It’s already being branded #Metromageddon.
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The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which controls the city’s subway system, announced on March 15 that it was closing the network for at least a day while checks the safety of electric cables.
The investigation of the cause of the fire is ongoing but Wiedefeld said he does not want to take any chances of risking the safety of employees and riders.
“While the risk to public is very low, I can not rule out a potential life safety issue here”, he said. It will reopen at 5 a.m. Thursday unless inspectors find an immediate threat to passenger safety, which Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said was unlikely.
The power cables are the same type as those that failed during last year’s January 12 smoke incident on a stalled Yellow Line train near L’Enfant Plaza station.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement that putting safety first is the right choice but Metro needs to get serious about fixing issues. “What are folks waiting for?” “This dramatic action highlights the need for long-term safety and reliability improvements throughout the system”. The earliest parts of the Metro system will be 40 years old this year, and they have steadily deteriorated over the past decade.
Traffic was heavier than usual on many major commuter arteries leading in from the Virginia and Maryland suburbs, with roads including the George Washington Parkway clogged with bumper-to-bumper traffic in the predawn hours. He called for the US Office of Personnel Management to allow workers to take unscheduled leaves or telecommute on Wednesday, CBS News reports. “I can’t wait for the third time”, said Metro general manager Paul Wiedefeld.
Wiedefeld said he chose to have crews inspect the entire system all at once rather than to spread out the work over a longer period of time.
Brian Kirchner, 46, a federal contractor, said he was delayed by two hours getting home to Hagerstown, Maryland, on Monday because of the fire.
Instead of spending all that money on just 10 percent of commuters, it’s time for Metro to seriously consider replacing its worn-out rail system with economical and flexible buses.
“I guess I won’t be coming to work tomorrow”, Kirchner said.
Traffic control officers were ready to respond to problems, Gills said, and crossing guards will be available to help pedestrians.
Gillis says construction activity is suspended during the morning and evening rush hours. The DC government and DC Public Schools will be open Wednesday, although students who are tardy or absent due to the Metro shutdown will be excused. Congress and most schools will be open. “This decision, while perhaps necessary, will cause significant inconvenience and will disrupt the functioning of the federal government in our nation’s capital”, he added. “It’s awkward for those of us who have to commute, but I understand they need to do what they need to do for our safety”.
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U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-6) said, “For a long time Marylanders have been denied the safe, reliable and efficient Metro system that they deserve”.
