WMATA considering reduced service at White Flint metro

This is something we want to keep an eye on.

WMATA projects that its future operating costs will outpace revenues. (No news there.) To close the gap, WMATA is considering a variety of options, including closing White Flint station during off-peak hours, decreasing how often trains run, and cutting some bus routes.

wmata

According to WMATA’s FY2018 Operating Budget Prep Session, “rail service reductions would allow for a matching of service to current levels of demand or to realities of ongoing maintenance. Metro’s current service standards call for maximum headways of six minutes during the peak at all stations except Arlington Cemetery. By providing six-minute service at terminal stations such as Vienna and Glenmont, riders at most closer-in stations see a train every three minutes (e.g., on the Orange/Silver Lines east of West Falls Church, or on the Red Line between Silver Spring and Grosvenor). Given current lower levels of demand, Metro could increase maximum headways from six to eight minutes, so that riders at the closer-in stations would instead have service every four minutes. In the off-peak (particularly on weekends), Metro is not achieving scheduled service levels due to interruptions for maintenance requirements. Weekend schedules could be officially modified to account for this work and better align scheduled service and associated staffing levels to the service actually provided. Metro could also consider offpeak (midday, evening, weekend) closures of stations with low ridership.

Read more on Greater Greater Washington blog from yesterday.

6 comments

Rhett Mitter October 12, 2016 at 10:43 am

Why is no station north of White Flint in red? If service isn’t being reduced at Twinbrook – why would it make sense to reduce it at White Flint? Are they saying some trains from Shady Grove would bypass White Flint?

There is one reason WMATA is doing this – extortion. A lot of real estate companies (Federal Realty, LCOR, Lerner, etc) would be in a tough spot if their new redeveloped area would see their metro service drastically reduced. They’re fishing for those developers to band together and subsidize the cost of metro service.

Amy Ginsburg October 15, 2016 at 12:01 pm

Yes, I think they are saying non=peak trains would bypass White Flint in this proposal from WMATA.

Amy Ginsburg, Executive Director, Friends of White Flint

Christiane Drapkin October 14, 2016 at 11:51 am

I’ve tried to park at Grosvenor station during off-peak hours, only to find that every single parking spot in the garage and outside was taken! I had to double back to the White Flint station to park and take the train from there.

Closing service at White Flint will make that garage useless for us users who want to commute outside the rush hour schedule. Not being able to depend on access to the Red Line and parking will make our commuting choices even worse.

K October 15, 2016 at 11:51 am

Some of us at White Flint have disabilities and rely on the Metro for transportation. It is not a luxury that we can afford to jump in the car, if we don’t have one or can’t use one. Reducing this service means for some of us an inability to travel the DC Metro region.

Amy Ginsburg October 15, 2016 at 11:59 am

That’s an excellent point, K. We’ll have to make sure WMATA understands that metro isn’t just for 9 to 5 commuters but is used by people for many reasons all hours of the day and night.

Amy Ginsburg, Executive Director, Friends of White Flint.

May Post October 17, 2016 at 2:03 pm

I use White Flint metro station regularly, but I am not a 9-5 commuter. For a non 9-5 commuter, I also find it easier to find a parking spot at the White Flint garage. I am sure there are many other commuters like me who use White Flint whose workplaces have flexible non 9-5 schedules. How WMATA makes decisions like this is beyond comprehension.

WMATA considering reduced service at White Flint metro