Transit
Savvy Metro riders always have a Plan B
This morning, a bomb threat caused Metro to close its Rockville and Shady Grove stations during the morning rush. Many riders were delayed or stranded while Metro worked to recover.
Photo by nevermindtheend on Flickr.
These unexpected closures are, luckily, few and far in between. But by learning all your options, you can be prepared for them.
Metro was able to establish shuttle bus service relatively quickly, but hastily set up bus bridges are often disorganized, hard to find, and slow. Your best option may be to take a regularly scheduled bus service.
If your station were to be unexpectedly closed, would you know which bus would get you around the closure? If you're a regular transit rider, you might want to have that piece of information handy.
Let's take Rockville, for example. With that section of the Red Line closed, riders had several options to get around the closure.
Perhaps the best alternative would be Ride On route 46, which would take riders as far as Medical Center. Route 46 runs on Rockville Pike, parallel to the Red Line. It runs every 15 minutes, and covers the distance from Rockville to Twinbrook, the next open station on the Red Line, in only 10 minutes.
The "Q" Metrobuses are another alternative. They run every 10-15 minutes during rush hour between Rockville and Wheaton along Veirs Mill Road.
Rockville also has a stop on MARC's Brunswick Line. Since this closure happened during the morning rush, riders had the chance to board the last few inbound trains of the day. These commuter trains take riders to Silver Spring and Union Station.
Riders who knew about these regularly scheduled buses/trains may have been able to get around the closure even before Metro's bus bridge was set up. Knowing your alternatives can save you lots of time and frustration.
If you haven't done so already, take the time today to find alternate transit options to/from your home and work stations. You never know when something could cause a closure. If you know your choices, you don't have to be at the mercy of crowded bus bridges and overburdened station managers.
Photo by strangelibrarian on Flickr.
It would be great if Metro could get some alternate routes out via twitter and email during these closures, though their communications department is likely pretty busy during unforeseen closures. So don't wait. Be proactive and find your Plan B today.
 | Matt Johnson has lived in the Washington region since mid-2007. He has a Master's degree in Community Planning from the University of Maryland and a BS in Public Policy from Georgia Tech. He has worked in the planning field since 2006 and lives in Greenbelt, where he serves on the city's Advisory Planning Board.    |
Comments
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by Buben on Jun 13, 2011 1:52 pm • link • report
by Michael Perkins on Jun 13, 2011 1:54 pm • link • report
by Matt Glazewski on Jun 13, 2011 1:54 pm • link • report
by Shipsa01 on Jun 13, 2011 1:58 pm • link • report
I've had the opposite experience. Back in 2009, when the Red Line was closed for a long period following the crash, I had to get from Petworth to Silver Spring (my daily commute). I tried every alternative. The slowest by far was the Bus Bridge. The S9 + a walk ended up being the fastest.
The point is that with the rush hour frequencies of the Ride On 46 and Q buses, many riders could have already been on the (regular) bus before Metro even had a bus bridge established.
by Matt Johnson on Jun 13, 2011 1:58 pm • link • report
by varun on Jun 13, 2011 2:00 pm • link • report
by Shipsa01 on Jun 13, 2011 2:01 pm • link • report
That's because your experience wasn't on the 30s. The S9 is light years better than any of the 30s buses. The 30s have lots of stops, they have to make lots of turns on their trunk line (which slows things down) and they have some very congested routes (which leads to bunching).
Which is a key point - just because it's a bus doesn't mean it's a good substitute.
by Alex B. on Jun 13, 2011 2:03 pm • link • report
The S2/S4 and 70/71 were also both faster than the bus bridge. And that was an established bus bridge, not one being quickly assembled.
The reason it was slowest was not because it made a bunch of local stops or went out of its way. It was because you had to wait in line for 3 or 4 or 5 buses before you could get on one.
But maybe you and Perkins are right. You should stand around for 25-30 minutes and watch 2 or 3 Route 46 buses leave Rockville for Twinbrook while you wait on Metrobus to drive a few buses over from Montgomery Division on short notice to serve as a bus bridge.
by Matt Johnson on Jun 13, 2011 2:07 pm • link • report
by Ed on Jun 13, 2011 2:09 pm • link • report
When I got out of metro shortly after rush hour last week, the gates slowed due to some malfunction. It was surprising how many people got stuck at the gates within minutes of the error at that relatively quiet station.
A metro train moves hundreds of people at a dedicated track. Buses move tens of people mixed with traffic. That's a different deal.
by Jasper on Jun 13, 2011 2:11 pm • link • report
I'm not denigrating your choice, I'm just noting that the 70s and the S's are superior trunk lines to the 30s.
