Rachel Kurzius
Lamar Green, assistant chief at the Metropolitan Police Department, said that MPD will add officers to “key areas” as D.C. prepares for the Nuclear Security Summit later this week. (Photo by Rachel Kurzius)
Representatives of local and federal agencies strongly suggest that commuters plan alternative routes for transportation around the Washington Convention Center later this week. There’s a bevy of street closures, parking restrictions, pedestrian restrictions, and a Metro station closure in conjunction with the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit.
President Barack Obama kicks off NSS on Thursday, and expects representatives from 51 countries to attend. Residents and commuters can expect motorcades as well as closures as early as Wednesday.
“There are no credible or specific threats directed towards the city or the event at this time,” said Lamar Green, assistant chief at the Metropolitan Police Department. Still, MPD will still have enhanced deployments and “more officers working in key areas,” said Green.
According to Green, MPD has been on “heightened alert” ever since the Paris attacks, and enhanced security measures since the Brussels attacks last week. “We will continue that posture for the foreseeable future,” said Green.
The main hub of restrictions will occur between 6th and 10th streets and New York Avenue and O Street—the perimeter of the convention center (you can see them all below). This will impact many buses, especially the 70 and 79 lines, which travel along 7th. Those buses will stop at Rhode Island Avenue, where passengers can switch free of charge to the Shaw Metro.
Courtesy of U.S. Secret Service
“It will be a tough traffic day on Thursday, so we are asking for folks’ patience,” said Chris Geldart, Director of the Homeland Security Emergency Management Agency, noting that Friday’s commute isn’t looking much better.
WMATA spokesperson Dan Stessel had advice for travelers: “If you have the option of taking Metrorail in or out of downtown, that’s a good option.”
But there is one significant impact on Metro: the Mount Vernon Square Metro station will close from Wednesday at 8 p.m. through Friday evening, April 1. The station will reopen after the U.S. Secret Service discontinues security efforts late Friday evening. Until then, Yellow and Green line trains will pass through the station without stopping.
Metro Transit Police “will be upstaffed” during the summit, according to Stessel. MTP has employed random security screening since December 2010, and he expects it to be “part of our toolkit” during the summit.
Metro moved around resources within its budget to pay for the additional staffing, Stessel said.
As far as costs to the city go, the final price tag of the event is not yet known.
“We have appropriation for security events,” said Geldart. “Some of the costs that will be incurred will be covered, but not all. Some costs will be absorbed by the city.”
