Traffic & Transit
Free Parking Approved At 3 Stations During Metro Shutdown
The Franconia-Springfield, Huntington and Van Dorn Street stations will have free parking while Metrorail does not operate.
SPRINGFIELD, VA—When six Metro stations on the Blue and Yellow lines close for the platform rehabilitation project this summer, parking facilities at three stations won't charge parking fees.
WTOP reported that Metro's board approved free parking at the Franconia-Springfield, Huntington and Van Dorn Street stations during Metro's platform rehabilitation project. The other stations that will close—King Street, Braddock Road and Eisenhower Avenue—do not have parking.
Parking at the stations will allow Metro riders to use alternatives such as shuttles, carpools or Virginia Railway Express. There are VRE stations at King Street and Franconia-Springfield.
Find out what's happening in Kingstowne-Rose Hillfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Metro will provide four free shuttles serving the closed Metrorail stations and additional bus service on certain routes. Two will be express shuttles from Franconia-Springfield and Huntington to the Pentagon. A Blue Line shuttle will serve Reagan National Airport, King Street, Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield. A Yellow Line shuttle will serve Crystal City, Braddock Road, King Street, Eisenhower Avenue and Huntington.
The decision came nearly a week after Metro announced it will extend the summer Metro shutdown of the six stations to Sept. 8. Metro said in a press release the Braddock Road Metro needs additional structural work to make the platform level with the train floor. The south end platform of the Braddock Road station is about two to four inches higher than the level of the train floor, creating a barrier for wheelchair users and a tripping hazard for others.
Find out what's happening in Kingstowne-Rose Hillfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Metro's contractor is also preparing to add an accessible station entrance at Huntington to connect the middle parking garage to the station's platform. Demolition of the south parking garage has been postponed and will become part of the entrance project.
The Braddock Road, King St-Old Town, Van Dorn Street, Eisenhower Avenue, Huntington and Franconia-Springfield stations will be closed from Memorial Day weekend (Saturday, May 25) to Sunday, Sept. 8 for platform rehabilitation.
Plan ahead for the Metro shutdown
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