NTC@Maryland Predicts Moderate Traffic Delays from Station Closures, Road Work

Transportation experts at the University of Maryland (UMD) are advising commuters traveling near the College Park campus to budget an extra 5-10 minutes on weekdays between April 15 and 29 for delays caused by Metro station closures and construction on Baltimore Avenue.

The recommendation is the latest in a series of forecasts released by UMD’s National Transportation Center (NTC@Maryland) to empower commuters to make more informed decisions while the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority SafeTrack plan continues.

A portion of the Green Line between Prince George’s Plaza and Greenbelt stations will be shut down April 15–May 14. The College Park-U of Md station is expected to reopen April 30, but the Greenbelt station will remain closed through the duration of the surge.

At the same time, road work scheduled to end May 19 will close a lane in each direction of Baltimore Avenue between Campus Drive and Rossborough Lane between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. every day.

The latest NTC@Maryland research summary indicates that these disruptions will extend drive times on U.S.-1, MD 193, and MD 410 by as much as 24 percent during peak weekday morning travel times April 15–29. Commuters should also expect trips to take as much as 17 percent longer during the afternoon rush hour.

Public transit riders are advised to expect longer delays and significantly more crowding on bridging buses beginning before and extending after typical peak travel times.

SafeTrack impact reports and summaries reflect the preliminary results of transportation modeling and simulation technologies developed by NTC@Maryland with support from the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology Laboratory. Due to the immediacy of SafeTrack and construction work plans, results are made available prior to undergoing a peer-review process.

To read previous reports, visit eng.umd.edu/safetrack.

Published April 13, 2017