave/Benning Rd and will operate every 5-10 minutes. Shuttle buses may be extremely crowded and customers may need to wait for multiple buses due to long lines. Metro riders who have the ability to do so should consider alternate travel options and avoid traveling during rush hour if possible. All customers traveling through the shutdown zone will tap out and back in on either side of the bus bridge – customers will be charged as a single continuous trip.

STATION SPECIFIC IMPACTS

• Benning Road – Silver Line shuttle buses will replace trains and operate every 5-10 minutes between Benning Road, Stadium-Armory, Potomac Ave, and Eastern Market. Buses stop ONLY at the affected Metrorail stations, not at stops along the way. No express buses will operate. Consider using Metrobus 96, 97 to Union Station or DC Streetcar H/Benning Line as an alternate.

• Stadium-Armory, Potomac Ave, Eastern Market – Orange and Silver Line shuttle buses will replace trains and operate every 5-10 minutes. Orange shuttle buses will service Eastern Market, Potomac Ave, Stadium-Armory, and Minnesota Avenue. Silver shuttle buses will service Eastern market, Potomac Avenue, Stadium-Armory, and Benning Road. Buses stop ONLY at the affected Metrorail stations, not at stops along the way. No express buses will operate. Consider using Metrobus as an alternate.”