John Matthews
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON — The first workday of the Federal Government shutdown will begin for many employees as a normal Monday, with a morning trip to the office – followed quickly by the receipt of a furlough notice and a quick U-turn home.

The process will vary according to various agency and federal contractor policies, but it is sure to contribute to a change in commuting patterns at least to start, and transit agencies are keeping a close eye on the needs of their customers.

Metro says it will operate both bus and rail service on a normal weekday schedule Monday.

Maryland Commuter Rail – MARC – says it will operate regular daily service all week, but it’s expecting to be carrying more passengers during the midday as furloughed workers head home early, so extra cars will be added to trains on some Penn and Camden Line trains, and an extra midday train has been added to the Brunswick line schedule.

Virginia Railway Express says it will operate its regular full service during the shutdown.

Slug lines could be affected for commuters who normally depend on them to get into work from local commuter lots, so it would be helpful to have a backup plan – as well as a plan to get home.

The D.C. region has 367,000 federal employees and another 450,000 federal contractors in the area – enough to make for a noticable dip in rush hourt traffic in case of an extended shutdown, but at least in the interim, also enough to create unpredictable traffic patterns throughout the day in the short term – so be prepared for unexpected jams – and unexpected smooth sailing as well.

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