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Apparently this is due to delays in production as well as the building of a new test track.  The line is set to open December 2013 or so, while the test track facility is set to open March 2014 (although WMATA would be able to start using it January of 2014).

I really think it would be a better idea to delay the opening of the line until there are enough extra cars for the service.  The existing fleet is strained as is...

http://washingtonexaminer.com/silver-line-to-use-old-rail-cars-initially/article/746116

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/post/metro-to-add-bus-service-alter-routes/2012/03/22/gIQAaSWGUS_blog.html?wprss=rss_dr-gridlock

The changes will go into effect in June on bus routes in these areas, including Naylor Road to Potomac Park, Pennsylvania Avenue, Wisconsin Avenue, 16th Street NW, Georgia Avenue, Southwest waterfront, Leesburg Pike and New Carrollton to Silver Spring.

Finally the F4/6 is getting some well needed attention.  Hopefully they find a way to add more service to alleviate the severe crowding.

The money to pay for the changes to the priority bus corridors comes from a $5 million surplus in Metro's fiscal 2011 budget. Metro General Manager Richard Sarles said there was a surplus after Metro paid off a "preventative maintenance loan" and did an audit.

Interesting, but I hope they would be able to find the money to keep the changes in place after the next fiscal year.  I'm glad the bus division hasn't been forgotten as they work to fix up Metrorail.

http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/10615484/dc-metro-cuts-back-plan-to-protect-bus-drivers-with-plastic-shields

Both sides have very valid points...  I remember SEPTA was hesitant to install such shields because of driver comfort and that it could affect (however minor) the driver's ability to escape in an emergency.  I'm still flabbergasted by the price.  I understand they wouldn't cost $10 to make or something like that, but $1500 each and then an additional $200 to install?

http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=5081

It's nice of them to address the "super-names", although I think some of the shortened names will lose important descriptors.  One I can think of is "Chinatown" from Gallery Place, another is "Zoo" from Woodley Park Zoo (I guess I didn't realize the area was just known as "Woodley Park"), and most importantly removing the "New York Ave" and replacing it with..."NoMa"....

NoMa really didn't make sense to me, so I discovered that it's the new name of the area north of Union Station along the Red Line ROW.  I guess that makes sense, but I would think New York Ave would be a better descriptor.  I guess as time goes on and "NoMa" becomes better developed, people will understand why it's called this.  Frankly, I think the developers are likely paying WMATA to change the name of the station to reflect this new community.

Found this on WaMu - apparently Deanwood and Suitland stations are the "winners".

http://wamu.org/news/11/09/22/wmata_top_10_worst_stations_for_crime

It basically seems to be a short turn service for the Southern end of the 70/71.  I guess it would've been too much to add this route to the current 70/71 brochure.

Press release here: http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=5038

I was rather intrigued by the proposal to send the F6 to Fort Totten and eliminating the R3 and R5 (which I never really saw anyway).  Of course, that could likely lead to more crowded buses on the F4, right?

GGW has a post on this: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11933/bus-adjustments-may-be-coming-to-a-line-near-you/

I dunno about that idea for 30 min headways.  Yes, it sounds nice on paper, but then you risk losing service completely if there isn't enough ridership to sustain hourly headways.  At the same time, I think anything less than that would be horrid anyway.

Ok, I actually am not sure of the exact name of the stop (although I thought it was for Lebanon Street) but I noticed that the little "bus cut" seems to have been removed, and now buses have to stop in the middle of a travel lane.  Maybe it was due to crowding?

Here's a pic of how it used to be:


Anyone have any details?

Here's a Washington Post article about it: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/at-foggy-bottom-metro-unveils-first-new-escalator-in-system-wide-effort/2011/07/11/gIQAwRBk9H_story.html

Hmm...didn't realize there was a market from Annapolis to New Carrollton, though...

http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/10279892/md-bus-line-facing-ax-again-officials-annapolis-to-new-carrollton-route-too-costly

Are Ride-On's 35 footers still running?  The CNG Orion Vs, that is.  Any new buses coming soon that may be CNG powered?

http://www.masstransitmag.com/publication/article.jsp?siteSection=3&id=13982

Maryland's leading Republican senator is urging lawmakers to saddle Marylands Washington suburbs with the billion-dollar cost of the regions planned Purple Line rail, while letting rural counties off the hook.

[This bill] comes out of the frustration of representing a rural area and watching highway user revenues draw down to the point where we cant repair our roads, said Senate Minority Whip E.J. Pipkin, of the Eastern Shore. And yet were watching news conferences where the governor says were moving forward with the Red Line and Purple Line.

Gov. Martin OMalley has cut state funding for local roads and bridges called highway user revenues by more than 95 percent in the last three years, and his fiscal 2012 budget includes additional cuts.

The planned 16-mile Purple Line, a light rail connecting New Carrollton to Bethesda, would cost the state roughly $1.6 billion. A $1.8 billion high-speed rail the Red Line is planned for Baltimore.

Pipkins legislation would create an independent taxing authority to collect revenues for the rails from Montgomery, Prince Georges and Baltimore counties, as well as Baltimore City.

