WASHINGTON — Metro board members are concerned about a proposal that increases Blue Line service and reduces service to the Silver, Orange, Yellow and Green lines.
The proposal would reduce the wait time between Blue Line trains from 12 minutes to 8 minutes. For other lines, it would increase the wait time between trains from 6 minutes to 8 minutes.
“This board adopted a budget and patted itself on the back for not having any service reduction,” says DDOT Director and Metro Board Member Leif Dormsjo. “And within a month, management is back in front of us, and if you look at the numbers here, that’s a dramatic reduction in service.”
“I’m not saying don’t do this,” Dormsjo continues. “But we have a credibility gap here. We are routinely going out and saying one thing and then changing the story. Let’s not talk out of two sides of our mouth.”
Like Dormsjo, board member Michael Goldman expressed frustration that alternatives were not floated. Concern was expressed about whether increased Blue Line service should hurt so many other Metro lines.
If approved, Metro hopes to put the new plan forward in January 2016. Metro emphasizes that it’s only a proposal at this point.
“We put a lot proposals out,” says Metro Interim General Manager Jack Requa. “Some of them get approved in the process. And we just want to have this conversation with the board and with the public.”
Metro admits that passengers will wait longer between trains. And, the trains themselves will have more people on them.
“It will be still within our standards for passengers per car,” Requa says. “We think that’s an important standard.”
Blue Line passengers in Arlington and Alexandria will likely support this proposal because it will resort service lost during the Rush Plus system. Passengers on other lines, including the orange and silver, will likely be less supportive because it means less frequent service for those passengers.
A public hearing will be held this fall. No formal date has been scheduled yet.
