WASHINGTON — It’s already being branded #Metromageddon.
Hundreds of thousands of Washington workers were preparing for a potentially soul-sucking commute with the rail system serving the nation’s capital facing a full-day shutdown Wednesday.
The federal government took some of the pressure off the city’s traffic-choked highways by announcing Tuesday that workers have the option to take the day off or telecommute. The announcement from the Office of Personnel Management came under pressure from several members of Congress who said their constituents would have no way to get to work.
The Metro system will be shut down to allow for an emergency inspection of its third-rail power cables, general manager Paul Wiede feld announced.
“While the risk to the public is very low, I cannot rule out a potential life and safety issue here, and this is why we must take this action immediately,” he said.
Metro is the nation’s second-busiest transit network: Its six rail lines serve more than 700,000 riders daily.
