LARGO, MD – The second Metrorail safety surge that took place from June 18th through July 3rd closed several stations along the Orange, Blue and Silver Lines and had a considerable impact on commuters in Prince George’s County. “I thank the residents of Prince George’s County for their patience during the SafeTrack Surge, and commend them for their diligence in planning and preparing for it. They did exactly what was asked of them, and that was key to us navigating through it successfully.” said County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III.
The actions of commuters were supplemented through County partnerships that brought additional service options. “We were pleased to have been able to partner with the University of Maryland and Transdev to provide alternative transportation options that diverted commuters from impacted rail lines during Surge 2. The shuttles we established through them were able to quickly move travelers and significantly reduce potential delays.” said, Darrell B. Mobley, Director, Prince George’s County Public Works and Transportation Department.
The shuttles were an important part of a coordinated County SafeTrack Action plan focusing on reducing overall system usage, diverting commuters from impacted areas and promoting alternative transportation options.
• County SafeTrack Street Teams distributed over 40,000 pieces of alternative transportation planning information to commuters at Metro stations.
• Northern shuttle diverted approximately 3,700 passenger trips from the Orange Line at New Carrolton to the Green Line Station at Greenbelt.
• Southern shuttle diverted approximately 3,300 passenger trips from the Blue Line at Largo to the Green Line at Suitland.
• Estimated shuttle costs of approximately $180,000.
In addition to meeting SafeTrack surge needs many travelers found that they actually prefer their newly discovered routes. “Commuters reacted very favorably and some have indicated that they plan to continue to utilize the alternative routes that they discovered during the surge in the future,” said Baker.
The next Metrorail surge that will impact the County will be a smaller single tracking operation scheduled for later this fall.