Metro

JUST IN: Winter Storm Warning issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com
Snow in Rosslyn on a traffic camera just before 11 p.m. on Jan. 15, 2024

(Updated at 12:40 a.m.) Arlington is now under a Winter Storm Warning, with total snowfall expected to reach 4-6 inches.

The National Weather Service upgraded the previous Winter Weather Advisory around 10:30 p.m. The snow accumulation is making travel difficult, prompting Metro and Arlington Transit to implement severe snow plans for buses.

The snow is also delaying and cancelling flights at National Airport — and reportedly stranding several flights on the tarmac for extended periods of time. The GW Parkway remains closed between Spout Run and the Beltway, due to the snow.

From NWS:

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
1028 PM EST Mon Jan 15 2024

…WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST TUESDAY…

* WHAT…Heavy snow, possibly changing to light freezing rain or freezing drizzle along the Interstate 95 corridor toward morning. Total snow accumulation of 4 to 6 inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze.

* WHERE…Portions of central Maryland, The District of Columbia and northern Virginia.

* WHEN…Until 10 AM EST Tuesday.

* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday morning commute.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Moderate to heavy snow this evening and overnight may produce snow of one half to one inch per hour and reduce visibility to one half mile or less at times. Snow intensity will taper off toward morning.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.

When venturing outside, watch your first few steps taken on steps, sidewalks, and driveways, which could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.

Arlington Public Schools has canceled classes tomorrow and the county government will, as of now, open on a delay.

Federal government offices are also closing for the day.

Metro, meanwhile, issued the following press release Monday night about its operating status. Metro — along with Arlington Transit — is operating limited bus service due to the snow.

For the rest of the evening on Monday, Jan. 15, and early morning on Tuesday, Jan. 16, Metrobus will be operating under its Severe Snow Plan with approximately 40-plus bus routes operating.

Under a Severe Snow Plan, bus service is limited to major roads, with additional snow detours possible based on road conditions.

Customers are advised to travel only if necessary, as snow and ice may create hazardous conditions, causing delays and increased wait times. If snow is blocking the curb, wait on the sidewalk instead of the street until the bus arrives.

Metro is deploying resources throughout the system and across the region to monitor road conditions and keep parking lots, walkways, and stations clear of snow. Customers should build in additional travel time and use caution on platforms, escalators, parking lots, and other areas that may be slippery.

Metrorail is running regular service, though service may change based on weather conditions and staffing availability.

MetroAccess is running regular service, but customers are encouraged to travel only if necessary. Some trips may experience delays due to road conditions. If door-to-door service is not possible, curb-to-curb service will be provided instead.

The decision to reduce bus service was made to support the safety of our customers and employees. The plan was developed in conjunction and coordination with our jurisdictions and regional partners.

Metro will re-evaluate weather conditions throughout the day Tuesday and we aim to return to normal bus service as soon as conditions allow.

Customers are encouraged to sign up for MetroAlerts text and email messages to receive the latest service updates. You can also visit the Status and Alerts page and check Metro’s social media channels @wmata@MetrorailInfo and @Metrobusinfo.

Reminder: Two Arlington Metro stations to close starting Friday for weekend track work

By ARLnow.com
Passengers board at the Rosslyn Metro station (file photo)

The Rosslyn and Courthouse Metro stations will close starting tomorrow (Friday) for a weekend of track and other infrastructure work.

The closures will run through Monday and prompt buses to replace trains between D.C. and Arlington stations — Foggy Bottom on the D.C. side, Clarendon and Arlington Cemetery on the Arlington side.

The work coincides with the extended Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend.

More, below, from a Metro press release.

Metro today announced travel alternatives to help customers plan for track work and maintenance over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend that will close a portion of the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines on Friday, Jan. 12 through Monday, Jan. 15.

During the four-day closure, buses will replace trains with no rail service between Foggy Bottom-GWU and Arlington Cemetery on the Blue Line; and between Foggy Bottom-GWU and Clarendon on the Orange and Silver lines. The Rosslyn and Court House stations will be closed. Customers traveling through the work zone should expect significant delays and allow at least 30 minutes of additional travel time to account for shuttle buses.

