Skip to main content

Watch out for Metro track work and road closures

By WTOP Staff

Tim Bracken, wtop.com

Weekend Wakeup Call – Friday, May 18 to Monday, May 21

Get ready for another busy weekend, filled with festivals, art events, graduation ceremonies, and Metro delays for the Orange, Red and Green Lines.

Graduations at DAR Constitution Hall

Graduation ceremonies at DAR Constitution Hall have been known to tie up traffic in the areas surrounding 18th and D Streets NW. There will be four graduations this weekend:

  • Saturday – USUHS at 10:30 a.m., and Corcoran College of Art & Design at 4:30 p.m.
  • Sunday – Marymount University at 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Metro track work

Get ready for another weekend of Metro delays. The biggest item will be buses replacing trains between East Falls Church and West Falls Church, but there will also be single tracking on the Red and Green Lines. Here’s the summary from Metro:

Orange Line:

  • Buses will replace Orange Line trains between East Falls Church and West Falls Church.
  • Throughout the weekend, Orange Line trains will operate in two segments: between Vienna and West Falls Church station every 20 minutes, and between East falls Church and New Carrollton station at regular weekend intervals.

Red Line

  • Trains will single track between Takoma and Forest Glen, and between Van Ness and Friendship Heights.
  • Red Line trains between Shady Grove and Glenmont will operate every 24 minutes.

Green Line

  • Trains will single track between Greenbelt and Prince George’s Plaza.
  • Green Line trains will operate every 16 minutes throughout the weekend.
  • Yellow Line trains will operate between Huntington and Mount Vernon Square only.
  • Customers traveling to/from stations north of Mount Vernon Square should use Green Line trains to complete their trip.

Dulles Access Road closure

The eastbound Dulles Airport Access Highway will be closed from Centreville Road to the merge past the main toll plaza from 9 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday.

These closures will continue with some variation into next week as part of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail project. Traffic will be detoured to the eastbound Toll Road.

Remember, if you are leaving the airport during the closure you will have to pay the toll at the main toll plaza.

Beltway and I-66 construction

Watch for overnight closures throughout the weekend between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 5 a.m.

  • I-495 Inner Loop near I-66, construction could temporarily block all lanes for up to 30 minutes at a time
  • Westbound I-66 between Rt. 267 and the Beltway could see temporary total closures for up to 30 minutes at a time.
  • Eastbound I-66 between Nutley Street and the Beltway could see temporary total closures for up to 30 minutes at a time.

Artomatic

This year’s Artomatic festival takes over a former Crystal City office building for a month of visual art, music, and film. The opening night party starts at 6 p.m. Friday.

Fiesta Asia Street Fair

The Fiesta Asia Street Fair is scheduled for 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.

The free festival will feature several entertainment stages, a martial arts area, and food.

Dragon Boat Festival

The D.C. Dragon Boat Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday at Thompson Boat Center in Georgetown. The colorful boat race will kick off Saturday at 8:30 a.m.

Sound Bites 2012

The D.C. Central Kitchen prepares thousands of meals for shelters and D.C. public schools every day. This Sunday, May 20, D.C. Central Kitchen joins forces with the 9:30 Club for Sound Bites, a food festival featuring music curated by Eric Hilton of the band http://www.thieverycorporation.com/ Thievery Corporation.

Sound Bites will feature all-you-can-eat food from 25 area restaurants and food trucks.

Taste of Arlington

On Sunday, the Taste of Arlington Festival in Ballston will feature many restaurants and local music. Attendance is expected to be near 15,000. Arlington Police will close the following streets between 2 a.m. and 10 p.m. Sunday:

  • Wilson Boulevard will be closed eastbound at Glebe Road.
  • Wilson Boulevard will be closed westbound at N. Randolph Street (north and southbound Randolph Street will remain open).
  • N. Stuart Street will be closed between N. 9th Street and Wilson Boulevard. Buses will be allowed on N. Stuart Street between Fairfax Drive and N. 9th Street.
  • N. 9th Street will remain open to METRO BUS TRAFFIC only between N. Stafford Street and N. Stuart Street.
  • All traffic coming southbound on N. Taylor Street from Fairfax Drive will be forced to go westbound at Wilson Boulevard.

Joint Service Open House and Air Show

The 2012 Joint Service Open House and Air Show at Joint Base Andrews begins Friday for cardholders and school groups, but will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.

The free air show has attracted upwards of 100,000 spectators in the past. Air performers this year include; the Blue Angels, and the Golden Knights.

Watch for delays on the Capital Beltway near the base throughout the weekend. Spectators and people driving by may be distracted by the aerial shows.

Gaithersburg Book Festival

The Gaithersburg Book Festival will take over the Gaithersburg City Hall grounds between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday. The festival will feature author presentations, panel discussions, poetry, and music.

Follow WTOP Traffic and WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote