Caroline Tucker
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL)– Metro has released documents revealing a loss of more than $2 million in fare and parking revenue.
That’s from shutting down the rail system for one day, on March 16.
General Manager Paul Wiedefeld ordered the shutdown after a fire that happened two days before at the McPherson Square station. The shutdown gave crews time to do emergency inspections and repair faulty cable lines.
Metro waived all parking fees at lots the day of the shutdown.
“When every penny counts, of course $2 million is a lot of money,” said Chris Barnes, who runs the @FIXWMATA Twitter handle.
Barnes says he agrees with Wiedefeld’s decision to shut down the system, no matter the cost.
” I think photographs coming out of the shutdown showing frayed cables were proof that it had to happen,” said Barnes.
Metro documents say that a portion of the lost revenue may be offset by higher Metrobus revenue, since that was an alternative for many commuters.
“When you put it in the perspective of a potential loss of life, $2 million is nothing,” said Barnes.
Metro also lost revenue when the station fire happened on March 14. That loss totaled less than $100,000.
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