Work crews will replace rail, rebuild concrete grout pads that support the rail, run fiber-optic cables, install platform edge lighting, and other maintenance activity. Without the closure, the work would have caused major disruptions over multiple weekends, as trains would single track every 26 minutes or with truncated service.

Metro will continue to run normal service on the Yellow and Green lines, and supplement Blue Line service between Foggy Bottom-GWU and Downtown Largo and on the Silver Line between Ashburn and Clarendon.

During the winter months, Arlington Cemetery Station typically closes at 7 p.m. to align with Arlington National Cemetery’s hours. However, Metro will keep the station open through closing during the four-day construction project to accommodate shuttle bus customers.

Shuttle buses will be available for connections to the last trains on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines. Last train times may be adjusted with some inbound trains departing the end of the line earlier than normal, and the last outbound trains may arrive later than normal.

Metro service impacts during MLK Day weekend (via WMATA)

On Monday, meanwhile, Metro will operate on a Saturday schedule — in addition to the above service changes — due to the holiday.

Suspect in custody after reported sexual assault on Metro train near Virginia Square

By ARLnow.com
Metro Transit Police SUV (file photo)

A woman was sexually assaulted Monday night on a train near the Virginia Square station, according to Metro.

“At approximately 10 p.m. [Monday], Metro Transit Police responded to a report of a sexual assault aboard a train near Virginia Square Station,” a Metro spokesman tells ARLnow. “An adult female victim was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A male suspect was stopped by MTPD officers at Metro Center Station a short time later.”

The incident was first reported online by local public safety watchdog Dave Statter.

The suspect was identified by Metro as 18-year-old Saiquan Jackson of Northeast D.C. He’s expected to be charged with attempted rape and strangulation, the spokesman said last night.

A man of the same age, name and quadrant was reported missing by D.C. police last month. The report noted that he “may be in need of medication.” He was also reported missing as a teenager in 2018.

Theft suspect who fled into Metro tunnel charged with trespassing, fare evasion

By ARLnow.com
Pentagon City Metro Station on Dec. 13, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A man fleeing from officers after a theft in Pentagon City ran into a Metro tunnel, prompting service to be shut down in the area, police say.

The incident happened Monday morning, as police responded to a shoplifting call on S. Hayes Street.

After running into a Metro tunnel at the Pentagon City station, the man emerged and was arrested at the Crystal City station, police say. In addition to a theft charge, he has also been charged with trespassing and fare evasion.

More, below, from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

PETIT LARCENY (Significant), 2024-01080073, 1200 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 10:16 a.m. on January 8, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business, collected merchandise, allegedly left the store without payment and fled into the Pentagon City Metro. A lookout was broadcast and responding officers located the suspect in the Metro and gave him commands, which he disregarded, and fled onto the train tracks. Metro service in the area was temporarily suspended and the suspect subsequently exited the train tracks at the Crystal City Metro station where officers took him into custody. The preliminary investigation determined the suspect did not pay a fare upon entering the Metro. No injuries were reported. [The suspect], 37, of Washington, DC was arrested and charged with Petit Larceny, Trespassing on a Railroad Track and Failure to Pay Fares.

Some of the response to the incident was captured on video.

County inks contract for oversight of Crystal City Metro second entrance project

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

Arlington County has selected a contractor to oversee work to build a new second entrance to the Crystal City Metro station.

Over the weekend, the Arlington County Board approved a nearly $8 million contract, plus a contingency of $197,497, with Gannett Fleming, Inc. to provide construction management and quality assurance services for the project.

Viewed as a way to further revitalize Crystal City and improve access and accessibility to the station’s east end, the second entrance will be located at the northwest corner of 18th Street S. and Crystal Drive.

Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2024 and last about 2.5 years, according to the county. Previously approved state and local funding will pay for the project, which has a total budget of $146.1 million.

