Archive for August, 2013

Metro Gets Points For Sustainable Construction

August 30th, 2013 Comments off

Metro’s newest facilities show commitment to sustainability.

BusWashReclaim

A bus wash reclaim room at Shepherd Parkway houses tanks that refilter water from the bus wash to be reused.

When it comes to constructing environmentally friendly facilities for employees and customers while reducing energy and lifecycle costs, Metro is taking the lead—LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, that is. As of September 2012, Metro has constructed two facilities that are LEED Silver certified— Glenmont Parking Garage and Shepherd Parkway Bus Facility – an extra effort that is well worth it.

“Sustainable facilities offer functional, comfortable and attractive environments for our employees who work there and for paying customers who use them daily,” said Edward Shepperson, Project Manager during the construction of both facilities and Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) at WMATA. “WMATA will realize benefits through energy savings, improved employee morale and expand the public’s perception of WMATA, not only as a leader in transportation, but also as a responsible custodian of the environment.”

LEED is a U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) program that provides third-party verification of green buildings through a rating system. Building projects earn points based on environmental impacts and human benefits of sustainable construction practices. In constructing the Shepherd Parkway Bus facility, WMATA earned points towards its LEED Silver certification for using recycled building materials, and recycling water through a large reservoir when washing buses. Read more…

Proposed Bus Service Improvements in Southwest DC (Routes 74, V7, V8, V9, and U2)

August 29th, 2013 15 comments

Metro is proposing to implement one of two possible restructurings of Routes 74, V7, V8, V9 and U2 to improve the efficiency of bus service in Southwest DC and provide a better balance of capacity and demand.

Option 1: Reroute the V7 and V8 between M St and Delaware Ave SW and 6th St and I St SW to travel via Delaware Avenue SW, Canal Street SW, P Street SW, 4th Street SW, M Street SW, and 6th Street SW.  Service on the V7 and V8 would also be extend to the Convention Center (K & 6th Streets NW) via 7th Street NW.  V7 and V8 service would be discontinued between Minnesota Ave Station and Deanwood Station, from 3rd Street SW to I Street SW between 6th Street and 3rd Street, and between L’Enfant Plaza and Bureau of Engraving. Route U2 would be extended from Minnesota Ave Station to Deanwood Station and Sunday service added between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. every 30-40 minutes.  Route 74 would be discontinued.  There would be no changes to Route V9

Option 2: Shorten the V9 to operate between Benning Heights and Potomac Ave Station.  Service would be reduced on Route 74 to every 16-20 minutes weekdays and operate between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.  There would be no changes to Routes V7 or V8.

The maps below illustrates the changes proposed. Please review and let us know what you think.  We will also be presenting these options at our upcoming public hearings.

Rts_V7,8,9_74_U2_PAGE1

Map showing elimination of Route 74 service and enhancement of services on Routes V7, V8 and V9.  Click image for larger version.

Rts_V7,8,9_74_U2_PAGE2

Map showing replacement of a portion of the V7 and V8 routes with an extension of the U2 route. Click image for larger version.

 

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Restructuring bus service in Bowie, MD

August 29th, 2013 3 comments

Earlier this year Metro conducted a comprehensive service evaluation study of the bus routes serving Bowie, MD.  Metro is currently looking at implementing some of the recommendations that emerged from the study.  Three options are under consideration:

Option 1: Instead of operating to New Carrollton Station, all service on the B21, B22, B29 and C28 routes would terminate at the Bowie Park & Ride lot.  To reach the New Carrollton Station, riders on these routes would connect with a new shuttle service at the Bowie Park & Ride lot. The shuttle service would travel via John Hanson Highway and operate every 10-15 minutes.

Option 2: Routes B21, B22, B29 would continue to operate through the Bowie Park & Ride lot to New Carrollton Station. The frequency on each route would increase during rush hours to an even 30 minutes. Schedules would be coordinated between the three routes at the Bowie Park & Ride lot to provide a 10 minute service frequency to and from the New Carrollton Station.

Option 3: This option is the same as Option 2 but would also eliminate service to the Crofton Park & Ride lot on B29.  This route would, instead, serve the Bowie Health Center, Bowie Senior Center, Bowie Town Center, and Gateway Center.  B31 trips would also be converted to B29 trips.

