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The K9 MetroExtra Bus Route Surpassing Expectations

April 30th, 2015 8 comments

Two years and 500,000 riders later, the K9 continues to demonstrates the benefits of MetroExtra limited-stop bus service.

At the end of this month, the K9 bus route will pass an important milestone – it will carry its half-millionth rider.  Since its inaugural run, the K9 has continually surpassed all of our expectations.

The concept for the K9 emerged from a year long study on bus service needs in the New Hampshire corridor and on New Year’s Eve 2012, Metro launched the K9 service – the first limited-stop bus service introduced in Maryland in many years. The K9 provided faster and more reliable service along New Hampshire Avenue between Fort Totten Metrorail station and the Northwest Park apartments in Montgomery County. Riders responded enthusiastically, pushing the K9 over its 6-month target of 650 daily riders in less than four months.  In March 2014, we extended the route north to the Federal Research Center in White Oak to coincide with the transfer of several thousand FDA employees to that facility and increased the service frequency to every 15 minutes.  Ridership surged again, passing 1,000 daily riders for first time only a week later. Two months later daily ridership was up another 20% to 1,200 daily riders.

K9 Ridership by day

Ridership on the K9 has grown an astonishing 50% year-over year for the past two years in a row, and this growth has not come at the expense of ridership on the underlying K6 local bus service (the K6 grew 2% between 2013 and 2014 and has been virtually flat for 2015).  Instead, the K9 has tapped into pent-up demand for transit service within the corridor by providing desperately needed capacity.  Read more…

Metrobus X2 Continues to Gain Riders

March 23rd, 2015 7 comments

Ridership on the X2 Metrobus line has jumped 14% after Metro changed the way the line is managed.

X2 Ridership growth

The X2 bus on the busy H Street/Benning Road corridor has always been one of Metro’s busiest routes at over 13,000 riders per day.  (If the X2 were a Metrorail station, it’d rank just above Silver Spring and just below Rosslyn!) 

Through most of 2014, the X2’s on-time performance (OTP) averaged about 65% – well below Metro’s goal.  Insufficient running time in the schedule, and disruptions from planned and unplanned detours along the route created uneven spacing between buses leading to “bus bunching” and long gaps between buses.   These service gaps often led to significant overcrowding, particularly during the midday period.

So to improve reliability, we made some changes in December 2014:

  • To meet demand, we increased the frequency of buses to an even 8 minutes all day long –  6:00am-7:00pm on weekdays.
  • We deployed a team of dedicated supervisors on the street (at Minnesota Avenue and Lafayette Square) and at the Bus Operations Control Center to ensure even spacing between buses on weekdays. The X2 is now a “headway-managed” route on weekdays, meaning our primary goal is to maintain buses evenly every 8 minutes throughout the day.
  • We adjusted the  scheduled running times by about 15% for all trips.

The results have been impressive: ridership has jumped 14% from 12,700/day in October 2014 to 13,800 in February, overcrowding (particularly during the midday) has been virtually eliminated, and on-time performance has grown to 83% – a remarkable achievement for a heavily congested urban corridor.

Major changes coming for Metrobus routes 32 and 36

August 12th, 2014 6 comments

Service improvements are coming along Pennsylvania Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue affecting Routes 32 and 36. These changes are designed to provide more reliable and frequent bus service to the majority of riders.

What are the changes?
Route 32 will no longer provide crosstown service between Southern Avenue and Friendship Heights. Buses will now operate between Southern Avenue and Foggy Bottom. Crosstown service to Friendship Heights will be replaced by the NEW Route 30S. Route 36 will no longer provide crosstown service between Naylor Road and Friendship Heights. Buses will now operate between Naylor Road and Foggy Bottom. Crosstown service to Friendship Heights will be replaced by the NEW Route 30N. NEW Route 33 will operate between Friendship Heights and Archives, replacing routes 32 and 36 service on Wisconsin Avenue. Read more…

Bus Options for Blue Line Riders

June 24th, 2014 12 comments

“If I’m a Blue Line rider in Virginia, what are my bus options once the Silver Line opens?”

