WASHINGTON — Metro will open at 7 a.m. Sunday for the Army Ten-Miler, just one of many Columbus Day weekend transportation changes.
On Saturday, Metro plans significant track work on the Red, Blue and Yellow Lines all day, with additional work after 10 p.m. on the Orange and Silver Lines.
Saturday, Blue and Yellow Line trains are scheduled only every 26 minutes each, and Yellow Line trains are cut back to run only between Huntington and Mt. Vernon Square. Also Saturday, Red Line trains are scheduled every 18 minutes, with additional trains between Farragut North and Silver Spring during the day.
On Sunday, Metro plans no track work until after 10 p.m. Metro closes at 11 p.m. on Sundays now, and normally opens at 8 a.m.
Army Ten-Miler organizers placed a $100,000 deposit for the additional morning hour of Metro service, Metro said. Metro will also run some additional Blue Line trains Sunday around the start and finish of the race outside the Pentagon.
Pentagon Station is scheduled to be “exit only” from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sunday. Riders can also use Pentagon City, which is where all bus service that usually uses the Pentagon Transit Center will go instead until about 2 p.m. Sunday. The wave starts begin at 7:50 a.m. and continues through just before 9 a.m.
Route 110 will be closed until about 2 p.m. Sunday, with other road closures from about 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
The closures include Arlington Memorial Bridge, the Key Bridge (5 a.m. to 10 a.m.) and the I-395 HOV lanes between the Pentagon and 14th St NW as well as a number of roads around the National Mall.
There could also be additional traffic along South Capitol Street Sunday afternoon with D.C. United hosting the Chicago Fire at 1 p.m.
Elsewhere in the region, various fall festivals, fairs, sports tournaments and other small road races could also create some extra slowdowns.
Saturday, for example, Taste of Bethesda is scheduled to close roads in the downtown Bethesda area.
Columbus Day changes
On Monday, parking meters and residential parking time limits are not enforced in the District, Alexandria or Arlington County.
Drivers must pay for parking on Columbus Day in Montgomery County.
HOV restrictions, and tolls on Interstate 66 inside the Beltway, are lifted on all regular HOV lanes across the region except U.S. 50 in Maryland. HOV or toll rules always apply in the 95 and 495 Express Lanes.
Metrorail is scheduled to run Saturday service levels, but with regular Monday operating hours of 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Trains are scheduled every 12 minutes on each line during the day, but less frequently in the early morning and evening hours. Metro riders pay off-peak fares all day, and parking at Metro-operated lots is free on the holiday.
MARC Train runs a reduced “R” schedule on Columbus Day on all three lines.
There is no VRE service on Columbus Day, which also means Fredericksburg Regional Transit does not run VRE Feeder Bus service.
Metrobus runs a Saturday supplemental schedule. MetroAccess subscription trips are canceled.
Many other local and commuter bus systems across the region operate on weekend or holiday schedules.
MTA Maryland Commuter Bus service does not operate at all though, except Route 201 which has a weekend/holiday schedule.
PRTC OmniRide commuter buses also do not run at all on Columbus Day. PRTC OmniRide Metro Express, local bus and cross-county connector service operates on a regular schedule Monday.
