WASHINGTON — Columbus Day is a national holiday, which brings about changes to traffic, transit and other public services available.
Most post offices and banks in the area will be closed on Monday. All federal and most local government offices are closed. Schools are off in D.C. and Virginia, while Maryland schools are open except in Charles County.
Here’s what you need to know as you make your way around the D.C. area during the three-day weekend.
Metro and other transit 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 in Virginia, and tolls on Interstate 66 inside the Beltway, are lifted. In Maryland, HOV restrictions always apply.
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. Most libraries in D.C. will be closed Monday. Only one library in each ward will open Monday.
D.C.:
Trash and recycling collection will occur on Tuesday Oct. 9. and slide to the next day for the rest of the week.
Maryland:
There are no changes to trash collection in Anne Arundel County.
Anne Arundel County Public Library will be closed on Oct. 8 for a general staff meeting.
Calvert County government offices will close on Monday. Calvert Library will be closed.
Columbus Day will not affect curbside recycling and yard waste collection in Charles County.
Public libraries in Charles County will be open on Monday.
In Frederick County, there are no changes to curbside recycling collection on Monday.
Frederick County Public libraries will open on Monday.
In Howard County, there are no changes to the recycling, yard trim and trash collection schedule.
All branches of the Howard County Library System will close Monday.
There are no changes in recycling/trash collection services in Montgomery County. The transfer station will also be open Monday.
Montgomery County Public Libraries will close Monday for an all-staff training day.
In Prince George’s County, Monday waste disposal services will collect yard waste only. Trash pickups will resume on the next regularly-scheduled day.
Libraries in Prince George’s County will close Monday for a staff development day.
Virginia:
All Alexandria Library branches, including the Alexandria Law Library, will be closed on Oct. 8.
Trash and recycling collections will be delayed one day in Alexandria, and the collection drop-off center will be closed.
Government offices will open in Arlington County.
Branches in the Arlington Public Library system will open on Oct. 8
Trash and recycling collection will maintain a regular schedule.
All Fairfax County Public Library branches will close Monday.
There will be no change in the trash and recycling collection schedule on Monday.
Libraries in Loudoun County will close on Monday.
Prince William County libraries will close on Monday.
The landfill will remain open.
WTOP’s Max Smith contributed to this report.
