Fall 2013 Public Hearings on Metrobus Service Changes

August 28th, 2013

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.

Dates and locations are:

Monday, September 16
Oxon Hill Library
6200 Oxon Hill Road
Oxon Hill, MD

Monday, September 16
Bailey’s Elementary School Cafeteria
6111 Knollwood Drive
Falls Church, VA

Tuesday, September 17
Shirlington Library
4200 Campbell Avenue
Arlington, VA

Tuesday, September 17
DC Dept. of Treasury, 2nd Floor Conference Room
1101 4th Street SW
Washington, DC

Wednesday, September 18
The Atrium at Treetops
8181 Professional Place #200
Hyattsville, MD

Thursday, September 19
LaSalle Elementary School Auditorium
501 Riggs Road NE
Washington, DC

Documents related to this Docket #B13-02 can be found at:
http://www.wmata.com/community_outreach/B13-02_landing/B13-02_landing.cfm

Routes seeing improvements in this bus service change proposal are:
• District of Columbia: 31, 32, 36, 42, 96, 97, D6, E2,  E4, E6, H1, H3, H8, U2, V7, V8, V9, W1
• Maryland: 87,88, 89, 89M, B21, B22, B29, B30, B31, C2, C4, C12, C14, C28, K6, K9, NH1, W15, Y5, Y7, Y8, Y9
• Virginia: 1A, 1C, 1F, 2B, 2G, 7Y, 9E, 9X, 10A, 10B, 10E, 10X, 15M, 18E, 18F, 18P, 18S, 23A, 23T, 25B, 26A, 29K, 29N, CCPY

Routes proposed for reduction or elimination are:
• District of Columbia: 5A, 34, 74, 80, M2, M8, M9
• Maryland: R3
• Virginia: 3B, 3T, 4A, 4B, 4E, 4H, 5A, 13F, 13G, 25E, 29K, 29N

The proposed package of service changes does not increase budgeted operating costs. Many changes will improve overall on-time performance and passenger satisfaction, serve more riders, and improve operating efficiency.

Hearing2

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  1. September 5th, 2013 at 09:27 | #1

    When will the proposed route change for the 96 begin??

    V

    • Jerry Roberson
      September 5th, 2013 at 11:05 | #2

      If approved, changes would be implemented June, 2014.

      Jerry Roberson, senior planner
      Metro’s Office of Bus Planning

  2. Jessica
    September 5th, 2013 at 11:36 | #3

    I completely disagree to the proposed changes to the 31,32, and 36 routes; the changes would mean less service for the NW wisconsin area (towards Friendship Heights) along a long road which doesn’t have other metro options. These buses are very packed in the morning of commuters, and 31 is the only bus that currently goes from upper Wisconsin down past Foggy Bottom to 21st street area. These changes would mean insufficient service to the NW wisconsin area and no direct line of transport from the NW wisconsin/friendship heights down to Foggy Bottom/21st st. area.

  3. Tom Rampulla
    September 5th, 2013 at 18:25 | #4

    I’d rather see fewer pickup and drop off times in Crofton rather than eliminating the Crofton routes altogether. Who would want to put up with Option 1 (spoke & hub)? It’s already a 35 minute bus ride from Crofton to New Carrollton so why would anyone want to spend another 15 minutes on a bus transfer?
    Also, the June 2013 report reflects ridership data that was collected during December 2012. December is the lowest ridership with Christmas break and the New Years holiday skewing the data.

  4. Michael
    September 10th, 2013 at 18:18 | #5

    I think the M8 and M9 should be extended instead of eliminated. The route should go further to the Camp Simms Shopping Center or Alabama Ave Shopping Center. Then the ridership will improve. All The W4 needs to be added as well this route should run every 15-20 minutes with the Extended bus ie. X2 route buses. The W4 from the beginning to the end of the route is extremely crowded and needs to be looked over again.

  5. Phill
    September 10th, 2013 at 20:20 | #6

    The flyer strangely categorizes E6 as being “improved”. After years and years of Metro trying to get rid of E6, I was so surprised that I went and read the details. Metro is proposing to *eliminate 14 of its daily trips*! Please correct the placement of E6 in the flyer: Metro’s proposal is to reduce it.

  6. lilK
    September 11th, 2013 at 08:57 | #7

    what changes areplanned for C2 C4 ? I hopenot elimination!
    I hope a solution to seeing three C buses back to back on the road.
    Lastly, PLEASE extend Sunday evening service !

  7. Jerry Roberson
    September 11th, 2013 at 16:04 | #8

    I see that Jessica and Tom Rampulla have left their comments also on the other, route-specific posts here on PlanItMetro. Responses will be made at those posting locations.