The maps below illustrates the changes proposed. Please review and let us know what you think.  We will also be presenting these options at our upcoming public hearings.

Bowie Option 1

Map illustrating Bowie routes restructuring Option 1. Click image for larger version.

 

Bowie Option 3

Map showing Bowie routes restructuring Option 3. Click image for larger version.

 

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Fall 2013 Public Hearings on Metrobus Service Changes

August 28th, 2013 16 comments

Hearing1

The Washington region is consistently in the top three “most congested traffic areas” in the country. Economic development projects, street realignments and increasing amenities for pedestrians and bicyclists result in increased traffic congestion, which affects the smooth operation and running time of buses. Further shifting the demand for bus services are workplace location changes, increasingly developed neighborhoods, and new construction projects.

In order to serve customers efficiently, Metrobus services must change as well. Metro is evaluating service changes for several of its bus routes and will be holding public hearings between September 16 and 19. For each location, Open House will begin at 6:00pm, and Public Hearing will begin at 6:30pm. All change proposals in the docket are eligible for comment at any of the six Hearing locations.

Read more…

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Bus service changes proposed for Duke St and Little River Turnpike (Routes 29K and 29N)

August 27th, 2013 3 comments

In order to  improve service frequency and reliability and to reduce travel time between Fairfax County and key destinations in the City of Alexandria, Metro is proposing the following changes for Routes 29K and 29N:

  • Extend Route 29N to the Vienna-Fairfax Metrorail Station via Arlington Boulevard, Nutley Street and Saintsbury Drive.  This would create new connections between Annandale and Northern Virginia Community College – Annandale Campus to the Metrorail Orange Line.
  • Terminate both routes at the King Street-Old Town Metrorail Station and discontinue service between the Metrorail station and Old Town Alexandria.
  • Eliminate the route diversion to service to Landmark Mall on both routes. All 29K and 29N trips would remain on Duke Street and continue to serve stops adjacent to the mall.
  • Operate both routes with limited-stop service between King Street Metrorail Station and Little River Turnpike and Oasis Drive (I-395.). The DASH AT8 will continue to serve all stops in this segment. The 29K and 29N would make stops only at King Street Station, Alexandria Commons, Duke & Jordan Street, Duke & Paxton Street, Duke & Walker Street and Little River Turnpike and Oasis Drive. All stops will continue to be served west of Oasis Drive (I-395).  The DASH AT8 line provides very frequent service along the 29K,N alignment within the City of Alexandria allowing DASH to provide for all local-oriented trips and allowing Metrobus to focus on regionally-oriented trips to and from major destinations within the City of Alexandria.

The maps below illustrates the changes proposed. Please review and let us know what you think.  

Rt_29K,N_PAGE1

Map illustrating changes proposed to routes 29K and 29N. Click image for larger version.

Rt_29K,N_PAGE2

Map showing stop locations for proposed limited-stop service. Click image for larger version.

 

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Bicycle Access to Metrorail On the Rise

August 26th, 2013 2 comments

The number of Metrorail customers riding their bike to the train station increased by 50% over the last 5 years, as Metro makes progress towards its 2020 goal to attract more bicyclists.

More cyclists are accessing Metrorail by bike than ever before.  According to results from the 2012 Metrorail Passenger Survey, the number of riders bicycling to Metrorail in the morning rush hour increased from around 1,550 to over 2,380 per day between 2007 and 2012. Bike access to Metrorail now accounts for 1% of entries each morning, which moves us closer to our Board-adopted goal of over 2% (over 7,000 bicycles!) by 2020.

Bike Access to Rail 2012

In this survey, riders who access rail by bicycle in the morning peak could be taking Capital Bikeshare to the station, riding and parking their own bike at the station, or bringing a folding bike on-board.  The Passenger Survey is one way we measure bicycle access. We see a similar pattern in our annual count of bike racks at stations each spring (currently nearing completion for 2013, stay tuned).

The growth in bike access has happened at the same time as bicycling is increasing generally in the region, and as Metro has added more bike racks at stations to accommodate and encourage bicycling, including a secure Bike & Ride parking prototype facility at College Park station.

