Update, 4/25: Metro’s board has approved the plan for free parking at the Franconia-Springfield, Huntington, and Van Dorn Street stations during the station shutdown this summer.

Original:

This summer, winter is coming for all of the Blue and Yellow line stops south of National Airport.

Metro is preparing for the closure of the six stations with a proposal to allow free parking at Franconia-Springfield, Huntington, and Van Dorn Street stations throughout the duration of the shutdown.

The Metro Executive Board is voting on Thursday to waive all parking fees “as a courtesy to customers at these stations and to make it as convenient as possible to take advantage of Metrobuses that will replace train service,” the proposal says. The transit agency is hoping that riders will use the parking to connect with Metrobus, Virginia Railway Express, shuttles, and other options. WTOP reports that the board is likely to approve the measure.

The Braddock Road, King St-Old Town, Eisenhower Ave, Huntington, Van Dorn St, and Franconia-Springfield stations will be closed on May 25 for platform reconstruction and other major improvements. The closures are slated to end in early September, though the Blue Line from Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield will be single-tracking throughout September.

Of the stations in question, three have Park & Ride facilities that have a daily rate of $4.95 per parking spot. Metro staff have recommended making parking free during the closure, which would cost approximately $2 million. That money would come from capital funding that is already designated for revenue losses due to major projects.

The proposal applies to about 8,000 parking spaces in total. Of the three stations in question, Franconia-Springfield and Huntington both have garages, with 5,069 and 2,732 parking spaces, respectively, each of which is typically about 50 percent full. Van Dorn Street has 361 spaces on a surface lot, all of which are generally used. Metro doesn’t expect many non-riders to take advantage of the free parking.

WMATA estimates the shutdown will have an effect on about 17,000 riders, which amounts to 8 percent of peak weekday riders. Based on data from SafeTrack, the transit agency says that 60 percent of daily riders will continue to use Metro for their commutes and take advantage of free bus shuttles during the closure.

Previously:
Shuttles, Water Taxis, And Other Proposed Alternatives For This Summer’s Blue-Yellow Line Shutdown