Commuters suffer on first weekday closure of Baltimore metro

BALTIMORE – Some commuters struggled to get to work after an emergency closure of a Baltimore metro system used by tens of thousands of riders every work week.

The Baltimore Sun reports some commuters who usually use the 16-mile (25 km) line connecting Owings Mills to downtown Baltimore had difficulty finding the coach buses that were organized as a replacement.

Officials expect the metro to be closed through March 11 after safety inspections revealed the need for emergency repairs. Maryland Transit Administration CEO Kevin Quinn on Sunday declined to describe the specific problems or why repairs couldn’t wait until the summer, when they were scheduled.

On Monday, commuters told the Sun that they couldn’t find the necessary information on the replacement bus schedule.

About 40,000 people board the metro each weekday.

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Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com