Nothing on the big MWAA report from this weekend?

The dollar limit on Smartrip for rail is ok; but i hope they allow it on buses.

by charlie on Aug 13, 2012 11:36 am • link • report

RE: SmartTrip I use the bus much more than Metro so I never know what my balance is. Very annoying.

RE: home sales
The homes on my block are selling like hot cakes. One sold in a week and the other never officially went on the market before selling privately. In more general terms, it appears that housing values in the inner suburbs are as strong as ever while those in the exurbs continue to languish.

"Maryland nad Virginia" Autocorrect?

by movement on Aug 13, 2012 11:38 am • link • report

There was a comment in the Atlantic Cities posting of the gentrification article that basically said that it was all well and good but intent aside, gentrification can have perverse effects on residents of the neighborhood. In the USA this often means african-americans and so you have to mitigate the impact.

It was a helpful reminder, that said, DC has a lot of programs in place (like the homestead act and such) to lessen these impacts. But it is important to separate the specific economic impact of gentrification vs. any broader cultural questions (which I don't worry about because we might as well start accusing eminem of "swagger-jacking" hip hop for a short time as well). Moreover, culture is a fluid thing. American culture has changed at larged since the 70's as well and its geography has changed along with it.

by drumz on Aug 13, 2012 11:43 am • link • report

@movement some busses show my balance. Is this not the case on all of them?

by David F-H on Aug 13, 2012 11:50 am • link • report

@movement
If the screen on the farebox is working it tells you what your balance is.

Also it should be possible for them to allow negative balances on bus but not on Metro. Seems to me that's farebox/faregate controlled. But of course they won't - they'll just change it across the board. Which means more people slowing down the bus by putting money on their cards.

by MLD on Aug 13, 2012 11:50 am • link • report

@MLD; assuming the farebox display is working. I'd say a large minority don't.

And yes, crazy to have more people line up to put money on their card while boarding the bus. In fact, they should just REMOVE that option.

Speaking of hacks, when did the cut the circulator transfer time down?

by charlie on Aug 13, 2012 11:53 am • link • report

Why not just upgrade the ExitFare machines to accept SmarTrip?

by Tom Veil on Aug 13, 2012 12:14 pm • link • report

@charlie
And yes, crazy to have more people line up to put money on their card while boarding the bus. In fact, they should just REMOVE that option.

Sorry, but you probably won't get around Title VI requirements; if you remove that option where are people who take the bus regularly who aren't near a metro station (mostly poor people) going to refill their cards?

@Tom Veil
Why not just upgrade the ExitFare machines to accept SmarTrip?
They have done so. If they change to disallow negative balances then you will have to fill up at an exit fare machine. But setting a minimum entry amount basically sets a maximum negative of the max fare minus the minimum entry.

by MLD on Aug 13, 2012 12:19 pm • link • report

@MLD; you do it the same way the rest of us do -- go to CVS.

Or online with the next generation of cards.

by charlie on Aug 13, 2012 12:25 pm • link • report

@charlie
Online doesn't work as those same people probably don't have access and don't have a credit card.

As for CVS, EotR I think there are THREE retail locations (CVS/Giant) where you can add value, and only one of them is also not close to Metro (Skyland CVS). There is simply not enough coverage there and making people take extra trips to fill up their card is just cruel.

by MLD on Aug 13, 2012 12:32 pm • link • report

@MLD Put Smartrip machines at libraries and DC rec centers.

by Steve S. on Aug 13, 2012 12:44 pm • link • report

crazy to have more people line up to put money on their card while boarding the bus.

I understand the need to charging Smartrip cards on the bus. I have not problem with it. However, I do have a problem with people who charge their card day after day with the exact fare. That is insane. Make a minimum deposit $5. Even a poor person that rides the bus every day should be able to scramble that together.

by Jasper on Aug 13, 2012 12:49 pm • link • report

I fully support being able to add fare on the bus (and whatever amount people want to or are able to add). As MLD said, there are many people who do not live near a Metro station, or have a credit card/internet access. What could speed up the traffic flow on the bus is to let individuals who have already loaded SmarTrip cards board first, and have people who need to add funds board second. The bus operator can start driving while an individual is adding funds.

by RB on Aug 13, 2012 1:30 pm • link • report

@MLD; yep, nothing like disadvanting bus riders all over the Metro area for the sake of those EOTR.

by charlie on Aug 13, 2012 1:31 pm • link • report

How about eliminating cash fares and load-on-the-bus from the limited stop routes like 79, S9, X9 etc.?

by Steve S. on Aug 13, 2012 1:46 pm • link • report

@charlie
I'm have no idea where you live but if this is such a big problem on the buses you ride then it's because there isn't anyplace else to fill up other than on the bus. When I ride the bus in places with plenty of metro stops/cvs/etc almost nobody puts money on their card. It makes sense - the bus is probably the last place people want to load their cards. But that means just taking away the ability to do so isn't a fix - it will only serve to disenfranchise people (which could get the transit agency in trouble with the FTA) and will lead to more people just paying in cash on the bus anyway which is just as slow.

by MLD on Aug 13, 2012 1:53 pm • link • report

@MLD I've seen people load their cards on the 50s bus at 14th and Irving, that is to say, they could have used the Smartrip machines at Columbia Heights metro, they just didn't want to bother.

by Steve S. on Aug 13, 2012 2:02 pm • link • report

@RB; the issue is the load is complex enough that in most cases the bus driver has to stop and issue instructions. And while it would be nice to issue instruction -- cash/smarttrip loads board last -- do you think that is going to happen?