If they want it, let them pay for it, Pipkin told the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, which is considering his bill.

This may not be such a bad idea.  It may help to reduce the conflict that MD has in terms of getting funding for Metro.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dr-gridlock/2011/02/montgomery_forms_transit_task.html

Wow, I wonder what's keeping the traffic so high in Mont Co., especially with the transit and roadway network out there.  Where are all of these people going?  Would the Purple Line and Corridor Cities Transitway even solve the problem?

This is kinda sad.  I can understand the reasoning with the fareboxes, but 1.1 million rides really is nothing to sneeze at!  Is there anything they could do to fix those fareboxes as well?  This does explain a lot about the adequacy of service for some routes that are ridiculously overcrowded...

Article here:

http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/dc/2011/02/metro-failing-collect-accurate-bus-ridership-audit-finds

WMATA really needs help though...things like this make the problems seem even worse than they may be and really hurts the Authority's credibility.  It's just about understandable why all of the jurisdictions in the Compact have their own transit services...

They are adding 263 new positions to the payroll in a variety of departments.   Check out the story here:

http://www.masstransitmag.com/publication/article.jsp?siteSection=3&id=13588&pageNum=1

Metro is seeking to add 263 positions to its payroll, despite pleas of austerity and a request for millions of dollars more in taxpayer subsidies.

The transit agencys budget proposal calls for a workforce of 11,237 for the coming fiscal year, up from the 10,974 positions funded in the current budget.

While enjoying Vintage Soul's pictures, I came across some surprises:

1) Brand new Metrobus signs of a new style, as seen in this picture of 5402



2) Tyson's Express bus.  Who is running that service?  It reminds me of a PRTC bus.

Any answers to these questions would be much appreciated!  I fell so out of touch with the DC Area Transit Scene...

Where...is this money coming from??  Isn't MARC consistently crying poverty and eliminates service on anything that's not a standard weekday?

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8930/marc-will-run-more-shorter-trains/

How's their electric engine fleet holding up?  I've heard the HHP-8s are horrendous and the AEM-7s aren't much better.  Perhaps an overhaul is in order to improve the reliability of those engines?

Found this at http://www.metrobus-studies.com/K6/K6.htm.  I must say thank heavens, it's about time they do something about this overcrowded and often late bus line!

The proposals are very interesting.  They include some beefed up weekday peak service (although weekend service really shouldn't be forgotten), including a short turn at Northwest Apartments (?) while providing a K9 express option as well. 

At first I had my reservations about the success an express route would have on this line, but considering that the K6 definitely has specific major stops along the line, it may work.  I just wonder about cutting out the apartment complex as that is a huge generator of ridership.  I guesss those people will have to rely on the short turn service (K5?) or route 20.

I'm really glad that WMATA is finally addressing the issues on their bus routes, making them more attractive to ride.  I know the C buses (C2, 4) should be on the study list sometime soon, as well as other routes that I'm not completely familiar with.

On another somewhat relevant note, I'm very intrigued at how Takoma, PG, and Mont Co are trying to market the New Hampshire Avenue corridor as "The New Ave", a great place to visit and live.  Seems like there are some areas that I really should check out when I'm in the area, such as the Zodiac Music Store so I can charge up my Smartrip Card with ease.

Hey all!

I hope to make a trip down there again...sometime soon...(when finances permit it ).  I just had a few questions to clarify what's going on in DC.

WMATA:
Flxibles...are basically off the streets, right?  Bs, Ds, and Es (man, how time flies!).   If so, are most of the Orion Vs (42/4300) essentially relagated to weekday only service?  Also, if any Flxes break out, where would they run?

NABI 60-BRTs: I see they are running on the X2 now.  Is this full time, weekends included?

American Ikaruses:  Are these now gone?  If not completely gone, where do they roam?

DE60LFAs: Did these essentially take over for the NABIs?  Will I find them on the Q2...er...Q1, 2, 4, or 6?  Is the F4/6 running any of them?

40 foot New Flyers:  Are they dominating the Montgomery and Landover scene, especially those LFAs?

Ride-On:

Are the Phantoms still running out of Silver Spring division, and if so, is it rare?

Am I correct in my reading that the 40 foot Orion V CNGs are only available on weekdays? I guess the same goes for the M11 Orion Vs.

ART:

Is there any rhyme or reason to where they are assigning the 31-LFWs?

Thanks for your input!  I hope to make it down there soon!

An associate of mine went to DC for a day trip and was quite disappointed that there was  no daypass or even transfers for WMATA any longer.  This brings me to this question.  What is a one time visitor, who really would have no use for a $5 Smartrip, supposed to do if he wants to ride around the area?  Are there any special tourist passes out there sold at Visitor's Bureas that a tourist can go to?

WMATA really should bring back such a pass, even if the price is jacked up to 6 dollars.  It would be best to have a combo Metrorail/Metrobus/Circulator pass.  I'd imagine this would be a concern...I mean, were the daypasses rarely used when they did exist?