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WMATA: Service Suspension


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#1 CNJRoss

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Posted 17 September 2003 - 07:11 PM

WMATA announced at approximately 6:30 p.m. that ALL service (MetroRail and MetroBus) will be suspended at 11 a.m. on Thursday in preparation for Hurricane Isabel. Trains and busses will continue operating until about 1:30 or 2:00 to allow passengers already in the system to complete their travel, however no new boardings will be permitted after 11:00, only transfers. This announcement was made about 5 minutes after the Office of Personnel Management announced that all federal agencies in the Washington, DC metro area will be closed on Thursday. The basis for the announcement was the uncertanty of continued Metro service and not wanting to have a large number of employees trapped at work. Many area school systems have also announced closures tomorrow so students and staff won't be trapped at school. Some of these schools rely on Metro for some of their student transportation. Ross

#2 CNJRoss

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Posted 17 September 2003 - 10:03 PM

WMATA press release:

Metro will close at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 18

Metro will sit out part of the Storm


Metro will suspend Metrobus and Metrorail service at 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 18, due to high winds expected to arrive with Hurricane Isabel. The decision not to accept customers after 11 a.m. was based on the most recent National Weather Service information available regarding the storm.

Concern for the safety of customers, employees, and pedestrians was the driving force behind the decision to suspend service during the height of the storm.

Metro has been in constant contact with and has been consulting with its local, state, and federal partners as well as with the National Weather Service throughout the day.

If the speed of the storm changes, Metro officials will revisit their decision on the time that the system will stop accepting customers.

"We will complete trips on rail and bus to get everyone where they need to be by 1 to 2 p.m., which is the time we believe that the 40 mph winds will reach our region," explained Metro CEO Richard White. "Once the winds are expected to reach a sustained level of 40 mph, it is not safe to be outdoors. We are concerned about the safety of our customers, employees, and pedestrians. Sustained winds of 40 mph or greater means wind gusts of more than 50 mph, and we do not want to risk having customers get blown in front of trains or onto the electrified tracks. Additionally, we do not want our bus customers who are waiting at stops to get blown in front of our buses or into other vehicular traffic. Nor do we want blowing projectiles to injure bus, rail, or MetroAccess customers. Suspending service is a precautionary safeguard. It is not safe to be outdoors.

"We want to be clear to our customers, and we think that a decision on a complete shutdown is much easier for them to understand, is less likely to result in someone being stranded within the system, and is a decision based on safety," Mr. White said.

The design standards for Metrorail trains and Metrobuses are such that they can withstand winds upwards of 80 mph without sustaining damage, so "this is not an issue of our equipment integrity or reliability. This is strictly a safety issue," he said.

Once winds fall below 40 mph, it would take several hours to restore rail service because track inspectors would need to walk the tracks to ensure they were clear from debris and did not sustain any damage from debris that may have landed on the tracks. Any damage would have to be repaired prior to giving the "all-clear" signal to resume service. Metro has already put aggressive plans into place in hopes of preventing the flooding expected to accompany the hurricane from disrupting Metrorail and Metrobus service. Maintenance workers and directors have been transporting sand bags to staging areas and monitoring drainage pumping stations and other sites. They have also put plans into place to establish a command center to oversee and direct emergency operations.

With the weather forecast for high winds and heavy rainfall, officials are doing everything they can to protect the regional rail and bus system from experiencing water damage. Metro's trains operate along an electrified third rail which provides power to the train engines. If water reaches that power line, trains will not be able to operate.

For the most up-to-date information on Metro's operations, customers should visit www.metroopensdoors.com, or call 202-637-7000, TTY: 202-638-3780.

#3 CNJRoss

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Posted 18 September 2003 - 06:25 AM

The Washington Post, 9/18:

D.C. Area Shutting Down for Storm
Schools, Transit And Government Bow to Isabel


The Metro system, commuter railroads, the federal government, most public schools and most county and city offices will be shut today, as Hurricane Isabel rushes northward with powerful winds and soaking rains.

Forecasters warned of 70 mph gusts on downtown streets, four- to six-foot walls of water up the Potomac River and as much as 12 inches of rain on the already water-soaked mountains of Western Maryland and West Virginia. The National Weather Service said the storm probably would strike the region this afternoon.

Full article here.

#4 CNJRoss

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Posted 18 September 2003 - 06:40 AM

The Washington Post, 9/18:

Closing Metro Has Domino Effect
Unusual Move Spurs Government, Transit Shutdowns


Metro announced last night that it would shut down the rail and bus system at 11 a.m. today, when winds from Hurricane Isabel are expected to approach 40 mph, taking the unprecedented step out of concern that the storm would endanger its 1.1 million passengers.

The decision to garage buses and trains was made yesterday evening after several conference calls among transit operators, meteorologists and local and federal officials. At one point, Metro consulted the Miami-Dade Transit agency for advice about dealing with hurricanes.

Metro spokeswoman Cheryl Y. Johnson said the judgment was made when some forecasters adjusted their prediction of when the first effects of the storm would hit, from late in the night to early in the afternoon. The announcement was made last night, Johnson said, "to give people a chance to plan what to do. Now it's up to individuals in terms of planning. . . . Folk may decide not to be out in the high winds at all."

Full article here.

#5 CNJRoss

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Posted 18 September 2003 - 04:55 PM

WMATA has announced that MetroRail will not open until the tracks can be inspected after sunrise on Friday. They expect to need several hours to inspect all tracks before train operations can resume. Sunrise in Washington is about 6:50 a.m.

#6 dcwarner

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Posted 18 September 2003 - 05:10 PM

FWIW, the Bay Bridge between Annapolis and the Eastern Shore of Maryland is also closed.
dcwarner
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#7 CNJRoss

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Posted 19 September 2003 - 06:05 AM

MetroRail announced a few minutes ago that service will resume at 8 a.m. Ross

#8 KevinKorell

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Posted 19 September 2003 - 08:10 AM

MetroRail announced a few minutes ago that service will resume at 8 a.m.

Ross

e-Alert from WMATA:

Metro will resume service at 8 a.m. but on a Sunday schedule. Metrobus will operate on main corridors but storm debris will cause delays.


Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


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