Bus "adjustments" may be coming to a line near you

Transit

Bus "adjustments" may be coming to a line near you

by David Alpert • September 6, 2011 11:27 am

WMATA bus planners are proposing a set of changes to bus service, including a number of cuts along with a few increases.

Photo by Beechwood Photography on Flickr.

The changes will be presented to the Riders' Advisory Council tomorrow night, the WMATA Board on Thursday, and then (if authorized by the Board) out to the general public for comments. The board will not actually approve any changes this week, but will only authorize holding public hearings in advance of making a decision.

On a number of lines, WMATA would redo the schedules to better match reality. The schedule assumes bus trips will take a certain amount of time, but often the true running time is greater. As a result, buses are more widely spaced than the schedule says they should be.

Ideally, WMATA would have money to add more buses to keep up the headways, but they don't. A few lines will get the extra buses, like the D12/13/14 in Oxon Hill and Suitland. Elsewhere, lines will get new schedules that keep service the same as it is today, but more honestly describe that service.

A large number of lines would lose "low-productive" late night trips (the 62, 64, A4, B2, C4, C22, C26, D2, D8, G2, H8, J2, P6, Q4, U4, U5, W2, W6, W8, Y7, and Y9). The 1F would lose late night service entirely.

Is this a good idea? It may turn on a policy question of whether WMATA should provide some minimal, long-headway service (such as a bus every 30 minutes) at times and in places where very few people ride the bus, or not. Providing the service gives a basic level of mobility to everyone, but also costs a lot of money compared to the numbers of people that actually use it.

Elsewhere, bus planners propose to increase service. For example, the U2 on Minnesota Avenue would get 30-minute weekend service that doesn't exist now, while the M8 and M9 in Congress Heights would be extended.

Some bus routes could be eliminated entirely and restructured with other similar routes. On Connecticut Avenue, the bus planners want to eliminate the L4, reroute the L1 in the State Department area, and move the L2. The L2 now breaks off Connecticut at Woodley Park and runs through Adams Morgan, then down 18th Street to New Hampshire Avenue and rejoins the line at Dupont Circle. The new route would stay off Connecticut for less time, returning via Columbia Road instead and using the Dupont underpass to save time.

This actually eliminates the bus stop closest to my house, on the L2. However, I find that the bus is too infrequent to be of much real use. People living farther north on 18th, at a greater distance from Metrorail, might feel differently, however.

The P1/2/6 would become a single P6 route. Currently, the P1 and P2 go from Anacostia along M Street SE/SW to downtown, the P1 continuing to the State Department, while the P6 runs through the southern edge of Capitol Hill and then up to Rhode Island Avenue. The new route would use M Street SE/SW, skipping Capitol Hill, and then follow the P6 north of downtown.

Another proposal restructures the R and F buses in Hyattsville. The R3 and R5 would disappear, while the R2 and F6 would pick up pieces of the R3 route. The F6 would now go to Fort Totten station, where the R3 now ends. In Tysons, the chronically low-performing and circuitous 3T loses all weekend service and the piece of its route between Tysons Corner and Tysons-Westpark all the time.

The C8 will divert about a half-mile to go into FDA White Oak and Archives II (to replace the R3) along the route. It's too bad these facilities weren't built to be on the way of a bus instead of requiring a long detour, but given what they are, this may be worth the extra time.

Surely there will be riders inconvenienced by these changes, though other riders may benefit. At a public hearing, inevitably we will hear most from those who lose out, and it's important to think hard about the loss. Some people may drive instead, adding traffic congestion. Transit-dependent riders might find themselves unable to travel at some times of the day. Riders with disabilities could start using paratransit more, which is far more expensive than fixed-route bus service.

At the same time, while it would be fantastic to serve every resident with great bus service, it's reasonable to ask how few riders justify keeping a very low-performing line. Having a slightly smaller number of bus lines which run more often provides advantages. People can more reliably depend on these routes, and can take them without long delays, attracting riders who might not otherwise use the bus.

I'll walk farther to get the Circulator, since I can count on its almost-10 minute headways, but rarely take that L2, which is barely 10 minutes even at its very busiest time though it stops very close. If a bus change would make one line more like the Circulator at the expense of another line like the L2, is that worthwhile even if some people lose service? I'm in good health, but what about someone with injuries or disabilities who can't make that walk?

