An interesting modification of the Washington DC Metro map sent my way by a couple of readers. On November 11, there will be no Blue Line trains at all, with those trains instead becoming “special” Yellow Line trains designed to get as many people to the National Mall as quickly as possible. The reason? The “Concert for Valor”, which is expected to draw a staggering 800,000 people (I really feel sorry for those who still have to go downtown to work normally that day).
Smithsonian station will be closed as it is “within the security zone for the concert”. In place of normal Blue Line services, a shuttle train will run between Arlington Cemetery and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport stations, as shown on the map with the unwelcome return of one of the ugly call out boxes that used to litter this map. The shuttle is shown as a dashed pink line, just to really reinforce that This Is Not The Blue Line.
Not shown at all, but described on WMATA’s Veterans Day Service Advisory web page, is a special express shuttle bus between Rosslyn and Pentagon stations. It might have been helpful to actually indicate this bus service on the map, as it allows riders from the western part of the network to access the southern part (and the Arlington Cemetery shuttle train) without having to brave the potentially massive crowds downtown.
Matt’ Johnson (as always, my man on the ground in DC) says that he expects these maps to be posted all over the system and in railcars for the big day… and then “liberated” by passengers as the day wears on.
Our rating: Takes the standard map and makes the required amendments to communicate the one-off service changes reasonably neatly, but really could have included information about the Rosslyn-Pentagon bus to help riders get around the “missing link” in the system more efficiently. Three stars.
UPDATE 10/24: A newer version of the map now includes the shuttle bus information as a blue dotted line with call-out box. Have an extra half star, WMATA!
Source: WMATA Veterans Day Service Advisory page – link no longer active