Metro and transit partners announce travel alternatives for summer Red Line closure, additional bus only lanes to prioritize shuttles
Free Limited-stop and Local shuttle buses, with Express service between Silver Spring and downtown DC
Metro, along with the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), Montgomery County, and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will offer a range of travel options for customers affected by this summer's closures on the Red Line starting Saturday, June 1 through Saturday, August 31. In addition to free Local, Limited, and Express shuttle buses running, Metro has put together a comprehensive plan of alternatives and mitigations. Working with MDOT State Highway Administration (SHA), additional bus only lanes will be created for the summer closure to alleviate traffic for shuttle buses. Metro is also collaborating with DDOT to provide additional remedies for Express Shuttle Bus service to/from downtown DC.
Four stations will be closed for the duration of construction – Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, and Silver Spring – with the Takoma Station closed June 1 – June 29 only. Due to capacity limitations at Fort Totten and Takoma, Red Line trains will run every 6 minutes all day, including rush hours when trains normally run every 5 minutes. Red Line customers may notice more crowded trains at peak times. After 9:30 PM, trains will run every 10 minutes as normally scheduled. Free shuttle buses will run every 4-8 minutes, providing frequent connections to the closed stations.
In partnership with MDOT SHA, more than seven miles of bus only lanes will be created along sections of Georgia Ave between Glenmont and Silver Spring and adjustments to signal timing to prioritize buses. In the District, Metro has engaged with DDOT on signal timing and additional mitigations to provide faster, more reliable shuttle bus service, some of which may include parking restrictions to increase road capacity, and other measures to alleviate congestion.
The following maps illustrate the dedicated bus lanes along the corridor that will speed bus travel.
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The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is offering discounted fares on MARC Train and Commuter Bus service from stops in the vicinity of the impacted stations.
The closure was planned in coordination with the MTA Purple Line project. A new mezzanine will be built to connect the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center and the future Purple Line Station to Metro's Silver Spring platform, enhancing connections for Metro, MARC Train, and bus customers. This requires the closure of the Silver Spring Station for several months.
As a result, Metro grouped together additional maintenance, repairs, and improvements on the Red Line to be completed at the same time. This allows Metro to utilize a singular outage over three months, rather than more than eight months of weekend closures and disruptions if the work were done individually in shorter segments.
Metro's work will enhance safety and reliability, modernize the system, and create a better customer experience. Among the improvements are rail renewal, tunnel leak mitigation, automatic train control system replacements, traction power cables installation, drain pumping station replacement, tunnel standpipe replacement, elevator and escalator maintenance, and new digital signage.
SERVICE INFORMATION
June 1 – June 29, 2024
- Free shuttle buses replace trains between Glenmont and Fort Totten
- Stations closed: Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring, and Takoma
- Green Line service available at Fort Totten
June 30 – Aug. 31, 2024
- Free shuttle buses replace trains between Glenmont and Takoma
- Stations closed: Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, and Silver Spring
- Green and Red Line service available at Fort Totten
- Takoma Station reopened. Customers traveling between the closed stations and Takoma should use the local shuttle bus, or limited stop shuttle bus to the Red Line via Fort Totten
TRAVEL ALTERNATIVES
Free Shuttle Service
Free local, limited-stop, and express shuttles available during Metrorail operating hours. Shuttles will be available at all closed stations for customers with accessibility needs. To request an accessible shuttle, please ask a Metro team member onsite.
Saturday, June 1 to Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024
- Local: Local service stopping at all stations between Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Takoma, and Fort Totten
- AM/PM Peak - approximately every 4 minutes
- All other times, weekends, and holidays - approximately every 8 minutes
- Estimated travel time: 61 minutes
- Limited 1: Limited-stop service between Glenmont, Wheaton, and Fort Totten
- AM/PM Peak - approximately every 4 minutes
- All other times, weekends, and holidays - approximately every 8 minutes
- Estimated travel time: 37 minutes
- Limited 2: Limited-stop service between Forest Glen, Silver Spring, and Fort Totten
- AM/PM Peak - approximately every 4 minutes
- All other times, weekends, and holidays - approximately every 8 minutes
- Estimated travel time: 25 minutes.
- Express: Express service between Silver Spring and Metro Center
- Weekday only – approximately 8 minutes all day
- Estimated travel time: 39 minutes
Rail Alternatives
Metrorail
Customers at the closed stations who use Metro’s Park & Ride facilities may wish to Park & Ride from other Red Line or Green Line stations including:
Red Line
- Shady Grove, Rockville, Twinbrook, North Bethesda, and Grosvenor-Strathmore
Green Line
- Greenbelt, College Park – U of Md, Hyattsville Crossing
MARC Train
MARC train Brunswick Line – Service to/from Rockville, Garret Park, Kensington, Silver Spring and Union Station. More information is available on the MTA's Red Line construction page. MTA's Red Line construction page.
MARC train is offering promotional $3.00 one-way fare from Kensington and Silver Spring to Union Station on the Brunswick Line. Weekly and monthly tickets will also be discounted to $22.50 and $81.00, respectively.