@MLD; your position would have been stronger before WMATA spent millions bringing smartrip loading to CVS/Giant and what not. They also expanded the number of machines available at metro stations.

Boarding is a key driver of bus efficiency. You can see how much quicker circulators load because of the $1 fare. Anecdotally, you see people load money much less on Circulators as well, although the ability to do do is there. As I said before, and most Circulator drivers don't see to know how to assist and wave people off trying.

by charlie on Aug 13, 2012 2:05 pm • link • report

A few weeks ago in NYC, I saw MetroCard machines at a number of busy bus stops.

WMATA should invest in some cheap SmarTrip machines, devise a formula to determine the bus stops with the greatest number of boardings, install machines, and require prepaid SmarTrip payments at those stops.

(Oh, and they should make the "tough decisions" and eliminate some stops while they're at it. There are an absurd number of closely-bunched stops on some Metrobus routes.)

by andrew on Aug 13, 2012 2:11 pm • link • report

Oh, and WMATA could also try putting addfare machines *on* buses by the rear doors. I believe a number of LRT, streetcar, and BRT systems already do this.

No idea if it would actually help things, but it could be worth a shot...

Considering the amount of money that Metro and the local jurisdictions spend on bus service, it's about time that we start demanding better performance from our bus system.

by andrew on Aug 13, 2012 2:14 pm • link • report

I definitely understand that the load on the bus is complex because I teach individuals with disabilities how to do just that- usually using pictures and step by step instructions.

So, an option would be to have a (better) marketing campaign to either:
a) teach people how to load funds to their card on the bus
b) teach people about the courtesy of letting indivdiuals who don't need to load funds board first.

by RB on Aug 13, 2012 2:15 pm • link • report

I read the gentrification piece and thought it had a lot of good points, but at the end of the day, of course gentrifiers like gentrification. It's been nothing but good to them.

I doubt The Atlantic will ever give the other side the microphone, but we'll see.

by Corey on Aug 13, 2012 3:29 pm • link • report

@RB:The bus operator can start driving while an individual is adding funds.

Except that that would be dangerous, oh and a violation of federal law. You can't be before the yellow line while the bus is moving.

by Jasper on Aug 13, 2012 4:01 pm • link • report

@Corey - the Atlantic article linked to the WP article it was responding to about "swagger-jacking" and also to other articles about gentrification/changing-DC-demographics in addition to containing large quotes from those articles including from the former. So those voices ARE given a "microphone" in the Atlantic article. All you have to do it read them.

I personally found the Atlantic article more informative about the history of the U St neighborhood (data) and more interesting and thought provoking than those others by giving the back-story on legislation that helped people invest (homestead tax credit, i.e.)and how the current cultural venues intentionally developed and are directly descended from that history both politically and artistically.

by Tina on Aug 13, 2012 5:00 pm • link • report

There are plenty of people who ride metrobus predominately and can only add fare while on route. Also, with so many display boxes not working on buses the idea of carrying a balance is absurd. If 1 million riders are carrying a balance "just because" that is more money at metro's discretionary disposal and that's all there is to it.

by MiCoBa on Aug 13, 2012 5:30 pm • link • report

Because the displays don't work having a balance on your card is "absurd?" Pretty sure having a balance on your card is "convenient" as opposed to adding $1.60 every time you get on the bus.

And actually, Metro is not allowed to use the money until someone pays for a fare with it!

by MLD on Aug 13, 2012 5:33 pm • link • report

> WMATA should invest in some cheap SmarTrip machines,

Visited Baltimore a while ago and found several fare machines where I wanted to board the light rail, and *all* of them were broken.

by Turnip on Aug 14, 2012 1:21 am • link • report

Smartrip

The Simple solution to everything with the bus is to put some damn machines at the actual damn bus stops. Stops that come to mind in DC are 7 & H Streets NW, Mass Ave & 1st Street NE, 14th & U Street NW, Wisconsin & M, Naylor RD & Alabama Ave, Georgia & Kennedy.

In every jurisdiction add machines to police stations, court buildings and other municipal offices and at all bus stops that are at malls or any other place of interest.

Put machines at the entrance to all stations and especially the ones that are deep or not close to the bus stops at the stations (Silver Spring, Greenbelt, New Carrolton)
Work something out so that all CVS, Safeway, Giant, Shoppers, Wal-Mart, & 7 Eleven stores in the area have machines to add money to the cards or some other way.

Balance issues let users get a balance refunded if chosen like other systems do all over the world.

by kk on Aug 15, 2012 6:34 pm • link • report