Posted on 06/08/2004 1:48:52 PM PDT by Heatseeker
For immediate release: June 8, 2004
Metro to provide shuttle buses Wednesday and Thursday nights to allow mourners to pay respects to former President Reagan
Metrobus, MetroAccess service also impacted by funeral Metro officials will provide free shuttle buses from RFK Stadium to the U.S. Capitol late on Wednesday and Thursday nights (June 9 and 10) to enable mourners to pay respects to former President Ronald Reagan as his casket lies in state in the U.S Capitol Rotunda. The free shuttle buses will operate from 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday to 6 a.m. on Thursday and then again from 11:30 p.m. on Thursday to 6 a.m. on Friday. The shuttle bus service will complement the Metrorail system, which will be open as usual from 5:30 a.m. to midnight during the week.
Three 60-seat Metrobuses will be used to shuttle mourners every 15 minutes between the stadium and the Capitol to ensure the public is able to access the U.S. Capitol building--where the body of the nation's 40th President will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda from 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9, through 7 a.m. Friday, June 11. More buses will be put on the road if the demand warrants the additional service.
Parking at RFK Stadium also will be free and will be monitored by the Metropolitan Police Department to ensure safety. An exact location for pick-up and drop-off has not yet been determined.
The additional service is expected to cost Metro approximately $2,000 to $3,000. Officials do not know how many mourners will take advantage of the special late-night shuttle service.
To honor the former President, Metro officials also draped black bunting today along a portion of the mezzanine at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metrorail Station in Arlington. The station, which serves both the Blue and Yellow Lines, was renamed Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metrorail station in 2002
The week's events will also impact Metrobus and MetroAccess. Metrobuses will detour around several major road closures, and MetroAccess customers with a subscription to take a regular Friday trip will have to call to schedule them, due to the federal holiday as Ronald Reagan's body will lie in state and then the nation observes a federal holiday for the official state funeral of the nation's 40th President. The body of the former President is scheduled to arrive in downtown Washington, DC, across from The White House on Wednesday, June 9. A formal funeral procession to the U.S. Capitol will take place once the casket is transferred onto a horse-drawn caisson at 1600 Constitution Avenue. The caisson will proceed along Constitution Avenue at 6 p.m. to the U.S. Capitol for the state funeral ceremony. Constitution Avenue will be closed to traffic during that time.
In addition to Constitution Avenue being closed from 16th Street to the Capitol, several other nearby feeder roads will also be closed, requiring approximately 20 Metrobus routes to be detoured around the area of the road closures.
On Friday, June 11, the casket will be moved from the U.S. Capitol at 10:30 a.m. to Washington National Cathedral for the 11:30 a.m. national funeral service. Any road closures associated with the moving of the casket to the Cathedral may result in brief delays for Metrobuses. Metrorail service will not be impacted and will operate on its normal schedule.
Because Friday is considered a national holiday for the observance of the death of the former President, MetroAccess service automatically cancels all regular subscription trips for that day, instead customers are required to call MetroAccess at 301-562-5360 if they wish to schedule a trip for Friday.
For more information on how this week's memorial events will impact Metrobus and MetroAccess, visit www.metrooopensdoors.com.
Admins, I did not put this in Breaking News but you might want to.
Good thing. It is dangerous in DC at night. I'll be there hopefully.
>>>>.<<<<
I thought that they would have the procession from the Capitol to the national cathedral.
Davey, I'm as confused as you. I wish they would make it clear whether the caisson will be used on the way in from Andrews tomorrow, or on the way FROM the Capitol on Friday, or both.
The train always runs later on weekends and for special events. It seems like they could run all night under the circumstances. Riding a bus from JFK is just yuck.
I think they are in for a BIG shock if the California scenario is any indication of public interest.
Why start at 11:30PM? What about folks who want to join the line at 9PM or so as I do? Can't ride METRO because it will be after midnight when I finally make it through. Don't want to park at RFK and wait two hours for a bus, either. Just like METRO to try to cut corners instead of offer good service. Would have made sooo much sense to just operate at a reduced level during the night.
Want a fare hike? No way.
I understand, thanks for the information. I can understand them not wanting to advertise the Peak time to attend, due to security. However, this is a once in a lifetime event. I would hate to miss it.
But please don't depend on my guess!
No Sweat! Metro rail closes at midnight, hence the bus service to get you back if you can't take the subway.
I hope that you are right - it would be MUCH better for me to park at New Carrollton and ride all the way in to Capitol South station. But my fear would be doing this - then finding the lines to be such that I didn't get out of the Capitol until after the subways had stopped running. And last time I checked, the neighborhoods south of Capitol Hill were free-fire zones after dark.
If I'm wrong please let me know.
I agree - if you park at RFK. But see cmsgop's post - the stadium lots are not nice places to be after dark; at least they weren't when I was more familiar with the area, up until a few years ago.
I'm hoping some DC-area Freeper will help us out with their expertise.
Sorry, should have checked your location before I posted. Do you think the RFK lots are safe enough to leave a car for several hours?
Great post. Thanks for the help. Hope to make it. It truly will be a once in a lifetime experience.
BTT
Terrorists better not be planning anything..now would be the wroooooooooooooong time. Talk about inciting rage.
Capitol Police Chief Terrance W. Gainer said public viewing of the coffin will begin about 9 p.m. tomorrow and continue, without interruption, until about 7 a.m. Friday. He said the public can begin lining up at any time at Garfield Circle near First Street and Maryland Avenue SW. Water, portable toilets and medical assistance will be provided near the Capitol Reflecting Pool, he said. Any overflow crowd will be lined up in an area between Third and Seventh streets along the center of the Mall.
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