Get ready for SafeTrack

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is implementing a plan to repair and improve the Metrorail system called SafeTrack.

SafeTrack accelerates three years’ worth of work into approximately one year. The plan significantly expands maintenance time on weeknights, weekends and midday hours and includes 15 “Safety Surges,” long duration track outages for major projects in key parts of the system.

This program will impact commuters in Takoma Park. In addition to the resources offered by WMATA, the City is encouraging commuters to:

• Consider teleworking. The Takoma Park Library and Community Center, as well as many local businesses, offer Wi-Fi and provide comfortable places from which to work.
• Try biking. Keep an eye out for additional signs directing riders to recommended routes into DC, alternative metro stations, or all the way downtown.
• Consider carpooling. During the SafeTrack surges, the parking rates and times at the centrally located City parking lot at Takoma Junction will not be enforced to enable its use as a carpool lot.

For Surge #10, tentatively scheduled to begin in late October, the Red Line will be shut down between Fort Totten and NoMa. Key info from WMATA:

• Two stations will be closed, BrooklandCUA and Rhode Island Ave.
• Shuttle buses will replace trains between NoMa and Fort Totten.
• Expect crowding on all trains due to less frequent Red Line service.
• Green Line provides alternate path for travel between Fort Totten and Gallery Place.
• Red Line customers should consider alternate travel options and avoid traveling during rush-hour periods if possible; expect trains to be extremely crowded.

The City’s webpage on SafeTrack (takomaparkmd.gov/safetrack) is a good place to keep up to date on impacts and resources of the work in October.

This article appeared in the September 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.