DC’s Metro To Cut Back Service Hours

The Hill reports:

Late-night service on Washington’s Metrorail system will be reduced for at least two years starting next July. Metro’s Board of Directors approved the service cuts on Thursday, after members had wrestled over the hot-button issue for months.

Under the proposal, Metro will close at 1 a.m. on weekends and 11:30 p.m. on weeknights. On Sundays, the subway will open up at 8:00 a.m. and close at 11 p.m.

The subway has already been closing at midnight every night of the week while the transit agency implements its massive repair project, known as SafeTrack. Previously, the system was open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The beleaguered transit agency, which is also facing a nearly $300 million budget shortfall next year, has been weighing multiple options for late-night service cuts in an effort to give track workers more time to keep up with long-term maintenance and repairs.