WASHINGTON — Martin Luther King Day is a day to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King.
But it is also a federal holiday which means there will be several changes to what is open on Monday. All government offices and courts are closed, as are most banks. Here’s what you need to know.
Transportation
On the roadways, HOV restrictions will not be enforced in Northern Virginia, but they will be enforced in Maryland.
Metrorail will be running a Saturday schedule from 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., but there will be no Yellow Line service from Reagan National Airport north to L’Enfant Plaza, Mt. Vernon Square or Fort Totten. There will also be significant single tracking on the Red Line.
Metrobus will be operating on a Saturday+ supplemental schedule on Monday.
On the plus side, parking will be free at Metro lots on Monday.
There will be no Virginia Railway Express service on Monday.
MARC will operate a reduced service schedule on the Penn Line and there will be no service on the Camden or Brunswick Line.
The Alexandria Dash will operate on a Saturday service schedule.
The Fairfax Connector will operate on a Holiday weekend schedule while the CUE bus will operate on a modified weekday service consisting of one bus on each route.
Loudoun County Bus will operate on a “significantly reduced schedule.”
In Prince George’s County, most routes for TheBus will be running except for Route 51, which will not be running.
Parking
Most areas in the region will offer free parking on Monday including: Metro lots, Alexandria, Arlington, D.C. and Montgomery County.
Recreation Facilities
Most recreation areas will be open, though there are a few exceptions:
- Alexandria: The Chinquapin Park Recreation Center will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the Charles Houston Recreation Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. All other recreation centers are closed.
- Arlington: Parks are open but administration offices, centers, classes and leagues will be closed.
- D.C.: All synthetic fields, playgrounds, tennis courts and basketball courts will be open, but community centers, administrative offices and aquatic facilities will be closed. All previously permitted events on outdoor spaces will take place as scheduled. The permits offices will be closed and no new permits will be issued for Monday.
- Fairfax County: Colvin Run Mill, Sully Historic Site are closed, but all recreation centers are open.
- Montgomery County: The Brookside Nature Center, Locus Grove Nature Center and Meadowside Nature Center are closed along with the buildings in the Brookside Gardens, though the gardens will be open from sunrise to sunset. Parkside Headquarter Offices, Park Permit Office and Athletic Fields are closed but all other park facilities will follow standard operating hours.
- Prince George’s County: All community centers, art facilities and museums are open but senior centers and historic rental properties are closed.
Parade
The Martin Luther King Peace Walk will begin at 11 a.m. at 2500 Martin Luther King Ave. SE and end at Martin Luther King Avenue and Good Hope Road SE.
Almost as soon as the peace walk ends, the Martin Luther King Jr. Parade will begin at noon. The parade will continue along Martin Luther King Avenue to the Barry Farm Recreation and Aquatics Center at 1230 Summer Rd. SE, where the Martin Luther King Holiday D.C. Health and Community Fair will be underway.
Several streets will be closed from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. along the parade route.
Trash collection
Most areas will be unaffected, but there are a few exceptions:
- Alexandria: Trash collection will slide to the next day for the rest of the week. So if your trash is supposed to be picked up on Monday, Jan. 15, it will be picked up Tuesday Jan. 16, while normal Tuesday collections will be picked up Wednesday Jan. 17, etc.
- D.C.: Trash collection will also slide to the next day for the rest of the week.
- Fairfax City: No trash collection on Monday. Monday and Tuesday routes will be collected on Tuesday Jan. 16, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will have regular collection.
- Montgomery County: No trash will be collected on Monday. The collection will be made one day later in the week.
- Prince George’s County: Yard trim collections will happen on Monday, but no bulky trash pickups on Monday Jan. 15.
