Photo by nevermindtheend
Metro announced today that SafeTrack will come to an end on June 25—the same day that fare hikes, shorter hours, and service cuts will go into effect.
The year-long maintenance program is currently in the midst of its 15th surge, which is shutting down five stations on the Orange Line. Then there’s one more surge to go before riders will be relatively free of scheduled maintenance during rush hours.
After SafeTrack ends, Metro officials say a preventive maintenance program that will include weekend and overnight work will kick in. Major projects that could affect a handful of stations during other times will be scheduled if necessary and planned during low-ridership times of the year.
But for now, Orange Line riders are contending with the closures of New Carrollton, Landover, Cheverly, Deanwood, and Minnesota Avenue stations through June 15.
Red Line riders should prepare for the final surge to shut down Shady Grove and Rockville stations from June 17 through June 25.
Metro says that workers will have completed three years of track work, including the replacement of more than 50,000 crossties, once SafeTrack is all said and done. The total cost is estimated at $118.8 million, according to a progress report released by the Federal Transit Administration in November.
The question is whether riders who’ve found alternative means of transportation will return to the system. One week into SafeTrack last summer, Capital Bikeshare broke records. By the fall, Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said Metrorail ridership plummeted across the system, partly due to the program, which scaled back weekend late-night hours.
A report released last week by Metro showed that the downward trend in Metrorail ridership has continued through the third quarter of fiscal year 2017: total Metrorail ridership was 129.6 million, 13 percent below their forecast. The average weekday ridership for trains had a year-over-year decrease of 10 percent, with off-peak ridership declining twice as much.
Beginning June 25, Metrorail will close earlier on weeknights, later on Friday and Saturday nights, and have reduced Sunday service. Additionally, it will cost a minimum of $2.25 to ride Metrorail during peak hours and a minimum of $2 for off-peak trips, and bus fares will rise from $1.75 to $2.
