WMATA

Per WMATA: More frequent service is coming to Metro beginning Monday, September 11, when the transit agency will roll out its eleventh service increase since last summer. While ridership continues to grow, it remains below pre-pandemic levels, therefore Metro will monitor ridership trends and continue to assess the need for any future service adjustments based on ridership demand.

With ridership trending higher during the morning and evening commuting hours, Metro will boost peak service on the Red, Blue, Silver, Green, and Yellow lines to meet demand and ridership growth as more customers return to the office and other activities. Trains on those lines will run more frequently from approximately 7 a.m. – 9 a.m., and from approximately 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Exact times of peak service will vary by station.

Per WMATA: On Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4, Metrorail will open at 7 a.m. and close at midnight, providing normal Sunday service on all lines at all 98 stations, including the Green Line where four stations closed for summer construction will reopen ahead of schedule tomorrow. Metrobus will operate on a Sunday schedule. MetroAccess customers may make a reservation to travel on the holiday; however, subscription trips will be canceled.  

Whether heading to a movie, barbeque, or one of many local events, Metro is your convenient and affordable way to get around the region this holiday weekend. If you’re heading out of town, avoid the traffic by taking Metro to Washington Dulles International or Reagan National airports. Metro this week announced that Green Lines stations Greenbelt, College Park-U of Md, Hyattsville Crossing, and West Hyattsville stations, closed since July 22, will reopen for rail service on Saturday, Sept. 2, three days ahead of schedule.

Per WMATA: Metro’s Headquarters Building at L’Enfant Plaza has been certified as LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council, the highest certification achievable […]

Per WMATA: Metro today received a $104 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), delivered at a celebration at the Cinder Bed Road Bus Garage which will be converted to exclusively serve battery-electric buses with funds from the grant.

The Low or No Emission Vehicle grant will help Metro achieve its accelerated timeline to transition nine bus garages and nearly 1600 buses to zero-emission by 2042. FTA Deputy Administrator Veronica Vanterpool delivered the grant at a celebration that included U.S. Congressman Gerry Connolly, Fairfax Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay, Metro Board Chair Paul C. Smedberg, and Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke.

Metro today announced that Greenbelt, College Park-U of Md, Hyattsville Crossing, and West Hyattsville stations – closed since July 22, – will reopen for rail service on Saturday, Sept. 2. The reopening will be three days ahead of schedule, and the project will be completed under budget. 

While the four Green Line stations were closed, Metro installed over 21,000 linear feet of fiber-optic cable to improve radio and signal capabilities and provide the infrastructure necessary for future upgrades such as Communications-Based Train Control. Because the cables are housed in the middle of the two tracks, construction crews could only complete the work while both tracks were out of service.

The grant will support the procurement of approximately 100 battery-electric buses that will provide cleaner, more sustainable transit for the National Capital Region. Metro is partnering with Fairfax County on the electrification of the Cinder Bed Road facility, a portion of which is planned to be used by the county to house and charge their all-electric Bus Rapid Transit service running from Fort Belvoir to Huntington Metrorail Station by 2030. Metro’s newest electric bus will be on display and available for tours. 

Featured photo courtesy of WMATA

Metro today released preliminary data showing that new, higher faregates are reducing fare evasion by more than 70 percent at the first stations where they have been installed, including Fort Totten, Pentagon City, Bethesda, Vienna, Mt. Vernon Square, and Addison Road. Metro is now publishing both paid and unpaid ridership data on its online ridership portal to provide transparency on the effectiveness of fare evasion reduction strategies and a more complete picture of total ridership to the public.

New faregate installation was completed today at Congress Heights, and installation at Federal Center SW, Wheaton, and Court House is expected to be completed by early September, followed by the rest of the Metrorail system. Metro will continue to monitor the performance of the new faregates as the rollout is completed.