A long-standing goal of county transportation planners, the second entrance will include a direct route, accessible to people with disabilities, to connect users who access the station from the east. It is intended to improve connections for pedestrians and cyclists and to the nearby bus and Virginia Railway Express stations.

There will also be additional space inside the station to accommodate long-term passenger demand.

“The Crystal City Metrorail station is among the most heavily used in Arlington County and Northern Virginia,” per a report. “The Crystal City area is experiencing continued growth and will have significant redevelopment in the next few years.”

The station was also one of the five transportation projects associated with Amazon’s second headquarters, including a pedestrian bridge to Reagan National Airport and an at-grade Route 1.

The project will be delivered via a public-private partnership with developer JBG Smith, which owns a significant amount of property in the neighborhood. It approached the county with an unsolicited proposal to undertake the project and, in 2020, the county struck a deal with the developer to prepare 30% complete designs.

This project was included in the current 2023-2032 Capital Improvement Plan at an estimated cost of $94.9 million, based on conceptual planning work, but costs have increased since then, the county says.

The new $146 million budget is based on the 30% complete designs, a redesign of the station entrance and “upward cost pressures industry-wide,” according to the county.

JBG Smith has been working to finalize the station design since August, after the county approved a $117 million contract with JBG Smith and Clark Construction for final design and construction.

Gannett Fleming was selected from four contractors that bid this summer to help oversee the design and construction. The county says $8 million, plus contingency, is “fair and reasonable” because it is within 12% of an independent cost estimate for the project of around $7 million.

Rosslyn and Courthouse Metro stations to close over MLK Day weekend

By ARLnow.com
Rosslyn Metro station (file photo)

Metro is planning a major closure of two Arlington Metro stations next month.

The Rosslyn and Courthouse stations will be closed the weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day — from Friday, Jan. 12 to Monday, Jan. 15. The four-day closure is for repairs and maintenance.

“Blue Line trains will run from Franconia-Springfield to Arlington Cemetery and Foggy Bottom to Downtown Largo; Orange Line service will operate from Vienna to Clarendon and Foggy Bottom to New Carrollton; and Silver Line trains will run between Ashburn and Clarendon only,” Metro noted in a press release.

The full press release is below.

During the Martin Luther King Day holiday weekend, starting on Friday, Jan. 12 through Monday, Jan. 15, Metro will close segments of the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines, between Foggy Bottom and Arlington Cemetery/Clarendon to perform infrastructure repairs and maintenance. The Rosslyn and Court House stations will be closed, and free shuttle buses will provide frequent service between all affected stations.

The four-day closure will allow Metro to address critical repairs, infrastructure improvements and other maintenance at one time. The same work would have required multiple weekends of single tracking with severe disruption to service, including some lines operating every 26 minutes or with truncated service.

The work is scheduled for the MLK holiday weekend when it will impact the fewest customers. Ridership during the four-day period is historically 27 percent lower on Metrorail than the average Friday through Monday. Additionally, with post-pandemic changes 15 percent fewer customers use Metrorail on Fridays than the midweek peak and on MLK Day ridership is less than half of a normal Monday.

The Rosslyn tunnel beneath the Potomac River is one of the busiest sections of the system, with trains passing through every three to four minutes all day causing more frequent wear on the infrastructure.

During the weekend crews plan to replace dozens of concrete grout pads, which support the rails. To do this, the rails must be removed, and the old grout pads demolished. After framing, new concrete will be poured with additional time needed to set. The work will be coupled with installation of new rails, fasteners, platform edge lighting and fiber-optic cables, drain maintenance, and welding rails together to eliminate joints for a smoother, better ride.

Outside of the work zone, Blue Line trains will run from Franconia-Springfield to Arlington Cemetery and Foggy Bottom to Downtown Largo; Orange Line service will operate from Vienna to Clarendon and Foggy Bottom to New Carrollton; and Silver Line trains will run between Ashburn and Clarendon only.