Please note, the project does not impact the MARC Brunswick Line at Silver Spring and regular service will continue. Visit the Brunswick Line website for schedule information.
Bus Alternatives
MTA Commuter Bus
MTA Commuter Bus routes may also be an option for some customers. Check for route and schedule information by visiting the MTA Commuter Bus website.
Glenmont
Metrobus
- C8 - North Bethesda, College Park-U of Md (weekday and Saturday only)
- Y2, Y7, Y8 - Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring
- Route 10 - Twinbrook
- Route 26 -Twinbrook, North Bethesda
- Route 31 - Wheaton (weekday rush only)
- Route 33 - Medical Center (weekday rush only)
- Route 49 - Rockville
- Route 53 - Shady Grove (weekday day rush only)
Wheaton
Metrobus
- C2 (weekday and Saturday only)
- Greenbelt
- C4 - Twinbrook, Hyattsville Crossing
- Q2 - Shady Grove, Rockville, Forest Glen, Silver Spring
- Q4 - Rockville, Forest Glen, Silver Spring
- Q6 - Shady Grove, Rockville, Forest Glen
- Y2, Y7, Y8 - Glenmont, Forest Glen, Silver Spring
- Route 4 - Silver Spring (weekday rush only)
- Route 7 Forest Glen (weekday rush only)
- Route 8 - Forest Glen, Silver Spring
- Route 9 - Silver Spring
- Route 31 Glenmont (weekday rush only)
- Route 34 - Medical Center, Bethesda, Friendship Heights (weekday only)
- Route 37 Grosvenor-Strathmore (weekday rush only)
- Route 38 - North Bethesda
- Route 48 – Rockville
Forest Glen
Metrobus
- Q2 - Shady Grove, Rockville, Wheaton, Silver Spring
- Q4 - Rockville, Wheaton, Silver Spring
- Y2, Y7, Y8 - Glenmont, Wheaton, Silver Spring
Silver Spring
Metrobus
- 70 - Georgia Ave-Petworth, Mt Vernon Sq, Gallery Place Station, Archives, L’Enfant Plaza (overnight only)
- 79 - Georgia Ave-Petworth, Shaw-Howard U, Mt Vernon Sq, Gallery Place, Archives
- F4 - Hyattsville Crossing, New Carrollton
- J1 - Medical Center (weekday rush only)
- J2 - Medical Center, Bethesda
- Q2 - Shady Grove, Rockville, Wheaton, Forest Glen
- Q4 - Rockville, Wheaton, Forest Glen
- S2 - McPherson Sq, Metro Center, L'Enfant Plaza
- S9 - Columbia Heights, McPherson Sq
- Y2, Y7, Y8 - Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen
- Route 1 - Friendship Heights
- Route 4 - Wheaton (weekday rush only)
- Route 5 - Twinbrook, North Bethesda
- Route 8 - Wheaton, Forest Glen
- Route 9 - Wheaton
- Route 11 - Friendship Heights (weekday rush only)
- Route 12 - Takoma (closed June 1-June 29 only)
- Route 13 - Takoma (closed June 1-June 29 only) (weekday rush only)
- Route 14 - Takoma (closed June 1-June 29 only) (weekday and Saturday only)
- Route 16 - Takoma (closed June 1-June 29 only)
- Route 18 - Takoma (closed June 1-June 29 only) (weekday only)
Takoma (Closed June 1 - June 29 only)
Metrobus
- 52 - Columbia Heights Station, McPherson Sq, Smithsonian, L’Enfant Plaza
- 54 - Columbia Heights, McPherson Sq, Metro Center, L’Enfant Plaza
- 59 - Columbia Heights, McPherson Sq, Metro Center, Federal Triangle
- 62 - Georgia Ave-Petworth
- 63 - Georgia Ave-Petworth, U Street, Metro Center, Federal Triangle
- F1 - West Hyattsville, Cheverly
- K2 - Fort Totten
- Route12 - Silver Spring
- Route 13 - Silver Spring (weekday rush only)
- Route 14 Silver Spring (weekday and Saturday only)
- Route 16 - Silver Spring
- Route 18 - Silver Spring (weekday only)
Fort Totten
Metrobus
- 60 - Georgia Ave-Petworth (weekday only)
- 64 - Georgia Ave-Petworth, U Street, Metro Center, Federal Triangle
- 80 - Brookland-CUA, Union Station, Gallery Place, Metro Center, McPherson Square, Foggy Bottom-GWU
- E4 - Friendship Heights
- F6 - West Hyattsville, Hyattsville Crossing, College Park-U of Md, New Carrollton (weekday only)
- K2 - Fort Totten (weekday rush only)
Prior to the closure Metro will have in-person teams at the affected stations to provide information to and assist customers. For detailed information about the summer construction go to wmata.com/majorconstruction.
Customers are also encouraged to stay connected by signing up for our project newsletter to receive project updates throughout the construction period. Metro’s customer service teams are also available to help weekdays from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. by calling 202-637-7000 (automated information available 24/7), via chat online at wmata.com, email, and through our social media channels. Follow us on X @wmata, @Metrorailinfo @Metrobusinfo.