The larger issue is that buses do offer redundancy, yet people don't know the routes because the routes are inherently confusing. It shouldn't be a real surprise that the routes with the simplest trunk lines (like the S9 or the 70/71) not only perform well, but are easy to understand and to use for non-frequent riders.
by Alex B. on Jun 13, 2011 2:16 pm • link • report
by Shipsa01 on Jun 13, 2011 2:16 pm • link • report
by Jerome on Jun 13, 2011 2:24 pm • link • report
Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/DC-Metro-Woes/216724711693599#!/pages/DC-Metro-Woes/216724711693599
It's not spam. More people need to join so I know if I should even start my commute in the mornings! Rather be late than pissed off.
by Alli on Jun 13, 2011 2:27 pm • link • report
This would be a great bus advert. I love the buses for this reason alone. We really do have a beautiful city, and you really see so much of it from our bus system.
by greent on Jun 13, 2011 2:34 pm • link • report
So, recommendatations for WMATA:
1. Give SN visibility on the homepage
2. Give SN a common interface with TP
3. Develop a mobile-friendy version of SN
4. Integrate SN with TP. For example, if you select a nearby bus stop, you should be able to then plan a trip from that stop directly from TP.
by Smoke_Jaguar4 on Jun 13, 2011 2:57 pm • link • report
One small problem--that is what everyone else does too, and it overcrowds the 38B buses and eventually you are in the same situation just above ground. The last time this happened a few months back, I had to wait for at least 4 buses to pass before I could get on one. I was almost 2 hours late for work that day. My boss was not amused.
I used to live in Brazil in the 1980s. The buses NEVER made me late there. Sad when WMATA is worse than Brazil was 30 years ago. Oh and the bus fair was WAAAY cheaper. :)
So now, when I see there are issues on the orange line, I actually just start to walk to work. Luckily, on a nice day I can make it to work in about 1 hour. I realize most people don't have that luxury.
by Stefan Sittig on Jun 13, 2011 3:15 pm • link • report
And not to say that what you said is 'incorrect,' but if you want to get on a bus, you find a way to get on the bus. I used to live in Georgetown (at the corner of Wisconsin and N in front of Daily Grill) and when the 30's would come they would be chock full of people - double-wide standing room only - everyday, every bus. Everyone that I waited with still got on - you do it and deal with it. In my ten years in DC I have seen 2 - maybe 3 - buses that had to put on their topsign: "Full- wait for next bus." You just make it happen.
by Shipsa01 on Jun 13, 2011 3:28 pm • link • report
And trust me, I'd be more than happy to squeeze in and stand on a bus, I don't have personal space issues at all. But the WMATA bus drivers determine when a bus is full, not me.
Am glad your experience in Georgetown was easier. Mine was not. Glad you could "make it happen" as you say. But if the bus driver won't let me on the bus, I can't "make it happen".
And yes, I could hail a cab (and pay 12 dollars, versus 3) or bike or take a motorcycle or scooter or hangglide. I realize there are other methods (like walking, which is what I choose usually) to get to places.
It's just that this thread is about Metro and alternatives--and it's sad to me that it takes longer for me to get to work sometimes via Metro train/bus than it does to walk or drive. That shows you how inadequate Metro is.
That is all.
by Stefan Sittig on Jun 13, 2011 3:48 pm • link • report
But I have never seen the top sign say Full. Not once.
by greent on Jun 13, 2011 3:51 pm • link • report
A car would work, but it's not worth the expense - I save about $250-300/mo not owning a car. Sure, it goes back into my rent, but I'm happier for it.
by OctaviusIII on Jun 13, 2011 3:58 pm • link • report
I don't claim to be knowledgeable about NoVa by any stretch, but I'm sure that there are more options than just the 38B - I know I've seen signs for the Dash bus and I remember (maybe it's no more) some bus that ran from like Ballston to the Pentagon.
Anyway, that's the point of this article - if you know what your options are, you're better off. To me, sitting and waiting for 80 minutes for a bus is absurd - even if it is that everytime one came it was full. And when I said that "you make it happen," it wasn't just getting on a bus - it was also finding a bus - or any other mode of transportation - to get you where you need to go.
But regardless, I know 'make it happen' is rather crass and since I don't know the full situation, it's like telling a homeless person: "get a job." So in hindsight I would like to take back that phrase. My apologies.
by Shipsa01 on Jun 13, 2011 4:52 pm • link • report
by dcseain on Jun 13, 2011 6:07 pm • link • report
by OX4 on Jun 13, 2011 6:43 pm • link • report
The one thing I refuse to do is to pay another fare because of an issue I dont cause.
by kk on Jun 13, 2011 9:57 pm • link • report
(I mean, who uses it to get somewhere OR needs to be reasonably on time, anyways??)
Oh, the beauty of standing around for a late, or never to arrive bus...
Oh, the beauty of dealing with angry women screaming at their children...
Oh, the beauty of dealing with crack zombies in wife beaters...
Oh, the beauty, of being crammed in, seated or standing with fat, sweaty people.
Oh, the beauty of that glimpse of a DC "viewshed" under someone's armpit!
MetroBuses: Livin' the Dream In DC!
I would certainly take a bus in a pinch, but, seriously, promoting buses as great transportation??
Bicycling, walking, the occasional Metro trip, and save money for a car. Thats "movin' on up", Jeffersons' style.
by ed on Jun 13, 2011 11:38 pm • link • report
by Stephen Smith on Jun 14, 2011 1:26 am • link • report
Unless you have a folding or collapsible bike such as a Dahon or a Brompton (to name two well-known brands). Those are allowed on the Metrorail at all times. Technically they're supposed to be in bike bags at rush hour. I don't know whether that's enforced.
by Rich on Jun 14, 2011 9:27 am • link • report
by Shipsa01 on Jun 14, 2011 10:10 am • link • report
It took well over an hour to go the 5 miles to my office. That was the last time I ever rode the 38B.
by Rob P on Jun 15, 2011 4:04 pm • link • report
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