Next Phase of Metrorail SafeTrack Program to Affect Loudoun County Commuters

The next phase of the Metrorail maintenance program, SafeTrack, is scheduled for July 20-31, and will directly affect some riders of the Loudoun County Transit bus service. SafeTrack is a year-long, extensive maintenance program which includes track outages of long duration in key parts of the Metrorail system.
 
The fifth "surge" of the SafeTrack plan will result in single tracking between the East Falls Church and Ballston Metro stations. The direct effects on Loudoun County bus riders will be: 

• From July 20-29, Loudoun County Transit will temporarily alter two of its Metro-Connection bus service routes – Potomac Falls Routes 901 and 902 – to bypass the impacted section of Metrorail track. All Potomac Falls service will be re-routed from the West Falls Church Metro Station to the Ballston Metro Station during this period. The schedule is online at www.loudoun.gov/SafeTrack.
• During the surge, Metro's Silver Line trains will operate every 18 minutes as opposed to the normal six-minute intervals. To assist commuters, Loudoun County Transit has produced flyers that highlight the morning and afternoon buses that line up within seven minutes of the rail arrival or departure. The flyers can be viewed and downloaded at www.loudoun.gov/SafeTrack.
  

As SafeTrack continues, increased traffic and delays on area roadways are possible if commuters choose to trade their bus or Metrorail ride for a single-occupancy vehicle. Loudoun County offers information on commuting options at www.loudoun.gov/commute.
 
Loudoun County Transit officials encourage commuters to stay informed about updates and changes to bus service by signing up for Bus Biz at www.loudoun.gov/BusBiz. Commuters can also sign up for local traffic alerts through Alert Loudoun at www.loudoun.gov/alert.
 
Links to the Loudoun County bus schedules and more information about SafeTrack, including the complete SafeTrack Plan, can be found at www.loudoun.gov/SafeTrack.