MLK Day Parade Road Closures and Metrorail Single-Tracking to Affect Monday Commute

Holiday Impact and Parade Road Closures

In observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day federal holiday today, Monday, January 19, 2026, commuters and residents should prepare for significant road closures in Southeast Washington. The 21st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Walk and Parade is the primary event impacting traffic flow. The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic from approximately 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for public safety:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue from Marion Barry Avenue to Sumner Road, SE.
• Sumner Road from Firth Sterling Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE.
• Marion Barry Avenue from Anacostia Drive to Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE.
• Anacostia Drive from the US Park Police Anacostia Facility to the Anacostia Recreation Center.

Emergency 'No Parking' restrictions are in effect for these streets from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Motorists should anticipate rolling closures on side streets intersecting Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue throughout the duration of the parade.

Metrorail and Metrobus Service Updates

WMATA is operating on a weekend schedule today. Metrorail service is available from 5:00 a.m. to midnight, but maintenance projects on several lines will cause delays:

• Red Line: Trains are single-tracking between Silver Spring and Forest Glen for tunnel leak mitigation. Trains will run every 7–8 minutes between Shady Grove and NoMa-Gallaudet U, and every 15 minutes between Rhode Island Ave and Glenmont.
• Green Line: Trains are single-tracking between Navy Yard and L’Enfant Plaza for grout pad repairs. Service is limited to every 16 minutes between Branch Ave and Mt. Vernon Square only.
• Blue, Orange, Silver, and Yellow Lines: These lines are operating on a normal holiday/weekend schedule with no major reported track work today.

Metrobus is running on a Saturday supplemental schedule. Commuters are advised to check the Metro Pulse app for real-time bus arrivals as several routes in Anacostia will be detoured due to the MLK parade.

Commuter Rail and Parkway Alerts

Commuters utilizing regional rail should note that the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is not operating today. MARC trains are running on a modified holiday schedule, primarily on the Penn Line. Standard weekday service for both regional rail systems will resume on Tuesday, January 20.

For those driving on the west side of the District, DC Water has scheduled a temporary lane closure on the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW starting today. The closure affects the stretch between Virginia Avenue NW and F Street NW to facilitate the Rock Creek Main Interceptor project. Drivers should expect lane shifts and reduced speeds in this area.

Parking and Government Services

Standard parking enforcement is suspended today, meaning most parking meters will not be enforced. However, motorists remain responsible for avoiding safety violations, and the DC Streetcar will continue its routine ticketing and towing for lane obstructions. Normal District government operations and full parking enforcement will resume tomorrow morning.