Metro is canceling planned track work to make way for crowds expected to attend the rescheduled dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the agency said Monday.
The initial dedication ceremony and events – and the plans of thousands of visitors – was intended to coincide with the 48th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech King delivered in the city. But the event was postponed last month because of Hurricane Irene.
Now the festivities have been rescheduled for Sunday, Oct. 16. Same ceremony. Same earlier 5 a.m. opening of Metrorail to accommodate crowds, same suspension of track work. However, not as many crowds are expected due to the schedule change.
Metro had planned to work on the Red, Blue, Yellow and Orange lines, including shutting down a section of the Red Line between the New York Avenue and Fort Totten stations. But even with the smaller turnout expected, Metro is punting on the work.
“We will adjust our plans to accommodate the rescheduling of this once-in-a-lifetime event,” Metro General Manager Richard Sarles said. “While the rebuilding efforts of the Metrorail system are critical, we recognize the national significance of this event and will reschedule our work for a later date to ensure that customers have a seamless travel experience.”
The news is also good for transit fans who are expected to converge on the city for the Rail~Volution conference, which is focused on promoting transit and liveable communities. The transit buffs now will actually be able to get around the city on transit, though a snarled Metro system may have better proved their point on the need for good transit.
