5 Red Line stations to close this summer; impact could be 'major,' say officials
Metro's Red Line summer shut down could have major impacts, officials say
Five Red Line Metro stations are shutting down this summer for planned improvements and renovations. Montgomery County leaders raised concerns Tuesday over the congestion, saying the impact will be major. FOX 5's Homa Bash spoke with WMATA's General Manager about the issue.
WASHINGTON - Officials in Montgomery County are expressing worry that closing five Red Line Metro stops for the summer could negatively impact commute times for everyone.
Montgomery County officials recently penned a letter asking WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke and Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld to consider options to "provide relief" to residents.
Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Takoma and Silver Spring will close in early June as construction continues on the Purple Line. The stations are expected to reopen around Labor Day, aside from Takoma station, which is set to open sooner.
Montgomery County leaders hope to reduce impact of summer Metro red line closures
Montgomery County leaders are hoping to reduce the impact on commuters when scheduled repairs temporarily close five Metro red line stations.
Right now, the plan is for shuttle buses to bridge the gap in rail service.
But officials in Montgomery County are urging WMATA and MDOT to consider additional measures to reduce the "major impact" on the region, including adding MARC service between Rockville and Washington Union Station and point-to-point express shuttles to downtown Silver Spring and Washington, D.C. stops.
The letter also suggested bus-only lanes on MD-97 and elimination of work zones on shuttle routes to ease commute times.
"We will continue to work with our MDOT partners, as well as Montgomery County and the District of Columbia, to provide quality service to customers during the closure," said WMATA in a statement. " We understand and value the importance of dedicated bus lanes. We hope to collaborate on the development of bus lanes that will expedite shuttle service and existing Metrobus and Ride On bus service to get customers where they need to go faster. We will release detailed local and express shuttle plans for the impacted area on April 1."
"I have three of the five impacted red line metro stations in my district, and I know well that thousands of my district residents take the metro on a daily basis. As soon as I heard that these metro stations were scheduled to shut down for the summer, I took action to ensure we have an efficient plan to serve our community during this time. I’m grateful to the County Executive and colleagues for joining me asking both Maryland Secretary Wiedefeld and WMATA’s General Manager Clarke to consider adding more shuttle services for station-to-station travel while dedicating a bus-only lane on Georgia Ave, at the very least. We need to do everything in our power to provide reliable transportation options during this critical purple-line construction," stated Councilmember Natali Fani-González, who represents District 6. Her district includes Forest Glen, Wheaton and Glenmont Metro Stations.