WASHINGTON – (WMAL) Transportation officials in DC are sounding the same note: Leave the car at home and take Metro when the Pope comes to town next week. But Metro hasn’t been exactly problem-free recently.

“We really need to be on top of our game for this. There’s absolutely no question about that,” said Deputy GM Rob Troup. He cited the summer car maintenance program and recent midday track work as programs that were designed to get the system into optimal condition by the time His Holiness arrives. “We have a lot of people working hard, working during the middays to be able to do that.”

Maintenance workers will be strategically placed, he said, because the effects of a breakdown during this kind of a crowd will be magnified.

“We’ll have a number of emergency response crews strategically located throughout the area. Everything from our power people to elevator and escalator people, to fare collection.”

He also said they’ll be monitoring stations for crowding.

“We have the ability to put a train into service should a station start getting crowded, should a train go out of service for any reason, we can gap a train in there. It’s similar to what we do for baseball games.”

Speaking of which, the Nationals will be hosting the Orioles at Nationals Park during the same period. Metro Transit Police will be on the lookout.

“We’re using all means measurable, whether it’s CCTV, whether it’s plainclothes officers, uniformed police officers, so it’s all-hands-on-deck really,” said Metro Police Chief Ron Pavlik. “Biggest concern is really the crowds – managing the crowds, making sure everybody gets to the events safely, and more importantly, we get them back home. We don’t want anybody to get hurt, trampled on, or anything like that.”

Though more officers will be deployed, he said there will not be any extra bag checks at Metro stations.

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