Reduced hours at the Shirlington Transit Center, driven by vandalism concerns and budget constraints, prompted criticisms during last week’s bitter cold.
The transit center at 2975 S. Quincy Street cut its hours to 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays and eliminated Saturday hours entirely on Nov. 14. It was a significant reduction from the center’s previous hours of 5:30 a.m. to midnight.
Freezing temperatures as low as the single digits, combined with last week’s snowfall, brought the transit center’s reduced hours into scrutiny from at least one commuter.
“Limitation of hours at Shirlington Transit Center is ridiculous,” a resident wrote on X. “Has commuters waiting out here in the freezing cold.”
ART Alert cited “vandalism and protection of staff and Arlington County property” as one of the reasons for the new hours.
“These hours were implemented since November and we were not able to accommodate the change of hours on such short notice for the inclement weather,” the alert service wrote.
Arlington County Police Department spokesperson Ashley Savage told ARLnow that police received four online reports of vandalism at the Shirlington Transit Center.
Claudia Pors, a transportation spokesperson for Arlington County, told ARLnow that the new hours align with staffed hours at the Commuter Store.
“Arlington Transit looked into additional staffing or monitoring but it is not in the budget,” she said.
The new hours at the Shirlington Transit Center came a month before Metro launched a new rush hour bus route with a direct connection to D.C. The new A29 route between Van Dorn Street Station and Metro Center via the I-395 express lanes includes a stop at Shirlington Transit Center, as well as Beauregard Street, Mark Center and Southern Towers in Alexandria.
After last week’s winter storm, Pors said staff have cleared sidewalks and benches for commuters to safely navigate the area. She said commuters should direct other concerns to ART’s contact form.
Photo via Google Maps