16Y to McPherson Sq.

The 16Y to McPherson Sq.

We get asked this question quite a bit, and even more so now that the opening of the Silver Line is rapidly approaching.  As we have written about extensively on PlanItMetro, the start of service on the Silver Line will mean a reduction in the frequency of rush hour Blue Line trains.  Average headways will increase from 8.5 minutes to 12 minutes.  For most riders, once they arrive at a Blue Line platform their quickest ride will still be via train (even with an additional few minute wait), but there are numerous options for riders looking to switch from rail to bus or new riders looking to commute via bus.

Here are some of your best bus options if you are a Blue Line rider going to, or coming from:

Downtown DC

  • 7Y: Southern Towers to downtown DC.  Beginning August 24, the 7Y will be rerouted to pass within walking distance of these Blue Line stations:
    • Pentagon
    • Arlington Cemetery
    • Pentagon City (2 blocks)
    • Crystal City (2 blocks)
    • Farragut West
    • McPherson Square Read more…

Major changes coming to Metrobus routes 10A, 10B, 10E, and 9E on March 30

March 26th, 2014 2 comments

Last fall we let you know about changes we proposed on the bus routes serving Hunting Point and the Mount Vernon Avenue/Jefferson Davis Highway corridor.  We developed the original proposal based on recommendations that emerged from a comprehensive study conducted on Routes 10A, 10B, and 10E in 2013.  In the weeks leading up to our September public hearings as well as in oral and written testimony given at those hearings we received numerous comments and opinions on the options we presented.  We incorporated that feedback into an adjusted proposal and presented it to Metro’s Board of Directors for approval.

On Sunday, March 30, 2014, Metro will implement these changes that will impact Metrobus routes 9E, 10A, and 10E.  We believe riders will benefit from faster travel times and improved connections between Alexandria, Crystal City and Rosslyn.

What these changes mean for you:

Route 10A riders:
During the a.m. peak period northbound (from Hunting Point) and the p.m. peak period southbound (to Hunting Point), Route 10R will replace 10A service. Route 10R will provide a direct connection between Crystal City and Rosslyn bypassing the Pentagon. Existing 10A passengers traveling to the Pentagon may take a Route 10E bus or transfer to Metrorail at Braddock Road Station. These changes do not impact off-peak, weekend, a.m. peak period southbound (from the Pentagon) or p.m. peak period northbound (to the Pentagon) 10A service. Read more…

Major changes are coming to Metrobus routes 23A and 23C on March 30

March 25th, 2014 Comments off

On Sunday, March 30, 2014, Metro will improve bus service in the Tysons-McLean-Crystal City corridor. The changes, which will affect Metrobus routes 23A and 23C, were part of a series of improvements presented at our public hearings in the fall of 2013 and will provide significantly improved bus service for the majority of riders on these routes.  This restructuring will also allow better coordination between Metrobus, Metrorail and Fairfax Connector bus service once Silver Line service begins.

What these changes mean for you:

Route 23A riders: 
Route 23A will operate between Crystal City and Tysons Corner Center weekdays during non-peak periods and at all times on weekends. During weekday peak periods, new routes 23B and 23T will replace Route 23A service. New Route 23W will replace all service between Tysons Corner Center and Tysons-Westpark Transit Station.

Route 23C riders:
Routes 23B and 23T will replace all 23C service between the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Chain Bridge Road in McLean and Crystal City. Route 23C service will be discontinued. Alternate service in the McLean and Langley areas is provided by Metrobus Routes 15K and 15L on Chain Bridge Road and Dolley Madison Boulevard. Read more…

New routes, more service, and other changes coming to bus routes in Southeast DC

March 24th, 2014 2 comments

Last fall, Metro presented numerous proposed bus service changes at our public hearings. Many of these proposals impacted bus routes in Southeast DC and we received significant feedback from riders and other concerned citizens.  We heard you, we listened, and we updated or discarded our proposals based on your feedback.  Our original set of proposals included changes to:

What is happening now?

