Summer tourism is in full swing here in Washington, D.C. As tourists flock to visit historic monuments, museums and other various landmarks, they may face obstacles getting around the nation's capital as the public transit system — Metro — begins yearlong repair, maintenance and track work.

The maintenance overhaul, dubbed SafeTrack, comes after government officials said the Metro had been ignoring repairs to the system for years.

"Safety comes first, and I want to remind the region that SafeTrack is not just about 15 maintenance surges," Metro General Manager and CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld said.

In March, the entire Metro rail system was shut down for a 29-hour period for emergency inspections of the system's third-rail power cables. The emergency shutdown came a little over a year after a smoke incident inside a tunnel near the L'Enfant Plaza station killed a passenger.

The SafeTrack program will consist of continuous single-tracking and station closures affecting all six Metro lines. The program also includes shutting down the Metro system at midnight, seven days a week including the weekend when the normal closure time was 3 a.m.

"This plan is going to take some sacrifice from all of us," Wiedefeld said in a statement. "But it is clear that the current approach is not working, more aggressive action is necessary."

The timing could not be worse as the summer tourism season gets underway.

Washington, D.C., had a record-breaking 2015 with 19.3 million domestic visitors to the city — a 5.3 percent increase from 2014. Both domestic and international visitors spent $7.1 billion in the city last year — a 4.1 percent increase from 2014.

"In 2015, D.C. welcomed 1 million more domestic visitors than it did in 2014," said Elliott L. Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC, the official tourism and marketing office for the District. "Visitor spending was up $300 million over the previous year. These coveted numbers represent the impact of tourism investment in the nation's capital. The return on investment study that we commissioned from Destination Analysts determined last year's spring and summer advertising shows that our city received $2.65 in taxes for every $1 we spent."

The Metro issue in D.C. is just another example of the crumbling infrastructure problem various metropolitan cities are experiencing across the country. It further shows how closely related transportation and travel are.

"We're like a third-world country when it comes to infrastructure,” former Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said.

Federal spending on infrastructure has gone down 9 percent in the past decade. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimates that the U.S. needs to spend $1.7 trillion by 2020 to upgrade surface transportation of roads, bridges and rail. By 2025, the price to maintain and upgrade the U.S. infrastructure jumps to $3.3 trillion.

"This is a multi, multibillion-dollar investment that has not been maintained over time and it will take multi, multibillions of dollars to maintain it into the future," said Wiedefeld. "That's just the reality of these large infrastructure systems that we have around the country."

As Metro deals with its infrastructure woes, travelers to the city should think of alternatives to getting around.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Plan before you go: If you have to take Metro, map out your route before you go. Travelers can map their route, and find pricing and SafeTrack information through the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit website.

Leave early: With delays from the ongoing SafeTrack repair work and other unexpected delays, trains may be crowded as both commuters and visitors navigate through the system. Try to leave as early as possible for your destination and give yourself a decent amount of time.

Find on-the-road alternatives: If you want to skip using Metro entirely, there are plenty of alternatives to getting around in the city. D.C. cabs will allow ridesharing, allowing drivers to pick up multiple fares within a mile of a metro station. If you are driving into the city, there will be an extension to the rush-hour parking restrictions. Restrictions will be in place from 7-10 a.m. and from 4-7 p.m.

Biking it through the city: Capital Bikeshare is allowing riders to buy a single trip that is under 30 minutes for $2. The normal cost of a bikeshare membership for all day usage is $8 per day if you are planning to use the bike more than a 30 minute single ride.

Another option is using a service like Uber or Lyft to get around.

Uber is expanding their UberPOOL service to the surrounding counties in the D.C. metropolitan area. There will not be a surge-price cap as there was in the March 16 Metro shutdown. That means if you're traveling during peak time, it might cost you a little bit more than usual.

Lyft is offering discounts in several D.C. neighborhoods that include Capitol Hill and Georgetown. From now through July 1, first-time riders taking trips from the Northern Virginia area will get 50 percent off their first five rides during commuting hours.

The rideshare company will also offer a 20 percent discount to riders traveling in the D.C. area from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Like Uber, there will be no surge-price cap during the SafeTrack maintenance.

"We know the SafeTrack program will affect millions of rides around D.C. and in the surrounding areas, and we want to help ease the transition to get people where they need to go affordably and reliably," Lyft spokeswoman Alexandra LaManna said.