Categories: In The News Tags: , , ,

Metro Wants To Know How You Want To Know

August 23rd, 2013 2 comments

Metro is seeking public input regarding how and when riders would like to receive information about service changes, as the transit agency continues to enhance its two-way dialogue with customers.

Metro is asking riders to participate in a survey, available online at wmata.com/servicechangesurvey, to help determine which types of service changes rise to the level of public hearings being necessary. The results will inform policy decisions on when public hearings are held. Read more…

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Pershing Drive – Arlington Boulevard Line (Route 4A, B, E, H) Study Completed

August 21st, 2013 Comments off

4 Line PhotoMetrobus in cooperation with Arlington County and Fairfax County recently completed a seven month long Service Evaluation Study (SES) for the Pershing Drive – Arlington Boulevard Line (Route 4A,B,E,H). The line serves Rosslyn, Arlington Boulevard and Pershing Drive, terminating at Seven Corners and Culmore.

The goals of the Service Evaluation Study are to:

1) Review the capacity, productivity, reliability, and quality of the service;

2) Identify the needs for facilities along the line and

3) Recommend changes to improve service delivery.

The study team reviewed existing operational and traffic conditions along the line, and then conducted a riders survey and a public outreach effort, using one focus group and two public meetings, to gain input from riders. After assessing all the available data and rider inputs, service recommendations were proposed for:

  • Service Hours
  • Frequency
  • Reliability
  • New Limited Stop Service
  • Route Simplicity
  • Bus Stop Distance and Amenities
  • Traffic Operations

Read more…

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Metrobus Public Meeting for Martin Luther King Jr. Highway Line (Route A11 & A12)

August 20th, 2013 Comments off

A12The Martin Luther King Jr. Highway Line (consisting of routes A11 and A12) is one of the busiest Metrobus lines in Prince George’s County. The line provides service from Capital Plaza to Addison Road Metro Rail Station via Landover Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Highway. On an average weekday, this route has nearly 3,000 riders. On-time performance (OTP) is generally good, averaging more than 80% for the past year.

Metro Bus Planning initiated a study of this line in June 2013, looking to improve service and efficiency.  Some of the issues identified so far include:

  • Route directness and convenience
  • Low frequency of service during peak periods on weekdays and on weekends
  • Peak period traffic congestion problems along sections of Landover Road and Martin Luther King Jr Highway
  • Survey indicated that riders require more late night and weekend services, more frequency and better reliability
  • Too many bus stops too close together
  • Missing bus stop amenities

Metro will also host a public meeting to discuss the findings as well as the preliminary service improvement proposals.

The meeting will be open house style so you can drop by anytime.  Metro Planners and project staff will be on hand to speak one-on-one with participants and get feedback about potential options for service improvement. Please also give us your comments below and/or complete the survey available online.  For further information, check metrobus-studies.com. Read more…

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TPB Releases Regional Transportation Priorities Plan

August 19th, 2013 Comments off

Surveys rank Transit Crowding and Metro Repair Needs as top two transportation challenges in the region.

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) recently released the draft of their Regional Transportation Priorities Plan (RTPP) for public comment.  The plan, the result of a multi-year planning effort, worked to identify the top transportation challenges in the region, and pair them with near-term, long-term and ongoing strategies.

According to the draft report, there were many opportunities for public input in the process, including forums hosted by America Speaks and an online survey, which is still collecting responses.

The top winner in the priorities plan is transit, as the top-two transportation challenges region-wide were identified as Transit Crowding and Metro Repair Needs and the top-rated strategy was identified as Metro Maintenance.

The study provided three long-term strategies for consideration:

  1. A regional network of High-Occupancy Toll Lanes with new bus rapid transit (BRT) operating on them.
  2. Concentrated land use paired with an increase in capacity of existing transit systems and enhanced bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
  3. A combination of 1 and 2.

The study did not include any expansion of the transit network other than BRT on toll lanes, and opted to not include other strategies/modes in which this region has heavily invested.

The public comment period for the RTPP closes on August 23, 2013.   Options for providing comments are on the TPB’s website.

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