Residents are spending more time sitting in traffic, particularly on eastbound Duke Street in the evenings and northbound Van Dorn Street in the mornings, according to a new report from Alexandria officials.
The City of Alexandria released a “Platform Improvement Project Mid-Summer Report” report July 23 on how the shutdown is affecting commuters, residents, traffic and businesses.
All Metro stations south of Reagan National Airport are closed for the summer while the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) makes major repairs – and improvements – to Metro stations in the region. WMATA estimates the Metro stations will reopen Sept. 8.
While traffic is up only 4% over the spring, normally traffic congestion in the area decreases in the summer months as people go on vacation.
Bus usage, of course, has increased greatly this summer on select routes. WMATA and Dash both increased operations to compensate for the lack of trains this summer, and some routes have seen an increase in usage by commuters (though overall DASH bus usage is down 14 percent from last summer).
Many residents are seeing a longer commute than normal using buses and shuttles, but initial complaints about crowding at bus stations and confusion about where to go (on the part of drivers and riders) have been resolved.
The closure is affecting businesses, as well. (See the business survey report from earlier this summer here.) “Most Alexandria businesses surveyed (59 percent) report that revenue since Metrorail closure is similar to or has increased, compared with same period last year. Businesses closer to Metrorail stations are more likely to report revenue decline than those that did not,” according to the City’s July 23 report.
Bicycle ridership is up, as well: “For the month of June, the average bicycle volumes during the morning and evening peak periods on the Potomac Yard Trail were almost double the numbers from the same period last year and have nearly doubled compared to volumes prior to the Metro shutdown on the Metro Linear Trail.” (See: Shifting Gears for Your Commute for more information on bicycle commuting.)
In addition, water taxi usage from the Potomac Riverboat Co. is up nearly double from the first week of the Metro shutdown. According to the report, City staff members are evaluating whether continuing increased water taxi service beyond Sept. 8 would provide a benefit to City residents and workers.
More Than Just Platform Improvements
In addition to shored-up platforms, the report from the City of Alexandria listed these improvements at Metro stations:
“New safety features include slip-resistant tiles, brighter LED canopy lighting and lighted handrails on stairs. In addition, stations will have new platform surveillance systems (CCTV) and operator-connected safety call buttons that will provide a direct contact to station managers and the operations control center. Stations will have new stainless-steel platform shelters conveniently equipped with USB charging ports, new Passenger Information Displays (PIDS) with larger 55-inch screens, along with new platform intercom speakers for clearer public announcements and emergency notifications.”
