August 2011.
News about transportation.
From: “Earthquake reported along the East Coast”, Washington Post
[DC] Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said Metro trains were limited to running only 15 miles per hour after the earthquake shook the area. Riders should expect significant delays throughout the evening. The speed restrictions are expected to stay in place for “several hours” and will “likely affect the evening commute.”
Major crowds were reported by riders at McPherson Square and at Federal Center SW as many office workers headed home. Metro said there are delays on its bus routes because of signal outages and traffic as many offices evacuate.
MARC service has been suspended until further notice.
Tara Hamilton, spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, said terminal A was closed at Reagan National Airport while authorities investigated a report of gas odor.
Hamilton said operations were continuing as normal at Dulles International Airport.
Mineral is a small town in Louisa County, population about 400 and just 250 houses. Groom said it’s very rural so the impact on traffic, and highways should be minimal.
From: “Once-a-century earthquake rattles East Coast”, Reuters, Lily Kuo and Malathi Nayak
Control towers at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey were also evacuated, and flights were grounded briefly in Washington, Philadelphia and New York.
From: “5.8 quake hits Va.; Felt along U.S. East Coast” , AP
At Reagan National Airport outside Washington, ceiling tiles fell during a few seconds of shaking. Authorities announced it was an earthquake and all flights were put on hold.
From: “Building inspectors urge caution in quake’s wake”, The Baltimore Sun, Tricia Bishop and Liz F. Kay
In Anne Arundel County, operations personnel inspected the airfields at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, along with the terminal roadways and garages, all of which appeared fine.
From: “Washington Cathedral, Visitors, Residents Rattled by Earthquake”, Bloomberg Business, Nicole Gaouette and Kristin Jensen
At [Ronald Reagan] National Airport in Virginia near Washington, alarms went off and objects tumbled from shelves. The airport, a hub for lawmakers traveling to and from their districts, wasn’t evacuated and officials said there was no significant damage. Some inbound flights to National were held at their points of origin, the Federal Aviation Administration website said.
The evacuation of office buildings throughout the city caused traffic gridlock. Amtrak railway service into Washington’s central hub was disrupted and Metro trains within the city slowed to a 15-mile-per-hour crawl.