Travelers over the holiday weekend going to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport may use the Yellow Line via Gallery Place or L’Enfant Plaza as an alternative with service operating every six minutes during weekday peak periods and eight minutes at all other times. Customers may also use the Manassas Line on VRE to connect to the Blue or Yellow lines at Alexandria. South of the airport, the Blue and Yellow lines will continue to be available for customers with no impact for those headed to the airport.

Customers traveling through Washington Dulles International Airport should allow additional time for shuttle buses to connect to the Silver Line. Additional details will be provided on shuttle buses and other travel alternatives in January.

In addition, Saturday, Jan. 13 and Sunday, Jan. 14, the MDOT MTA Purple Line project will also be doing construction, impacting Metro’s Red Line. There will be no Red Line service between Takoma and Forest Glen. The Silver Spring Station will be closed. Trains will operate in two segments from Shady Grove to Takoma and Glenmont to Forest Glen. Metro will utilize the closure to perform leak mitigation, replace rail ties, and preparatory work for switch replacement.

Customers are encouraged to sign up for MetroAlerts text or email messages for the latest service information or follow us on X @wmata @metrorailinfo @metrobusinfo. Metro’s customer service team is also available to respond to social media, email, chat, or by phone at 202-637-7000 (automated information available 24/7) weekdays from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

New apartments, church and daycare to open next year in Ballston

By Jo DeVoe
1/2

A new development with affordable apartments, a church and childcare, across from the Ballston Metro station, is set to debut early next year.

Nearly two years ago, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing broke ground on the long-delayed, $84 million project to replace the old Central United Methodist Church building at 4201 Fairfax Drive with an 8-story building with 144 committed affordable units.

Dubbed Ballston Station, the project received $19 million from the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund and $9 million from an Amazon-funded state housing grant. Approved in 2017, APAH took over in 2019 and received a construction extension until it could get started.

As of now, construction is 88% complete, APAH Senior Project Manager Ryan Nash tells ARLnow. The project is on schedule and on track to finish next January.

Work has turned to the final finishes within each unit, such as flooring, but other site work — such as sidewalks — remains as well, he said.

“We’ll open right after we’re done and right after we get our certificate of occupancy,” he said.

The project had to weather increasing construction costs — including sky-rocketing lumber prices — as well as high interest rates, Nash said.

“It was day-to-day watching lumber prices,” he says. “Other supply chain issues remain: a big thing these days is electrical switchgear and appliances, but we timed it well and got things procured and ordered in time so it wouldn’t impact our schedule.”

APAH has a list of prospective residents who could move in as soon as the occupancy certificate is inked, said Nash, projecting the building could be fully leased by June.

Future tenants, who mostly reside in Arlington right now, range from those in affordable housing to those leaving “rapidly disappearing” market-rate affordable units, he said.

“Because it’s so close to Ballston Metro, and has a low parking ratio, it will be catered toward residents who would have a car-free diet,” he said.

Ballston Station will have a mix of one- and two-bedroom units. There will be 15 units for people earning up to 30% of the area median income (AMI), with 60 units for those earning 50% AMI or less and 69 at 60% AMI.

The church, meanwhile, will have a series of celebration events starting with Easter on March 31, says Rev. Sarah Harrison-McQueen.

“In the weeks after Easter, we’ll have a variety of open houses and mission events to culminate with a building dedication worship service,” she told ARLnow.

The CUMC congregation currently meets at a church in the Arlington Forest neighborhood. When it returns to Ballston, it will have a revamped church space with a dedicated commercial kitchen to support its food distribution ministry, providing hot breakfast, lunch and groceries, medical care and referrals to more than 200 people.

The childcare provider, Kinhaven School, is set to open next spring with capacity for 115 children — a significant increase from the 67 permitted in the original building, says Director Amy Hitchcock.

Kinhaven School was co-located with CUMC for nearly 50 years until 2017, when construction on the new development was initially expected to start.

It relocated to St. George’s Episcopal Church in Virginia Square and the school now plans to keep that location for a half-day preschool serving 2- to 5-year old children. The Ballston Station location will enroll infants through school-aged children.

