Originally uploaded to flickr by khawkins04
Memorial Day weekend is fast approaching (woohoo!) but you’ll need to do a little planning in advance because four metro stops will be CLOSED all of Memorial Day weekend. Extensive track work will close Capitol South, Eastern Market, Potomac Ave and the Stadium Armory stations from Friday, May 27th at 10pm through closing Monday, May 30th.
The lack of metro service has many residents (and small business owners!) worried about accessibility to Eastern Market and 8th St SE, so here are some alternate means of transportation to ensure you can still get your frequent cupcake card punched at the new Hello Cupcake this weekend.
CaBi – Biking is my preferred mode of transportation whether the metro is running or not! There’s just something lovely and nostalgic about bike riding. So far it looks like the weather will be cooperating, so biking around the Hill this weekend looks like a good option.
The Circulator runs across the Hill and also has service to Nationals games. By the way, the Nats are at home this weekend, first facing off against the Padres and then the Phillies. There will also be the usual shuttles to the games from several Hill bars.
Metro buses will be operating as normal throughout the weekend. Metro will also operate free shuttle buses between the Federal Center SW and Minnesota Ave and Benning Road Metrorail stations. But be forewarned, customers are being urged to factor an extra 40 minutes into their travel plans when passing through a work zone. Additional Metro employees will be available throughout the weekend at Federal Center SW, Capitol South, Eastern Market, Potomac Ave, Stadium-Armory, Minnesota Ave and Benning Road stations to help guide customers around the closures.
If you can’t part with your car, you can utilize the parking lot at 8th and I Street SE.
Further adding to the chaos created by lack of metro service are a few major events this weekend in DC, among them Rolling Thunder and the Stars & Stripes & Spokes Motorcycle Rally at RFK, which will ensure an increased amount of people out and about on the Hill.
I know it’s inconvenient, but it will be interesting to see how much less crowded Eastern Market and Barracks Row will be. I’m excited that more people are frequenting our fine neighborhood; this will be a visual display of how important they have become to our local businesses!
@MJ “interesting” is hardly a word that we (myself and fellow Business Owners) are using. Devastating and crippling come to mind, but not interesting! Most of count on the weekend visitors to pay our rent and keep our doors open. Metro could care less. They made a veiled attempt at a public forum, then stated that the date has been set for months and they would not change plans. Why the charade then of asking for input?
If you care about your local restaurants, bars, and shops, then you will stay on the hill this weekend and SHOP LOCAL!!!!!
This is just another sign of poor management by Metro. Even if they say this date has been set for months, it is one of the more idiotic moves I’ve seen in many years here. To shirt down the metros in the midst of a major holiday weekend such as Memorial Day is shortsighted and asinine. the Memorial Day Concert also takes place at the Capitol on Sunday. Thousands go every year and it will be chaotic for tourists or locals that don’t know Capitol South is shut, not to mention the delays for trains in general since the trains probably have to run along one track between L’nfant and the stations further out in MD. what were they thinking? Oh wait, they weren’t! As for buying and shopping local, I hope those of us on the Hill support our shops and restaurants this weekend. I know I will.