Fare-Free VRE Proposed

From September 10 to October 22, Blue and Yellow Line stations south of Reagan National Airport will be closed as Metro prepares a cutover of tracks to the new Potomac Yard Metro station. Closures will include the Braddock Road, King Street-Old Town, Van Dorn Street, Franconia-Springfield, Eisenhower Avenue and Huntington stations. From October 23 through May 2023, stations will reopen but will be served only by the Blue and Green Lines because of work on the Yellow Line bridge and tunnel between Pentagon and L'Enfant Plaza.

A fare-free Virginia Railway Express could be considered as Metro riders look for travel alternatives during the Metro shutdown in Alexandria this fall. Rich Dalton, the CEO of VRE, presented the fare-free proposal to the VRE Operations Board. Under the proposal, VRE would offer free fares throughout September. VRE's fare-free proposal in zones 1, 2 and 3 would apply to travel between Backlick Road, Franconia-Springfield, Alexandria, Crystal City, L'Enfant and Union stations. VRE's board was scheduled to consider the fare-free proposal in July.