The coronavirus has halted businesses and everyday life across the world. Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP) is here for your business, to support your employees' telecommutes or essential travel on public transportation. We are available for you at this time and can set up virtual meetings to create and enhance customized telework solutions for your employees.
Public transportation service in the DC metro area is ever-changing, as new regulations on social distancing are being released. The general public should stay at home and only venture outside for essential trips. Essential trips include travel for medical providers and hospital staff, critical government functions, and individuals helping with COVID-19 response to the community.
Transit systems in the area are encouraging the public to either walk or use another form of transportation for essential trips if possible, but to otherwise practice social distancing. See below for how the transit systems that service Arlington, Virginia are changing.
WMATA Announces Ramp-Up of Metrobus Service (08/18/2020)
Metrobus will increase bus services starting August 23, 2020. The ramp-up will restore approximately 75% of Metrobus throughout the DC Metro area. Buses will begin operating as early as 4:00 a.m. and end operations as late as midnight on a daily basis. Schedules will vary by route. This will give riders more options with more buses operating on more routes with more hours of service. For more information on the schedules, read WMATA's full statement.
WMATA Announces Return to Pre-Pandemic levels of service (08/13/2020)
Metro is finalizing plans to restore most rail and bus service to pre-Covid levels across the region. Starting Sunday, August 16, 2020 Metrorail service will ramp up. Silver Line service will resume for the first time since Memorial Day. 87 of 91 Metrorail stations will be open for customers. Read the entire announcement here.
WMATA Re-opening Update (06/22/2020):
Metro announced that 15 rail stations—closed as part of the agency's COVID-19 response— will reopen on Sunday, June 28. More buses will also be added to the 14 busiest bus lines to provide more capacity and more frequent service as the region reopens, starting on Monday, June 29, 2020.
You can read more about the rail stations reopening and the additional bus lines in WMATA's press release.
Starting on Sunday, August 23, Arlington Transit will increase bus service. The majority of service will be restored to pre-Covid levels while Arlington Transit continues to take precautions to keep passengers and operators safe.
ART 41, 42, 45, 51, 55 and 87 will operate regular Sunday service on August 23 and operate regular weekday service starting on Monday, August 24.
ART 43 and 77 will operate regular weekday service starting on Monday, August 24.
ART 72 will continue to operate a modified weekday schedule.
ART 52 and 84 will start operating regular weekday service on Monday, August 24.
ART 53, 61, 62 and 74 will remain out of service.
ART 55 and 87 will have minor weekday schedule changes that will go into effect on Monday, August 24. View the new weekday schedules.
Riders should enter from the rear door for the safety of ART bus drivers. Bus fare will not be collected at this time and it is not necessary to pass the farebox at the front of the bus. Riders who need to use the wheelchair ramp can use the front entrance.
Specialized Transit for Arlington Residents (STAR) is running on its normal schedule, but should be used for essential trips only. Service will be monitored on a daily basis and may be subject to change.
VRE: As of March 17, due to falling ridership, VRE has been running an "S" schedule on each of its two lines, Fredericksburg and Manassas. There will be only eight trains in service—four inbound each morning and four outbound each afternoon. Read more about VRE service changes here.
MARC: As of March 17, only "R" trains will operate, supplemented by additional trains on the Penn and Brunswick lines. Find out more about service updates on the MARC train here.
AMTRAK: As of March 16, Amtrak has been operating at 40% of their typical Northeast Corridor schedules. In addition to reduced service on the Acela trains from New York City to Washington, the cafe car will be closed on some trips between the two cities as well. Amtrak will also wave change fees on existing and new reservations made before April 30, 2020. Find out more on Amtrak's website.
Fairfax Connector is still running on a normal schedule. Fare collection is temporarily suspended and riders are required to enter and exit the bus using the rear doors. This does not apply to riders who need to use a wheelchair ramp. Stay up to date on Fairfax Connector status here.
DC Circulator: As of April 7, the DC Circulator will operate weekdays from 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and weekends between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Passengers will ride for free and are asked to board and exit through the rear of the bus. Persons who require wheelchair services will continue to board at the front door. Read more about the DC Circulator service changes.
Keep your business running smoothly during service disruptions due to COVID-19 with customized services by Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP).
Maintain business continuity with ATP’s complimentary assistance. Create and implement a telework plan for your company with the help of ATP and Telework!VA. We can also train your employees on how to maximize productivity outside of the office.
Many managers are suddenly remotely managing their teams in light of the coronavirus. We can provide virtual presentations on telework management best practices—just contact us here. If you have other training requests, we'll work with you to customize the messaging to be most relevant to your workforce.
Keep up to date with health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for the most relevant updates on the COVID-19 pandemic.
