In response to Metro’s shutdown of six Blue and Yellow Line stations south of Ronald Reagan International Airport this summer, Fairfax County is dedicated to ensuring commuters have access to alternative transportation options and the latest up-to-date information about the shutdown. In the Letter to the Editor How to Handle Metro Nightmare, (Connection, April 22) resident Nicole Miller asked “What will happen to those currently parking [for slugging]? Will we be shut out of parking due to the increased need for rides to the city?”
The good news is, in Fairfax County, the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station and the Huntington Metro Station will offer free parking during the Metro summer shutdown of the Blue and Yellow Lines. Commuters can park in these parking lots (which have a combined total of 8,686 spaces) and from there, join a slug line, catch a Fairfax Connector bus, or catch a WMATA express shuttle to help them get to work. Since parking at these stations is currently under capacity by about 50 percent, we believe there will be more than enough spaces available for commuters participating in ridesharing, bus riding and shuttle riding. Free parking will also be available at the surface parking lot at the Van Dorn Street Metro Station.
To respond to increased demand for alternative transportation options during the Metro shutdown, Fairfax Connector will add increased bus service on Route 393 and 394 and reduce intervals to ten minutes during commuting hours. WMATA will run express shuttles to the Pentagon stations, where Metro will be operating and can take commuters into downtown D.C.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation has been involved in outreach efforts to commuters through letters to employers, social media posts, email/text alerts through Fairfax Alerts, and the creation of a new webpage outlining transportation alternatives during Metro’s shutdown: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/transportation/travel-alerts/metro-platforms.
Similar to when Metro launched SafeTrack in 2016, Fairfax County encourages commuters to plan for alternate travel options such as bus connections, ridesharing, telework and alternate work schedules as WMATA tackles important platform and safety improvements.