July 4 Metro Service: 5 Things You Need to Know

Driving downtown from Falls Church could be nightmare on July 4 and, in several cases, an impossibility. Major roads around the National Mall will be closed. And forget about finding parking.

That leaves the Metro for most of us. Here are five things you should know about riding the rails on the Fourth.

1.  According to WMATA's website, "Metrorail service will operate from 7 a.m. to midnight, with near rush-hour service levels from 6 p.m. to midnight. There will be no scheduled track work anywhere on the system."

2.  Here's a tip to avoid lines at the fare machines: "... all Metro riders are encouraged to purchase either a One-Day Pass ($14) or ensure that they have enough fare value on their SmarTrip card or paper farecard to complete their entire round trip." Passengers with a one-day pass or a SmarTrip card will not be subject to a $1 fare surcharge, which started on July 1. Passengers with paper farecards will be charged an additional $1 per trip.

3.  The Smithsonian and Federal Triangle metro stops will be the most crowded. If you're traveling to the National Mall, try hopping off one of these stops instead and walking to your destination: Foggy Bottom-GWU, Metro Center, Archives, Gallery Place, Judiciary Square, Union Station, L'Enfant Plaza, Capitol South, Federal Center SW or Arlington Cemetery. 

4.  Parking at all metro stations is free on July 4.

5.  Don't get frustrated about the escalators... "Because many escalators at downtown stations will be intentionally turned off for crowd control, please give priority use of the elevators to customers with disabilities."

For more tips about taking the Metro on July 4, visit WMATA's website.