WMATA

Starting Monday, three new escalators will be up and running at L’Enfant Plaza Station following eight months of construction that closed the north entrance at Maryland Avenue and 7th Street SW. The project, completed on budget, will provide better, more reliable escalators for customers and includes the latest safety features and LED lighting. The reopening of the north entrance will also restore the connection to Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and the closest Metro entrance for government agencies, office buildings and some of the most popular museums on the National Mall.

During construction, Metro’s contractor, Kone, removed all three escalators at once. New concrete encased support beams had to be installed before replacement work could begin. Each escalator is custom built to fit the entrance and is industrial grade, designed to be more durable for the weight and traffic of a busy station. The completion of the north entrance escalators is part of a seven-year project to replace 130 escalators by 2028 and brings the number of escalators replaced in the past two years to 39. Work will begin next year to replace the remaining six escalators at L’Enfant Plaza’s two other entrances.

Per MCDOT: Red Line Trains will be single tracking between the Silver Spring and Forest Glen stations due to leak mitigation work. The work will take place between Saturday, December 31 through Monday, January 2.

Per Metro: Metro has transitioned to a new program of preventive maintenance and planned capital work. Overnight and weekend hours will be used for enhanced preventive maintenance including cable testing to prevent smoke and fire incidents, stray current testing, trackbed cleaning, switch maintenance, torqueing (tightening fasteners, joint nuts and bolts) to eliminate excessive strain on infrastructure, and track geometry work to ensure the correct rail alignment.

Per WMATA: Nobody likes to be ghosted, especially by a bus. So, it’s good news for Metrobus customers that “ghost buses” have been banished by recent technology upgrades at Metro. Today, Metrobus customers have more certainty that the location of a bus displayed on busETA is accurate. Previously, all scheduled buses were displayed on busETA regardless of whether a bus was in service or not, meaning that a bus taken out of service for a mechanical issue, operator availability, or other issue would be displayed on busETA but would not show up for an expecting customer.

“These upgrades to busETA are part of our commitment to listen to customer concerns and work as hard as possible to improve their experience using Metro,” said Metro Senior Vice President of Bus Services Leroy Jones. “Ghost buses are one of the biggest frustrations we hear about the Metrobus experience, and this change will help take the guesswork out of planning your trip.” Customers using busETA whether on their desktop computer or mobile web application will already notice the improvements. Customers that rely on displays at bus stops will see similar improvements in the coming weeks.

Per WMATA: As Metro prepares to introduce its Fiscal Year 2024 proposed budget this week, Metro today released an update for customers and stakeholders on the development of a new strategic plan, #YourMetro, The Way Forward. The plan will provide a long-term strategy and direct Metro’s day-to-day decision making over the next five plus years.

Metro has been gathering information and feedback from customers on rail, bus, and paratransit, local elected officials, employees, stakeholders, and Board Members to understand the region’s priorities for the future of Metro.  The update released today outlines draft goals focused on service excellence, regional opportunity and partnership, sustainability, and talented teams.

Per WMATA: Metro’s Red Line customers will see more frequent service beginning Monday, December 5, as the transit agency continues to bring more 7000-series trains into service.

Red Line trains will operate every eight minutes during the peak periods of 6 – 9 a.m. and 3 – 7 p.m. to alleviate crowding during the busiest weekday hours. Red Line trains will operate every 10 minutes at all other times, except during scheduled trackwork.

Metro welcomes customers and visitors to the region to take Metro wherever your travels take you during the Thanksgiving holiday. On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24, Metrorail and Metrobus will operate on a Sunday schedule, with trains operating from 7 a.m. until midnight. MetroAccess customers may make a reservation to travel on the holiday; however subscription trips will be canceled.

The day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 25, Metrorail will open at 5 a.m., closing at 1 a.m., and Metrobus and MetroAccess will operate normal weekday service.

Per WMATA: Metro celebrated the opening of the Silver Line Extension on Tuesday, connecting customers to six new stations, adding 11.4 miles of track to the Metrorail system, and beginning operations at a modern rail maintenance facility. The Silver Line Extension gives customers a new connection to Washington Dulles International Airport and new service between Reston, Va., and eastern Loudoun County. Today’s grand opening also marks the completion of the Silver Line project, a generational infrastructure investment in Northern Virginia. 

Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke was joined by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and other federal, state, and local officials for the grand opening ceremony at Washington Dulles International Airport Station. The event was followed by an inaugural train ride with nearly 100 customers who shared their happiest Metro memories to receive a “Silver Ticket” for the special preview train ride.