WMATA's bus planners have considered these factors and devised a set of changes they feel are appropriate given the tradeoffs. Soon, it'll be your turn to decide if you agree or disagree. We'll all learn more at the RAC meeting, the Board meeting, and ultimately in public communications sent out for the hearings. If you want to hear more at the RAC, it meets tomorrow (Wednesday) at 6:30 in the lobby level meeting room of WMATA headquarters, 600 5th Street, NW.

38 comments

Tags: buses, service cuts, WMATA

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David Alpert is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Greater Greater Washington and Greater Greater Education. He worked as a Product Manager for Google for six years and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He loves the area which is, in many ways, greater than those others, and wants to see it become even greater.

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Bus "adjustments" may be coming to a line near you

Bus "adjustments" ~~may be coming~~ have come to a line near ~~you~~ me.

Fairfax Connector started a new schedule in the south of the county. Many many changes. Lower frequency, and less regular times for me.

by Jasper on Sep 6, 2011 11:51 am • link • report

I guess how you feel about these changes depends, like David says, on whether it affects you directly or not.

I see they want to cut down peak-AM headways on the D6 from 10 to eight minutes, to which I say: Thank friggin' god.

by CapHill on Sep 6, 2011 11:59 am • link • report

Depends on what counts as "late night". Are we talking 10pm or 2am?

by TM on Sep 6, 2011 12:03 pm • link • report

These changes are great for Adams Morgan/Kalorama - more 43s in the morning (still don't know why they're not all 43s), and a faster route for the L2, which often gets stuck in construction at 18th and Florida.

One more suggested change - why don't 42s take 20th St off Connecticut, drop off Dupont Metro transfers on the other side of the station, then merge into the circle via Massachusetts or P Street? This avoids the (nearly 5-minute) bottleneck where Connecticut meets the circle.

by Corey on Sep 6, 2011 12:11 pm • link • report

I think the L2 should stay on Connecticut for its entire length, but the 42 should use Florida Avenue to hop off onto 18th, to cover more of Adams Morgan.

The criss-crossing of those lines is a little bit silly.

by BeyondDC on Sep 6, 2011 12:49 pm • link • report

@BeyondDC - that leaves Columbia between Connecticut and 18th without bus service, though, right? (can't think of another line that goes between that area and downtown)

by Corey on Sep 6, 2011 12:58 pm • link • report

In total agreement on the L2. It is nice to have a direct route from Upper CT Avenue to Adams Morgan, but it's always held up in traffic, which throws off the schedule (especially on late nights). I would prefer a Conn. Ave only route and connect with the Circulator at Woodley Park.

by John M on Sep 6, 2011 1:05 pm • link • report

This proposal appears to turn the southbound L2 into the 43 once it hits 18th and Columbia. Not only will this impact 18th street in Adams Morgan (which will now have NO buses due to the construction-related detour of the 90s) but it will take it off of New Hampshire between 19th and 21st, and K between 21st and 17th.

The original routing was nice because it provided a good option for going to GW which the new route will not.

It's important to keep in mind, though, is that 18th street is now and will likely continue to be a big mess between Florida and Columbia for the foreseeable future due to the streetscape improvements and roadway reconstruction. Getting Metrobus off will reduce some mobility but save Metro a lot of money and bus riders a lot of time. I think it's smart to get buses outta there until the project is done.

by MDE on Sep 6, 2011 1:24 pm • link • report

I wonder what they're proposing for the w6/8. I thought it served the anacostia "loop" well.

by HogWash on Sep 6, 2011 1:25 pm • link • report

I think the P6 reroute to M is not great, and not just because it is more convenient for me the way it is (although it is :). First, I think it might actually hurt headways, as lights/traffic on M are worse than those on the Hill (VA Ave, 3rd, etc). Second, the elderly folks who live in the Capper Seniors building, many of whom are in wheel chairs or use canes, appear to use that stop on VA Ave SE pretty frequently. If this reroute happened, it would be a much longer haul for them to get down to M. I guess they could probably just uses Metro Access (many do), but it might save money for WMATA to continue to serve them via regular transit.

by m on Sep 6, 2011 1:38 pm • link • report

How about working on fixing bunching and related issues on "high performing" bus routes?