On Sunday, March 30, 2014, Metro will implement major changes on several Metrobus routes in Southeast DC, including the M2, M8, M9, V7, V9, and W4. These changes will improve neighborhood circulation and provide the direct connections to shopping and community services that residents have requested. These changes will also allow Metro to improve service on local high ridership routes. Here is what these changes mean for you: Read more…

Changes are coming on March 30 to Metrobus service in Laurel

March 21st, 2014 Comments off

Effective with Metro’s March 30, 2014 service changes, Metrobus will implement major changes to bus service in Laurel on routes 87, 88, 89 and 89M. During a comprehensive study of the Laurel bus routes, riders expressed a desire for more reliable service that operates later into the evening. These changes will begin to address those issues.

What these changes mean for you:

Route 87 riders:
During weekday morning peak periods, trips leaving Laurel at 5:48, 6:25 and 7:11 a.m. will continue from Greenbelt Station to New Carrollton Station. During weekday afternoon peak periods, three trips to Laurel will begin service at New Carrollton Station and will serve Greenbelt before continuing to Laurel. These three trips are scheduled to depart New Carrollton at 4:05, 4:55 and 6:20. Read more…

New routing proposed for Route 7Y in downtown DC

September 17th, 2013 7 comments

Metro is proposing to reroute the 7Y within the District of Columbia to serve the Foggy Bottom area as well as Farragut Square, McPherson Square, and Franklin Square.  This routing would provide a new, direct bus connection between Virginia and Washington’s downtown employment center as well as provide an additional travel option for current Blue Line riders between the Pentagon and downtown Washington, DC.  Under this proposal, the 7Y would follow its current route between Southern Towers and the US State Department (via the Pentagon) then to Franklin Square via 18th/19th Streets, and I/K Streets.

The map 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.

Rt_7Y

Map illustrating change proposed for route 7Y. Click image for larger version.

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Improving bus service on the 30s line (Routes 31, 32, 34, and 36)

September 5th, 2013 30 comments

The bus routes along Wisconsin and Pennsylvania Avenues are some of the busiest in the Metrobus system.  However these routes suffer from overcrowding and poor on-time performance.  In order to improve the frequency and reliability of service, Metro is exploring significant changes to routes 31, 32, 34, and 36.

These changes would include:

  • Adding service on Route 32 from Southern Avenue and Route 36 from Naylor Road and terminating both routes at Foggy Bottom.
  • Adding service on Route 31 from Friendship Heights and moving its terminus from Potomac Park to Archives.
  • Discontinuing service on Route 34 and moving its resources to Routes 32 and 36.
  • Creating a new Route 30 that would run between Southern Avenue and Friendship Heights.  Four different routes being considered this new line:
  • Option 1: Same as Route 32 between Southern Avenue and Potomac Avenue Station SE, then west to Georgetown via Lincoln Park, Union Station, and Thomas Circle, and then follow Route 31 between Georgetown and Friendship Heights.
  • Option 2: Same as Route 32 between Southern Avenue and Eastern Market, then west to Georgetown via 8th Street, Massachusetts Avenue, Union Station, and Thomas Circle, and then follow Route 31between Georgetown and Friendship Heights.
  • Option 3: Same as Route 32 between Southern Avenue and Independence Ave & 7th St SW, then west to Foggy Bottom via Independence Ave, 17th St SW, Virginia Ave, and Washington Circle, and then follow Route 31to Friendship Heights.
  • Option 4: Same as Route 32 between Southern Avenue and Anacostia Freeway (295) SE, then west to Foggy Bottom via Anacostia Freeway, Southeast/Southwest Freeway, Maine Avenue, 17th St SW, Virginia Ave, and Washington Circle, and then follow Route 31 to Friendship Heights.

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.

Rt_31

Map illustrating proposed changes to Route 31. Click image for larger version.

Rts_32,34,36

Map illustrating proposed changes for routes 32, 36 and 34. Click image for larger version.

Rt_30

Map illustrating options for proposed Route 30. Click image for larger version.

 

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