Weekend links: Around the country

by Erik Weber • August 28, 2010 10:45 am

Photo from Roslyn BID

From blue to red: DDOT will be taking over the "Blue Bus" from Dupont through Georgetown to Rosslyn, converting it to a Circulator route. Because of route overlap, DDOT will shift the Union Station-Georgetown Circulator from M St NW south onto lower K Street. (Dr. Gridlock)

Checking out food: Baltimore is trying a new program to increase access to healthy groceries in so-called "food desert" areas... at the public library. Residents can order groceries online and the next day they will be delivered to the local public library branch. (NPR)

GOP for HSR: Virginia's Republican Governor, Bob McDonnell, may not be all bad when it comes to transit. At a town-hall in Chesterfield he expressed strong support for high-speed rail projects. Meanwhile, Ralph Munro, Washington state's Republican Secretary of State, makes a strong case why Wisconsin GOPers should support high-speed rail in their state. (Richmond Times-Dispatch, BizTimes.com)

Wheels on the bus: A Seattle mother talks about the virtues and challenges of taking children on transit and unearths some compelling safety statistics along the way. (Sightline Daily)

Unhealthy commutes: Gallup released a poll showing that people with longer commutes have a higher tendency toward various health problems, including high cholesterol and obesity. The survey was based on commute length without regard to mode, so it would be interesting to see how people with 30 minute train commutes compare to those with similar auto commutes. (Gallup)

All about EJ: Environmental Justice is a growing field, and one which stands to have major impact on future transit and development decisions across the country, evidenced by FTA's last-minute yanking of ARRA funding for BART's Oakland Airport Connector. Arizona State is offering a graduate class exploring EJ issues surrounding the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, including the impact of transit disruption. Coincidentally, Chairman Oberstar announced a congressional hearing on the aftermath and impacts of Katrina today. (Streetsblog, ASU News)

30/10: LA's leaders have come together to build a case for more federal and state money for transportation solutions. (TNR, charlie)

Red bikes: The non-profit that runs Montreal's Bixi bike-sharing ran a deficit last year, prompting the city's auditor to begin an investigation. (CBC, Froggie)

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11 comments

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Erik Weber has been living car-free in the District since 2009. Hailing from the home of the nation's first Urban Growth Boundary, Erik has been interested in transit since spending summers in Germany as a kid where he rode as many buses, trains and streetcars as he could find. Views expressed here are Erik's alone.

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It's spelled Rosslyn.

by Eric on Aug 28, 2010 12:34 pm • link • report

I've corrected the typo. Thanks.

by David Alpert on Aug 28, 2010 12:38 pm • link • report

aarg. The Blue Blus move is terrible.

You've just made Georgetown a lot harder to deal with. Now you can't get from K st downtown to M st in Georgetown w/o going up (or down!) a fairly big hill. Or get dropped off on Wisconsin and walk.

And I'm sure the Circulator will be slower and less frequent than the BB.

by charlie on Aug 28, 2010 1:16 pm • link • report

The NPR Baltimore story is from April of this year. Might be interesting to check in for an update. Reading the story, the program seems to serve 24 people. It's a start but an extraordinarily modest one. I also wondered just how many people in these areas have internet access. Hopefully the library also can help out with that.

by Jazzy on Aug 28, 2010 1:34 pm • link • report

I'm glad to have a Circulator instead of the Blue Bus.

Changes on the Georgetown route aren't as great. Eastbound on K then return westbound on M? That's bound to confuse people.

There are also some good adjustments to other routes. The Woodley Park route will run on 13th until Thomas Circle, rather than 14th, which was always congested. Late night service on the Georgetown route will run to McPherson rather than Farragut, to allow a transfer to the Woodley Park route.

by Gavin on Aug 28, 2010 2:35 pm • link • report

For any obsessives, here are the changes from the Blue Bus to the Rosslyn Circulator:

Rosslyn stop moved to opposite side of 19th St. N., saving a block of travel.
Key Bridge Marriott stop eliminated, skipping the detour there.
L & 25th stop now at L & 24th, in front of West End Library.
Sunday service begins at 7 am instead of 8.
Other minor stop adjustments, e.g. stop at M & 28th is moved east about 50 feet.

Plus the Circulator accepts SmarTrip (no need to carry cash, faster boarding, transfers to/from Metrorail and buses). But boarding at Rosslyn or Dupont (without a transfer) will cost $1 instead of $0.50 now.

Assuming they're retiring the Blue buses and switching to Circulator buses, they're also bigger, quieter, more accessible (kneeling), more attractive, you push a button instead of hollering for your stop, there's a back door for quicker egress, and there are bike racks.

by Gavin on Aug 28, 2010 2:55 pm • link • report

They couldn't have at-least had the Rosslyn-Dupont Circulator pass GW.

Going northbound they could have had the new route travel around the circle an up New Hampshire Ave resuming same route to Dupont. Going southbound they could have taken New Hampshire to 21st then K street around the circle and on to Penn Ave.

With the Union Station route now if your going to anywhere east of Wisconsin you have to walk or transfer at Wisconsin Ave to the new route WTF they should have put a transfer point near the circle.

How will service work to GW Hospital now ?

Big fail.

by kk on Aug 28, 2010 3:02 pm • link • report

@kk: Agree entirely. And if they had extended a little bit northward - through Dupont Circle up 18th and then down U st. - we could have had a Circulator that connects every Metro Line radially, three universities and four nightlife districts (M. St., Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, U. St).

by egk on Aug 30, 2010 4:39 pm • link • report

"Assuming they're retiring the Blue buses and switching to Circulator buses, they're also bigger, quieter, more accessible (kneeling), more attractive, you push a button instead of hollering for your stop, there's a back door for quicker egress, and there are bike racks."

And also thee will be less of them, which means service will drop and you'll have to wait for a bus longer.

Eliminating the Key Bridge Marriott stop just about kills this for me.

by charlie on Aug 30, 2010 4:48 pm • link • report

Why do people think there will be less of them? I work in Georgetown and completely support this change. I was always confused as to why the K street route went up above through the circle instead of straight through underneath, but I suppose it is to serve GW. But yes, if the blue bus took smart trip I'd have used it more often.

by Aaron on Aug 30, 2010 4:56 pm • link • report

Because there are at least 5-6 dedicated blue buses, and while DDOT hasn't said anything, the idea is they will use the smaller Circulators from Capitol hill. But they haven't said they would buy/lease any new buses -- which means less for both Georgetown and the hill.

SmartTrip was a problem, but you could have but machines in the older buses -- and they cut the fare to $1 to make it easier.

by charlie on Aug 30, 2010 5:06 pm • link • report