Metro elevated its coronavirus response to the highest level Friday afternoon, as every jurisdiction it serves enacted strong measures to respond to the growing numbers of COVID-19 patients.
In order to prevent spread of the coronavirus, Metro is reducing rail and bus service beginning Monday, March 16 as follows:
Metrorail
- Monday-Friday: Trains will operate every 12 minutes on each line throughout the day. The rail system will maintain normal hours, opening at 5 a.m.
- Saturday: Trains will operate every 12 minutes on each line, with service from 7 a.m. until 1 a.m. (normal Saturday service).
- Sunday: Trains will operate every 15 minutes on each line, with service from 8 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. (normal Sunday service).
Metrobus
On weekdays, bus service will operate on a Saturday supplemental schedule. Weekend bus schedules are unchanged.
Metro advises riders who are not feeling well to not take public transportation. Those individuals should call their healthcare provider before leaving home and follow their guidance.
Metro will begin weekly electrostatic fogging of the railcars and buses. This fogging process disinfects surfaces that are inaccessible surfaces in the vehicle, such as air ducts and compartments.
Metro’s Pandemic Task Force is taking unprecedented steps to protect the health of Metro’s employees who work in the Rail Operations Control Center (ROCC), including a ban on visitors and non-essential personnel, and creating physical separation between ROCC employee teams who will now run the rail system from two different locations to mitigate risk. Operation of the rail system will alternate between two control centers, allowing downtime for disinfecting keyboards, headsets, microphones, screens and other critical equipment in the control center.
Visitors are not permitted at Metro Headquarters (Jackson Graham Building) or any other administrative site, and public meetings at the headquarters building have been suspended, including the Riders’ Advisory Council and the Accessibility Advisory Committee. Metro’s Board of Directors will announce plans for upcoming meetings in the coming days, with an emphasis on public health and welfare.