    Michael and Phill, thank you for your comments. They have been noted and will be used to help Metro’s Office of Bus Planning determine the best course of action after the public hearings next week.

    lilK, The C2/C4 Line Study has just been completed. Study recommendations (short, mid, and long-range oriented) will be posted at metrobus-studies.com in the next few days. For the upcoming public hearings, proposed changes are as follows:
    • Adjust travel times travel times used for the weekday schedule so that they more closely reflect current traffic conditions (Saturday and Sunday scheduleds have recently been adjusted)
    • No change to existing routings.
    Such travel time adjustments must be made periodically, due to changes in traffic situations along the route. The same number of trips are made throughout the day, and the frequencies of trips would be relatively unchanged; however, the timing of a bus at a certain bus stop might be slightly adjusted.

    I encourage you to attend one of the public hearings next week to continue to make your voice heard.

    Jerry Roberson, senior planner
    Metro’s Office of Bus Planning

  8. Matt Swanson
    September 12th, 2013 at 09:49 | #9

    Yes the 42 and H8 definitely need improvement in capacity especially during rush hour. I see they’re not included in this list but I still feel that the capacity on the S2/S4 lines for after 8pm is too little. Buses are still frequently so crowded that nobody can get on OR so bunched up that if you miss the 3 back to back buses you have to wait half an hour for another one which also ends up being full.

    Anyway, I also have a slightly related but off-topic question about the H_ routes. My understanding of the bus numbering scheme is that DC-only routes are numbers, routes primarily serving Maryland start with a letter followed by a number and routes primarily serving Virginia start with a number followed by a letter. So how does the H_ routes, which serve only DC start with a letter? Is it because long ago the H_ routes served Maryland and over the years were cut shorter and shorter to their present form?

  9. Michael
    September 12th, 2013 at 10:17 | #10

    Hi, Matt:

    I can address the route numbering system. You are pretty much right with the DC/VA/MD bus route naming system. Using # to represent any number and _ to represent any letter:

    ## = DC, ie 96
    _## – MD, ie B30
    #_ or ##_ – VA, ie 5A.

    However, you’re missing one important part: the routes/lines that are only numbers are old streetcar routes. If you look up an old map of the DC Transit streetcar system, you’ll see many familiar numbers and routings. For DC buses that aren’t old streetcar routes/corridors, the naming pattern is _#, such as H2, S1, X2. These are all DC-based routes but they weren’t streetcar corridors so they got a different naming system.

    At least, that’s my understanding!

  10. Naz
    September 12th, 2013 at 13:33 | #11

    I did not attend any of the meetings. Is there any proposed routes through Ceder Lane from Tysons Corner to Dunn Loring, or Merrified Area?

  11. Djr
    September 15th, 2013 at 09:59 | #12

    18P already has people standing and takes 55+ minutes from the start of the line to the Pentagon-you are adding significant time and more overcrowding extending to the VRE lot. Add a different line or have the 17 line extend its options as it already goes there

  12. Steven
    September 19th, 2013 at 09:28 | #13

    Eliminating the one seat ride 5A to Herndon or Dulles Airport from L’Enfant is a horrible idea! Instead of relaxing on one bus with just 2 stops, I would have to deal with nearly 20 stops on the Orange line, THEN walk with my things over to the 981 LOCAL bus to the airport. Why does the District think that this is a good idea?

  13. Jerry Roberson
    September 23rd, 2013 at 11:22 | #14

    @Naz

    Naz, Route 462 (viewable at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/routes/silverline/routes.htm) appears to serve Cedar Lane. You may want to review all the bus services that feed the Silver Line for details on that and other routes.

  14. Jerry Roberson
    September 23rd, 2013 at 11:25 | #15

    Djr and Steve, thank you for your comments. I will forward them to staff for additionial consideration. Staff is currently re-evaluating proposals, based on rider feedback during this public hearing period.

    Jerry Roberson
    Metro’s Office of Bus Planning

  15. Carl
    September 24th, 2013 at 15:39 | #16

    Good afternoon Mr. Roberson,

    I have three issues I’d like to bring to your attention. They are as follows:

    #1: The newly proposed H3 route with its extension to the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station with Express Service is fantastic. However, I highly recommend that Metro consider adding a stop at 12th and Franklin, NE. Currently, this specific bus stop is served by the H8 which takes “the long way” around Eastbound towards Rhode Island Avenue and Westbound towards Columbia Heights. And, the H9 which is a truncated line and provides limited time of service. The residents of South Brookland should have an opportunity to board/disembark the new H3 Express Service bus at the intersection of 12th and Franklin, NE without having to travel to the Brookland Metro Station and/or Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station which are 1.4 miles apart from one another.

    #2: Will Metro consider changing the name of the H8 line? Currently it is the Park Road-Brookland Line, yet it does NOT end at the Brookland Metro Station. It ends at the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station. And if the bus line were to be extended (as proposed) to the Tenleytown-AU Metro Station, it should then be renamed the Tenleytown-Rhode Island Avenue Line. Providing riders with correct information regarding where the H8 bus line ends/begins is fundamentally important and I can not comprehend why Metro does not address this and put this inaccuracy to an end.

    #3: Why is there is no way for someone to select the H3 or H8 bus line in your most current survey? The only choices that are somewhat close, but not entirely relevant, are the H1 and 42 bus lines. Is this an oversight?

    Thank you very much in advance to your time and attention to these matters.

    Carl

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