Rediscover the Bus
March 8, 2011
Through innovation, I believe we can re-introduce bus transportation in DC in a way that benefits not only our residents, but also the neighborhoods it serves.
Growing stronger transportation options in all of our neighborhoods, particularly improving bus service, is a priority for me as a member on the Metro Board. The Metrobus system cannot simply be a commuter route for getting people in and out of the city for their workday - it should provide reliable and attractive alternatives to move about our neighborhoods, support our local small businesses, and connect us to all the amenities throughout the city.
Improving the experience for current riders, and attracting new residents to choose bus service is a challenge we can meet. Much like Metro did for rail service, we need to think about the re-invention of buses and how it can better serve our city.
Many cities around the country, and internationally, have had great success with dedicated Rapid Bus Transit to meet growing commuter demand. Locally, our Circulator provides clean and efficient travel for shorter routes between neighborhoods, with a price and a schedule you don't have to guess. These are models that could be expanded into our neighborhoods, linked with the Metrorail system, to make bus transit more convenient and efficient, and create hubs of activity around community Metro sites.
In addition, new concepts such as putting buses on headway schedules (arriving every 10 minutes or so) and embracing technology tools like Next Bus have changed what we've come to expect from bus travel. In the process, it both attracts new riders and improves service for those already using the bus.
I believe part of my role on the Board of Directors of WMATA is to hear from residents who use our bus and rail systems to learn what works well, what doesn't, and explore the next innovation that WMATA needs to overcome its challenges.
I'm starting with a listening tour in Ward 7 this Saturday morning, 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. I'll be looking for feedback, ideas and constructive criticisms of our bus system. You can join us at the Department of Employment Services offices, 4058 Minnesota Avenue, NE.
If our city is going to rediscover the bus, we need you to be a part of the conversation.
i'm impressed that the sanbag alotment per resident has been raised to 5. How does tommy feel about this?
One way to encourage people unfamiliar with Metrobus to use bus service is to have Metro publish a "frequent network map", showing only the bus routes that travel throughout the day at a frequency that means you won't need to look up a schedule (something like a bus every 12 minutes).
I'm glad to see that Metro is thinking about this (there is a draft map on their long range planning blog) and that Tommy is interested in this idea.
THANK YOU! This is a fantastic idea and I'm glad to see you working on it Mr. Wells! I would love to be less-reliant on Metrorail--but currently using the bus can be so difficult. Take for example last night, at 9pm when I wanted to get home from church choir practice--I needed to go from 16th and P to 16th and Spring Rd, a simple commute on the S2/S4 line. Unfortunately those routes only run every 20 minutes at night and after seeing two of them pass by packed to the gills, I gave up and walked out of my way to find a less-crowded bus route. In all, I could have just used Metro and probably would have saved some time and frustration. So I'd love to see bus service improve for people who actually LIVE IN DC and want to get around IN DC :-)
In Paris, every metro stop has a small LED display that tells commuters when the next bus is arriving for each line serving that stop. Since DC buses already have GPS systems (I think?) it might not be too costly to add some simple displays to bus stops and link them to the existing GPS system. And the value of knowing that the next bus is arriving in 5 minutes when it is 15 degrees outside, at 2 am in the morning, is priceless.
I am concerned about the possibility of the cutback on the Circulator route in SW. This bus provided a necessary means of transportation for seniors in our area as well as persons working in the area that need access to get to other parts of the city more directly than underground - also during the many times that the Metro is shutdown or service is cut back. Please keep the Circulator