“The Ballston Station project is exciting as each of the three partners contributes to Arlington’s vitality: APAH and its stellar approach to housing; CUMC’s commitment to addressing food insecurity as a lived mission of their faith; and Kinhaven’s pledge to participate in the Virginia Child Care Subsidy program and offer non-traditional hours to support working families,” Hitchcock said.

UPDATED: Metro train derails near National Airport

By ARLnow.com
National Airport Metro station (Flickr pool photo by Bekah Richards)

(Updated at 4 p.m.) Metrorail service was suspended on the Blue and Yellow lines today after a train derailed.

Metro says no injuries were reported among the 50 people on the derailed train, adding that they have since been transferred via shuttle bus to another train.

The derailment happened around 10:45 a.m., south of the National Airport station, and involved the lead car of the train, according to scanner traffic. Arlington medics were dispatched to the scene but there were no reports of injuries.

Since the derailment, trains have been operating in two segments — Franconia/Huntington to Potomac Yard and Largo/Mt. Vernon Square to National Airport, according to Metro.

Shortly after 12:30 p.m., the transit agency said it was inspecting the track ahead of resuming service on a single track. As of 1:30 p.m., Blue and Yellow line trains were running every 24 minutes and single-tracking past the derailment.

A partial derailment near Rosslyn in October 2021 was found to have been caused by a wheel defect in newer, 7000-series trains. Earlier this year Metro unveiled a multi-year plan to change out wheelsets on hundreds of 7000-series trains.

Metro’s general manager said in a press conference this afternoon that it was a 7000-series train that derailed, but the agency believes a brake assembly came off of an older 3000-series train and caused the derailment.

 

Flickr pool photo by Bekah Richards

Local leaders hope second Crystal City Metro entrance can help further revitalize and connect neighborhood

By Jo DeVoe
1/10

(Updated at 9:40 a.m. on 8/1/23) If you build it, they will come.

That is the philosophy guiding the planned construction of the east entrance to the Crystal City Metro station, for which Arlington County inked a contract earlier this month.

First floated in 2002, the idea of a second Crystal City Metro entrance remained on the local radar before becoming one of the suite of transportation projects the county and state agreed to deliver in order to secure Amazon’s (recently opened) second headquarters in Arlington.

This month, Arlington approved a contract with JBG Smith and Clark Construction, which together agreed to build the second entrance for no more than $117 million. Design work is not yet complete, however, and the new entrance may not be ready until 2027.

The new entrance will be located at the northwest corner of Crystal Drive and 18th Street S., a couple of blocks from the current entrance.

Although a few years away, project proponents say the project will bring visitors closer to Crystal Drive, a part of Crystal City undergoing significant change, and will create a “transit hub” connecting people to rail (VRE and Amtrak), buses and the airport. Doing so, they say, will make using Metro more convenient and, thus, encourage additional ridership, which remains below pre-pandemic levels.

“This east entrance really brings transit where it belongs, into the heart of a commercial district,” says Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, the president and executive director of the National Landing Business Improvement District.

“Crystal Drive is a commercial spine and there are many enhancements and new destinations that will deliver soon and will seamlessly connect to the entrance,” she continued. “In 2024, we will realize a truly reinvisioned Crystal Drive.”

The Crystal City Water Park, set to reopen this September with a number of food vendor stalls, would be across the street from the new entrance. A retail strip with Mah-Ze-Dahr, Tacombi, and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is steps away, while two dozen other retailers are set to move into Crystal Drive over the next year, including a new restaurant called Surreal.

Construction upgrades at the Crystal City Water Park are nearly complete (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Proponents say the second entrance will facilitate connections to other transit modes. Getting between VRE and Metro, for instance, can be a confusing hassle, says local civic association president Eric Cassel.

“Everybody who is a tourist or something like that, they have a hard time finding it currently, it’s kind of hidden away,” he said. “People don’t take transit as much because it’s difficult to transfer between that and buses and everything else. One of the reasons to make a focal point of a transit hub is to get people who would otherwise drive to take transit.”

The new station will also make hopping on the Metro a bit less of a slog for people who live or work in the neighborhood.

