Photo by Jordan Barab.

Today, The Washington Post editorial board came out swinging against the notion of Metro shutting down rail lines for extended periods of time to conduct maintenance, an idea floated by Metro Board Chair Jack Evans on Wednesday. The editorial’s headline: “Metro’s threat to close entire lines is an insult to riders.”

Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld yesterday tried to assuage concerns about the potential closure “I want to reassure you that, while I am keeping options open on how to proceed, no decisions have been made. Moreover, any service change in the plan that could affect your commute will receive ample notice to customers, businesses, stakeholders and the region as a whole,” he said in a statement. Wiedefeld said he would have a final decision within a month to six weeks.

The Post editorial board is concerned about those who “who can’t telecommute or call Uber or change jobs — people who depend on Metro to earn a living. For them, Metro is far more than a convenience, it’s a necessity; for them, threats to shut the system are signals of indifference, not tough-mindedness.”

Of course, not everyone shares that view—though no one is questioning that the closure of a rail line would be a big hassle. An article on Slate called “Shutting Down Subway Lines Is What Grown-Up Systems Do” argues that “shutting down a Metrorail line for a month isn’t poor service. It’s excellent customer care, and it shows that the system’s management—far from letting its subway network rot, as it has in slow motion for decades—is finally taking seriously how essential WMATA is to the D.C. area.”

So, where do you stand?