I can't count the number of times I've waited 30+ minutes for a 90/92/93 bus, only to have a cavalcade of 4-6 buses show up within a few minutes of each other.

by andrew on Sep 6, 2011 1:39 pm • link • report

Seconding what TM said. How are we defining "late night" here? And what is "low-performing"? Not interested in having to use the Red Line late at night if my almost-always-full Q4 gets cut ridiculously early...

by Justin..... on Sep 6, 2011 2:22 pm • link • report

@Jasper: What Fairfax Connector routes do you use? Lots of changes today and last weekend.

by Transport. on Sep 6, 2011 2:32 pm • link • report

Ugh, I feel like every six months I have to go through the stress of figuring out how to get to the National Archives in College Park because they're threatening to cut the bus. Again. I get that it's not a commonly used bus, but if you think of it as an employee/visitor shuttle to an extremely large federal office then it's really a problem (and it's always full for this rush). Hopefully the restructuring won't mess with things too much.

by r on Sep 6, 2011 2:34 pm • link • report

How about WMATA starts requiring swipe outs as well as swipe ins (vs. location) with it's smart cards (for say a $0.05 fare reduction) on buses and START ACTUALLY GATHERING USEFUL DATA on where people are starting and ending their trips.

...so that we can end our biannual, fact-less debate on imaginary working souls who's lives are going to be crushed by streamlining bus service.

Also, can we raise bus fares so that they are equivalent to rail fares and stop duplicating service for the express purpose of further subsidizing an already subsidized transit system?

by ahk on Sep 6, 2011 3:06 pm • link • report

While the current L2 route is pretty crazy, I've gotten used to having a bus right outside my door. It's pretty convenient when I'm carrying a laptop or heavy bag. If you live around the 18th and Florida intersection, all your other options (the 42/43, Red Line, or the 16th Street line) involve a 5-10 minute walk.

The big issue for buses that come every 20 mins is predictability. Since I need to get down to the Orange Line (Farragut Square - a 1.2 mile walk), the L2 really only saves me time if I wait less than 5 mins. But I'd still be sorry to see it go.

by Esmeralda on Sep 6, 2011 3:07 pm • link • report

I actually prose we cut the D6 into two separate bus loops: An East loop and a West Loop which meet (approximately) on K St. The headways traveling East from Union Station have no bearing on reality whatsoever. I assume the same is true heading West on the other side of town.

Also, it needs a dedicated left turn arrow at North Capitol

by EB on Sep 6, 2011 3:11 pm • link • report

Esmerelda, you really have unintentionally hit the nail on the head. Predictability for long headway waits is the single biggest structural problem preventing more people from using the system.

Shorter bus loops add more reliability.

by ahk on Sep 6, 2011 3:13 pm • link • report

The L4 (possibly) gone for good? I grew up on that line - back in the day it used to go from 13th & Pennsylvania Ave. NW all the way to University Blvd. at Elkin St. in Wheaton.

When the Red line was extended in 1984 it was split at the DC line with the Maryland route diverted to DC and the DC route cut back to McPherson Square. The old terminal is now the Reagan Building. And just recently the route to Wheaton was ended, replaced by existing Ride-On service.

by Frank IBC on Sep 6, 2011 6:56 pm • link • report

I'm reading the proposed routing for the re-routed and L2: southbound, Columbia Road to Connecticut Avenue, then Connecticut Avenue all the way south to Farragut Square.

And now I'm looking at the bus stops on Google Maps - the only ones left in Dupont Circle would be:

-Northbound: Jefferson Street (south of N Street), S Street
-Southbound: R Street, N Street

I suppose that they could be changed to N Street and R Street for both sides, but not exactly convenient to the Metro station anymore.

I guess the intent is to make the L2 express service for points north, and have the 40s for local service.

by Frank IBC on Sep 6, 2011 7:28 pm • link • report

I'll miss the L4 -- it's the only bus that goes south across the Taft bridge in the evenings, it sometimes saves me the walk from Woodley Park metro to my apartment building. It's pretty low-frequency already, so it's not high-utility for me. I can also testify to the low ridership.

by Urban Garlic on Sep 6, 2011 8:53 pm • link • report

It looks like the discontinuation of service north of Columbia Road will only affect bus stops in the vicinity of Kalorama Road on Connecticut Avenue - nearest bus stop on Columbia Road is three blocks east - so that aspect doesn't seem too controversial.