“This new entrance would save me and others 5 minutes of walking up the hill to get to the current entrance,” says Jay Corbalis, public affairs vice president for JBG Smith.

“That doesn’t sound like a lot to some people, but when you think about that every day, twice a day, for thousands of people, it starts to add up why it’s an important project,” he continued. “It changes the geography of National Landing. It brings that many people closer to the rest of the region.”

(more…)

Taller gates coming to Pentagon City, Courthouse stations amid push to stop fare evasion

By ARLnow.com
Faregate modification coming to the Pentagon City and Courthouse stations (courtesy WMATA)

Taller faregates are coming to a pair of Arlington Metro stations to combat fare evasion.

The ongoing fare enforcement effort led Metro to design taller doors for its gates. Those are now being rolled out, with installation at the Fort Totten station expected to be completed overnight tonight, and the Pentagon City up next.

After that, another eight stations are in line to get new faregates by early fall, including the Courthouse station.

Metro officials argue that those committing crimes in the Metro system are often fare evaders, thus cracking down will help keep riders safe.

Faregate evolution (courtesy WMATA)

More, below, from a WMATA press release.

Metro has begun installing new higher, stronger faregates at Fort Totten Station as part of a systemwide rollout. The design improves upon the original prototype door following months of testing and modifications. The new doors are now 55-inches tall, twice as strong, and more resilient.

The installation at Fort Totten is expected to be completed overnight, followed by Pentagon City. The faregate modifications will be installed in phases with plans to retrofit faregates throughout the system over the next year. The first 10 stations are expected to be completed by early fall.

“Over the past several months, our team has been testing different prototypes to get to this final design. We have already seen a reduction in fare evasion and expect the higher gates will be more of a deterrent,” said Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, Randy Clarke. “The bottom line is fare evasion is not okay, and we will continue our efforts to ensure everyone is respecting the community’s system and each other.”

The new design includes an L-shape door panel that extends over the faregate to minimize gaps between the openings. The increase in barrier height from the original 28 to 48-inch prototype to 55 inches will also make it more difficult to jump over faregates. The new height is taller than a hockey net or nearly half the height of a standard basketball hoop.

The swing doors are made of a polycarbonate which is 200 times stronger than glass, lighter weight, and more durable. The final design also includes more robust hinges and a more powerful motor to strengthen the door. As stations are retrofitted with the new barriers, Metro is also raising the height of fencing and emergency gates.

Metro will install a single door panel for all regular faregates, and double door panels at the wider gates for accessibility and wheelchairs. Following Fort Totten and Pentagon City, the first phase of new faregates will be installed at Bethesda, Vienna*, Mt Vernon Sq, Addison Rd, Congress Heights, Wheaton, Federal Center SW, and Court House stations. Metro will notify customers prior to work beginning at stations through in-station signage and on Metro’s Faregate Retrofit Project page.

In addition to the faregate modifications, Metro’s stepped-up enforcement efforts have also helped to change behaviors and reduce fare evasion.

Last month, Metro also launched a new income-qualified reduced fare program, Metro Lift, to provide a 50 percent fare discount to customers who qualify for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits in the District, Maryland, and Virginia. To-date, more than 1600 customers have enrolled, taking nearly 17,000 combined trips.

For more information about Metro’s comprehensive efforts to modernize its fare system, visit wmata.com/faremodernization.

NOW: Metro delays likely due to fleeing suspects on tracks

By ARLnow.com
File photo

(Updated at 1:10 p.m.) A suspect fleeing from police ran onto the tracks at the Rosslyn Metro station shortly before 1 p.m., delaying some trains.

The suspect ran into a tunnel in the direction of Arlington Cemetery station, according to scanner traffic. It’s not immediately clear why he or she was running from police.

Arlington County police coordinated with Metro and Metro Transit Police to stop train traffic in the area while trying to locate the suspect.

Officers were in active pursuit of the suspect after he or she exited the tunnel, leading to their being taken into custody on Memorial Bridge shortly before 1:10 p.m., according to scanner traffic.

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