Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (Metro) General Manager and CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld is proposing to close the Metro rail system at 10 p.m. on Sundays and midnight on every other night on a permanent basis. The proposal requires Board approval following a public engagement process this fall.
The closure plan, which supports long-term maintenance strategy after the conclusion of the SafeTrack program, would decrease Metro hours to 127 out of 168 hours in a week. Prior to SafeTrack, the system was open 135 hours per week. The plan will give workers time to keep Metro's infrastructure in a state of good repair.
Wiedefeld engaged peer transit agencies and rail engineering consultants on the plan to decrease Metro's night service and was urged that focusing on track safety and maintenance must continue.
Wiedefeld is expected to formally propose the change at today’s Board of Directors' meeting.