The ongoing SafeTrack project is forcing commuters to take alternative routes due to certain lines being closed for safety repairs each week from early June 2016 to mid-March 2017.
The Metro rail had previously had many problems, including fires. It got to the point where a whole website, IsMetroOnFire.com, with a Twitter page to match, was dedicated to letting commuters know if there is a fire and what line it’s on.
On a routine check, there were 27 power problems found in three sections of the Metro, so badly damaged that the cars should not have been driving through in the first place. As of March 2016, there have been 24 fire incidents and 24 smoke incidents.
“It’s probably something that’s necessary, given all of the problems it’s been having with the fires and other issues,” said Raymond McGhee, 59, who decided to drive to avoid taking the metro. “It has to be fixed, so I guess it’s a necessary evil. They need to do it now and that’s going to be an inconvenience for people who ride it.”
The plan is to accelerate three years of work into one year, causing the lines to be shut down for longer and at different times to make this possible. The Metro was closed for around 33 out of 168 hours every week, but the crews are starting at 8 p.m. during the week, allowing two extra hours every day, and closing at midnight during the weekend, allowing six extra hours every week for proper maintenance.
Individual stations or groups of stations are being closed for repairs top allow faster, safer work and fewer delays for the trains and lines out of the zones. Commuters are being asked to try different modes of transportation and to avoid traveling during rush hours. Safety surges, where lines will be closed and replaced with buses, could happen up to three times a month on up to three different lines at a time. Up to 40 free shuttle buses are being provided at the closed lines.
“The early closures are kind of annoying,” said Elizabeth Moyer, 23. “The metros used to be a really reliable way to get home if you stay up past midnight, so that’s really unfortunate and kind of dangerous, too, for people who live in the city.”
