WASHINGTON — The Veterans Day crowd on the National Mall this year may
dwarf a typical Fourth of July gathering and look more like an inauguration.
To accommodate the Concert of Valor crowd — projected to reach the hundreds
of thousands — Metro has shuffled its schedule and planned for a one-day
closure of Blue Line service.
“The benefit is that we’re able to provide longer trains and much more
frequent service on all of the other lines,” says Dan Stessel, a Metro
spokesman.
With the exception of the Smithsonian station, all other stations will remain
open on Veterans Day.
The major adjustment involves the Blue Line turning to Yellow Line service for
the day. The move cuts travel time to the National Mall by 12 minutes.
Trains leaving Franconia-Springfield will operate as Yellow Line trains,
providing more direct service to the National Mall without a need to transfer.
“We’ll be running rush hour plus service, I’d say, in the evening when people
are going there and especially when they’re all leaving,” says Richard Sarles,
the general manager.
On the National Mall, the Concert of Valor will feature Bruce Springsteen,
Rihanna, Carrie Underwood and Eminem, among others, to honor America’s
veterans and their families. The concert has been granted a permit for up to
800,000 people.
Metro tells riders to be prepared for long lines, full trains and possible
delays during peak times.
Bikes, large coolers and containers will all be off-limits on Metrorail during
Veterans Day.
Off-peak fares will be in place all day, and parking will be free at Metro-
owned parking facilities.
With the Smithsonian Station closed, Metro suggests people headed to the
concert get off at Metro Center, Gallery Place, L’Enfant Plaza, Archives,
Federal Center SW, Federal Triangle, Union Station Judiciary Square or Capitol
South.
In the hours before and after the concert, most trains will arrive every three
minutes. Yellow and Green Line trains are set to arrive more often than that.
Still, a portion of Blue Line riders will have to make adjustments. The switch
to Yellow Line service will directly affect those who travel between Rosslyn
and stations south of the Pentagon.
“It will require a transfer at L’Enfant Plaza,” Stessel says. “The maximum
additional travel time that that would take is 15 minutes.”
Metro has made a provision for Arlington National Cemetery, which is normally
served by the Blue Line. The station will be open, and it will be served by a
special shuttle train running throughout the day from the station at Reagan
National Airport.
Free shuttle buses will also pick up riders from Rosslyn and Pentagon
Stations.
Stessel expects Metrorail to be stay open well beyond midnight. The cost of
the additional — and extended — rail service will likely exceed $500,000, he
says.
Related:
- What not to bring to the Concert of Valor
- Traffic closures for Veterans Day concert on National
Mall
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