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Commuters get warning

By Arlo Wagner
April 14, 2008

The crowds expected for Pope Benedict XVI's visit has D.C. transportation officials — who encourage the use of mass transit for popular public events — suggesting commuters stay home.

"It would be good if they could just stay home," Karyn LeBlanc, spokeswoman for the D.C. Department of Transportation, said yesterday. "But of course most of them have jobs to go to."

The pope will arrive tomorrow, but traffic is expected to be most troublesome Wednesday. Benedict is scheduled to travel in a midday procession from the White House to the Apostolic Nunciature, on Massachusetts Avenue Northwest near the vice president's home, then during the evening rush from the nunciature to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Northeast.

City officials will close cross streets along the route, reroute buses and use rolling street closures.

Metro riders are likely to encounter the most crowding on Thursday morning. The pope is scheduled to celebrate Mass at 10 a.m. at Nationals Park in Southeast.

The estimated 45,000 people with tickets to the event largely will arrive during the morning rush and use mass transit.

Metro is prepared for the crowds and is not discouraging use of the buses and subway trains, spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said.

Mrs. LeBlanc said to those who must travel in the city for the next few days: "We certainly want people to use Metro."

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