Metro News Release
For immediate release: April 20, 2006
Metro to extend the Yellow Line to Fort Totten and eliminate Red Line turn backs at Grosvenor-Strathmore during off-peak hours
18-month pilots to begin in January 2007
Metro’s Board of Directors today agreed to extend the Yellow Line beyond the Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center Metrorail station to Fort Totten, and to eliminate Red Line trains turning back at the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metrorail station during off-peak hours and weekends as part of an18-month pilot beginning in January 2007.
Yellow Line Extension to Fort Totten
At the request of community groups and residents in the Columbia Heights, U Street and Petworth areas of the District of Columbia, Metro considered several proposals to determine the feasibility of increasing rail service to Green Line stations from Mt. Vernon Sq/7th Street-Convention Center to Fort Totten and Greenbelt.
After an extensive review, the Metro Board agreed to extend the Yellow Line from Mt. Vernon Sq/7th Street-Convention Center to the Fort Totten Metrorail station during off-peak hours (weekdays, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 7 p.m. to closing, and weekends) as part of the18 month pilot. The District of Columbia will cover the $5.75 million cost.
By extending the Yellow Line to Fort Totten, passengers traveling beyond the Mt. Vernon Sq/7th Street-Convention Center Metrorail station to the Shaw-Howard U, U St/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo, Columbia Heights and Georgia Ave-Petworth Metrorail stations will have additional off-peak rail service. Weekday off-peak service between these locations, which is every 12 minutes, will now operate every six minutes. On week nights after 7 p.m., and on the weekends when trains run every 15 to 20 minutes, will now operate every 7 ½ to 10 minutes.
Red Line Turn Backs at Grosvenor-Strathmore
At the request of the State of Maryland and Montgomery County, the Metro Board agreed to eliminate Red Line trains turning back at the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metrorail station during the off-peak periods (9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays, and on weekends). The 18-month pilot program will cost $2.25 million, which will be paid for by the State of Maryland.
By extending all Red Line trains beyond Grosvenor-Strathmore to Shady Grove during the off-peak, passengers will have additional rail service to White Flint, Twinbrook, Rockville and Shady Grove. Off-peak service, which operates every 12 minutes between Grosvenor-Strathmore and Shady Grove will now operate every six minutes. On weekends when trains operate every 15 minutes, service will increase to every 7 ½ to 8 minutes.
News release issued on April 20, 2006.