Many riders shrugged it off, saying it's what they've come to expect from the aging, troubled Metro system.
One popular Twitter feed about the system, @unsuckdcmetro, was running a poll on whether the shutdown would solve "Metro's flaming cables problem." Thousands voted, with more than three quarters saying no.
"Metro sucks," said Bob Jones, 26, of Arlington, Virginia as he waited for a bus. The subways are "always slow, always crowded," he complained.
With inspections nearly complete as of 5 pm Wednesday, Metro's general manager, Paul Wiedefeld, said at a news conference that the system would reopen as planned Inspections of 600 cables found 26 areas of concern requiring replacement or repair, Wiedefeld said, including three he called "show-stoppers."
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A news release said most of the repairs had been completed, but three lines might see slight service changes if repairs can't be completed by reopening time.
The next step, Wiedefeld acknowledged, was to understand why the problems had occurred.
Wiedefeld, who took over in November after running the Baltimore-Washington airport, acknowledged in a public letter this month that the agency must "improve safety and security, deliver more reliable service, and continue reforms to get our financial house in order."
The system has closed for days for weather, but this was believed to be the first shutdown for mechanical reasons. Wiedefeld said in closing the system that "while the risk to the public is very low, I cannot rule out a potential life and safety issue here." On Wednesday evening, he said he recognized the hardship that the shutdown meant for the region but reiterated that it was necessary.