D.C. transit affected by Pope's visit

These are some questions that local travelers submitted about the Sept. 22-24 visit by Pope Francis to the capital. I hope the questions and my answers will stimulate further questions, as well as individual planning for what’s likely to be a difficult week for both commuters and visitors. (There are links to more travel tips at the bottom of this posting.)

Metro vs. the pope

How bad will Metro be during the pope’s visit? Will those of us who actually have to go to work and cannot telecommute run into problems? I’ve never had problems with Metro during inauguration but this is slightly different in my opinion. For what it’s worth, I commute from Huntington to Gallery Place and walk to my office at Metro Center. I’m already planning on going to work early and leaving town late during the Pope’s stay.

DG: Yes, Metro riders will encounter problems, and they need to be prepared. It’s good to think of this as an inauguration-scale event, but there will be significant differences, because of the location and timing of multiple events. Telecommuting is the best option, but many will need to come into the District for their jobs. They should try to do what the questioner is planning, and vary their schedules.

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