by Frank IBC on Sep 6, 2011 9:07 pm • link • report

It is worth emphasizing that this is a proposed redeployment of Metrobus resources to improve efficiency and respond to service utilization changes from customers. There is no net change in bus service regionwide with service adds and service reductions being roughly equal.

by Steve Strauss on Sep 7, 2011 8:39 am • link • report

I'd like for someone to take a look at the S1/2/4/9 line on 16th. It'd be nice if they didn't cluster up to a 5 bus log jam or weren't already packed before they got south of Columbia.

by Michael on Sep 7, 2011 11:07 am • link • report

I have never understood why buses have to stop in every block. Why don't they go to every 2 blocks for stops. I think this may speed things up.

by steph on Sep 7, 2011 11:50 am • link • report

To the person asking why all the 42/43 buses aren't made into 43s - some of us need to get downtown from Mount Pleasant. The buses from MP to Metro Center are now one-third of the bus runs and even those seem to be among the first runs cut if a driver doesn't show up, a bus breaks down, or whatever. And they're playing around with the morning service - at least one run doesn't show up periodically, but not predictably.

And bus stops are placed close together because a lot of passengers are elderly, disabled, or are traveling with small children, bags of groceries, etc. Two blocks doesn't sound like a lot, but if you're one of us who has to struggle with every step, it is.

by Todd on Sep 7, 2011 12:52 pm • link • report

I would complain about cutting the late night D8 service back, since I *try* to use that line to get home from H St. However, since the buses NEVER ACTUALLY SHOW UP and I always end up taking a cab instead, I suppose I don't care. Hey Metro, your runs may be "low performance" because THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY HAPPENING!

by Ms. D on Sep 7, 2011 1:00 pm • link • report

@ahk: as I understand it, transit agencies have computer models that can figure out where you get off the bus, through a combination of data points:
- where people get on the bus (one entrance = one exit)
- sensors at the exit doors
- having employees/interns ride the bus and keep track

by Payton on Sep 7, 2011 9:01 pm • link • report

My two questions are (1) why doesn't WMATA utilize smaller more energy efficient vehicles (van-types) on lines that have low volume - at times buses are running with only 2 or 3 folks onboard, and (2) why are same line buses often seen running piggy-back on each other instead of waiting for better timing intervals? I think WMATA could ave most lines and cut costs by improving efficiencies of scale.

by Stephen on Sep 8, 2011 8:57 am • link • report

@Stephen

In response to #1, in reality agencies do use different types of vehicles for different routes, it's just that these vehicles are pretty much all buses of varying lengths (some bus routes use smaller 30 foot transit buses, others use 45 foot or 60 foot articulated.) The reason they don't use vans is that most routes have some time periods where a small 30 foot bus will be pretty full, and switching the route to vans for other time periods is time consuming and doesn't really save that much fuel. Also maintaining extremely different types of vehicles costs the agency more than just having one kind of vehicle.

As for #2, I think most WMATA routes are spaced pretty well at least according to schedule, but the reality is that buses bunch up due to many factors outside their control, like traffic, the fact that passengers come in bunches b/c they're all trying to get to work at the same time, etc.

by MLD on Sep 8, 2011 9:06 am • link • report

Thanks for the reply. I understand generally the way the system is put together and why anomalies may appear to the casual observer (i.e., me or others) to be the norm and inefficient. I'm suggesting that these observations are still indicators of inefficiency. Is it that public transportation is inherently inefficient and the business model in place is the best only one? Perhaps different business model could be considered. What other means of transportation might passengers use at the same public rate in lieu of, or in addition to, the 30-45' buses -often empty and often bunched up? (BTW, the G2 is notorious on both counts). Say, outsource to cabs, school shuttles (e.g., Howard and GW's, others), or other transportation providers at time under utilized.

by Stephen on Sep 8, 2011 9:53 am • link • report

What we need is 'dollar' vans in DC along major roads such as Connecticut 14th streets.

by snowpeas on Sep 8, 2011 10:05 am • link • report

Yes it’s good if Board has decided to take public comments on this issue as people do have a right of transportation easily without any sufferings. The issues which are suggested like time to complete a trip is greater and they don’t want to put extra buses in place of that.

by Bus Hire Dublin on Sep 9, 2011 8:39 am • link • report

There's a simpler answer to Stephen's question about bunching: Generally, DC Metro bus drivers don't adhere to schedules. Certainly busses can be late when they hit very busy periods and unexpected surges in ridership, but those can also be monitored and adjustments made to schedules and vehicle assets over time to minimize that impact.

