District commuters might have a reason to look forward to—or at least not dread—their work commute! Beginning Tuesday, February 7, the D.C. Metro will be reducing rush hour wait times.
The increased Metro frequency is the product of an increase in the number of 7000 series trains that will be running and available to riders, with some having a higher occupant capacity.
“Our newest railcars have continued to provide safe and reliable service, and we are excited to deliver them where our customers most need them,” General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke said in a press release. “By making trains more frequent and increasing capacity with more 8-car trains, we are reducing crowding and making service more convenient.”
With the increased frequency and time reduction, trains running on the Orange, Blue, and Blue+ Lines will arrive at stations every 12 minutes from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., as well as 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday—three minutes faster than their current wait times.
In addition, two weeks later on Tuesday, February 21, the Red Line will be running every eight minutes from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday—or two minutes faster than its current time.
This marks the latest in a series of improvements being implemented by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The has been working over the last year to improve services for both the Metro and Metrobuses to incentivize more citizens to begin using them again.
On November 15, 2022, the Metro launched the Silver Line Extension, which added 11.4 miles of metro track to the Silver Line, a new connection for Washington Dulles International Airport, and six new rail stations and service between Reston, Va., and eastern Loudoun County, Va.
In December 2022, the D.C. City Council passed the Metro for D.C. bill, in a 13-0 vote, which will allow all D.C. residents to ride the city Metrobuses for free, among other public transit updates, making Washington, D.C., the first major U.S. city to allow residents to ride the bus for free. This change expected to be enacted beginning July 1, 2023.
For more information on the rush hour improvements, please visit wmata.com.