What's happening here is that bus drivers generally drive their routes as fast as they can, often catching up to each other or passing each other on their routes. I've ridden other major city bus systems where drivers stop and wait at a stop to stay on their schedule. It can be frustrating for riders in a rush, but it is the only practical way to maintain spacing and avoid 3-4 buses arriving at once, followed by an extended wait.

I haven't had the chance to ask the question at a public forum, but it seems like there is some kind of consensus among the metro community that on balance we'd rather have the buses drive as fast as they can once we're on them rather than adhere to schedules. If that's not the majority preference among riders then more of you have to complain, because that's the core cause of the problem.

The NextBus system has done a lot to reduce the impact of DC's 'fast-as-you-can' approach to Metro asset management, but it still amazes me when a packed 32 arrives in Glover Park, followed in the same block by two empty 36s and a medium-full 31. What a silly waste of energy and resources.

by JF_DC on Sep 9, 2011 1:19 pm • link • report

It will be important for WNATA to recognize the different cadre of people making up the ridership. What each value in their use of public transportation. Casual observation shows people place different valuation of time. While some may waiting 20-30 min. for a bus to go two or three blocks others look at that time delay as reason to walk to the same destination just to save time. Someone mentioned dollar buses- like many countries use, usually private owned and managed like taxis. The stop intervals are usually much longer, and certainly not at every other block like the many buses. These wouldn't appeal to folks who can't walk distances or where time is not important. DC's answer to dollar rides and intermittent stops is the extraordinarily cheap circulatory. BTW, how is that paying for itself? It looks so wasteful. Express buses also look to limit the number of stops to arrive faster. Yet in their implementation, they don't seem to get you there any faster. Like the one on Georgia and 7th (70?). But those, while could be faste,r have done nothing to encourage ridership, It seems the stop-at-every-stop buses were not cut back on that same route significantly, if at all, to encourage express bus ridership. I think a closer look at the market and what business model works for different segments or cadres of ridership would be useful to revisit if it's ever been done before.

by Stephen on Sep 9, 2011 2:14 pm • link • report

Why is the 90, 92 and 96 not on the list they have major problems due to the construction on 18th street.

Have the L2 go straight down Conn Ave and extend the 90/92 to Woodley Park Station

Reroute the 90 or 92 up 16th street then Columbia Rd to Ellington Bridge or up 17th Street then some side streets to Columbia RD then Ellington Bridge

Reroute 90, 92 or 96 up Conn Ave to Woodley Park Zoo Station bypassing Adams Morgan

The ideas with the P6 are just plain stupid; they are having all buses south of Capitol Hill take M Street. This duplicates the V7,V8 & V9 routes and removes service for others with no replacement at all.

Just get rid of the P1 and P2 move 2 or 4 bus stops so that the P6 and V lines can share some stops problem solved or reroute one of the V lines to replace the P1/2.

The routes of the A4, W2, W6, W8 and all other A or W bus lines need to be looked at.

As for the U routes WMATA should just reroute them to how they were 20 years ago it was way better.

I need to see how the R3 and R5 are replaced by the F6 and R2 before an opinion can be reached

WMATA needs to get out and drive around the city to see exactly what areas need service, what areas need less service, and what areas need more service. I seriously doubt they are driving around the city and surveying areas to see what can be done.

If service is low they could atleast run 1 bus an hour so areas are atleast served instead of having no service at all.

by kk on Sep 9, 2011 9:23 pm • link • report

This sucks. I live right between the 64 and H8 routes which are both perfect and a more convenient way of getting to and from downtown in comparison to the metro. Bummer.

by Kristin on Sep 14, 2011 11:37 am • link • report

The C8 stops just a few feet from the Archives driveway - so there is no 'replacement' by the C8 for the R3 (if it is discontinued). My husband works at The Archives and does not drive. He takes the R3 in part because it hooks up better for him at the Metro but also because it is much more reliable than the C8 - the C8 mostly is way of schedule. There are a lot of people who have to get to the Archives and it's not such a great idea to make it even more difficult to get there by public transportation - the roadways around the Archives are really clogged.

by AntoniaB on Jan 18, 2012 1:29 pm • link • report