This appears to be the final proposal for cuts & changes for DC dated March 19th:
http://www.wmata.com/community_outreach/B10-2_landing/docket/bus_dc.pdf (http://www.wmata.com/community_outreach/B10-2_landing/docket/bus_dc.pdf)
http://www.wmata.com/community_outreach/B10-2_landing/docket/bus_md.pdf
http://www.wmata.com/community_outreach/B10-2_landing/docket/bus_va.pdf
Wow! $6 for the B30? That's going to be interesting, although I do see the point of charging a little more than a typical express route, but I don't know if it's really an 'intercity' type trip as they are trying to make it.
And the F6 to Fort Totten is intriguing, sort of like bringing back the old peak only F5.
Wow - that's a lot of cuts. If all of this happens... there won't be much service after midnight.
I find the R12, T12, T14, T16, T17 change to be pretty good, but other than that, I don't really like these changes, especially with the C8, F6, R2/R3 changes.
are there any alternative links or something to the DC and VA PDF files? the DC one keeps freezing and the VA one won't load
I think they should keep the R3 just running from PG Plaza to Fort Totten. The R2 plan is ridiculous. Riggs Road to Univ. Blvd. to 23rd Ave. to E/W Hwy back to Riggs Road? Although it's less of a delay than riding to PG Plaza and back to Riggs, that's crazy. At least the R3 could just keep covering it and then maybe they can interline at Fort Totten with the R2 like they do on weekends. Perhaps the R3 could even interline with the 80.
If they're worried about duplication of service on the F6/F4, just send the F6 to Takoma and instead of New Carrollton, find some other destination, maybe Landover?
I do like the idea to shave frequencies, that's what we did rather than hack away at routes. WMATA has so much duplication of service that it makes sense to eliminate some routes though. Some of it is just historical and of little or no use. It would be nice if they would show what the passenger impact was though. How many passengers are really affected by a lot of the changes, particularly if there are no alternatives.
The overnight stuff must really be low if that's what they're looking at cutting back. Typically that's when service is the most efficient and requires the least amount of resources, so I can't imagine the overall savings would be that much.
Quote from: Perry on March 27, 2010, 10:24:30 PM
I think they should keep the R3 just running from PG Plaza to Fort Totten. The R2 plan is ridiculous. Riggs Road to Univ. Blvd. to 23rd Ave. to E/W Hwy back to Riggs Road? Although it's less of a delay than riding to PG Plaza and back to Riggs, that's crazy. At least the R3 could just keep covering it and then maybe they can interline at Fort Totten with the R2 like they do on weekends. Perhaps the R3 could even interline with the 80.
If they're worried about duplication of service on the F6/F4, just send the F6 to Takoma and instead of New Carrollton, find some other destination, maybe Landover?
I do like the idea to shave frequencies, that's what we did rather than hack away at routes. WMATA has so much duplication of service that it makes sense to eliminate some routes though. Some of it is just historical and of little or no use. It would be nice if they would show what the passenger impact was though. How many passengers are really affected by a lot of the changes, particularly if there are no alternatives.
The overnight stuff must really be low if that's what they're looking at cutting back. Typically that's when service is the most efficient and requires the least amount of resources, so I can't imagine the overall savings would be that much.
I can attest for that on the S line and the 42 where there are alot of late night workers that are heading home on those after midnight trips as well as those people who go out on Friday and Saturday nights.
I bet there are some trips in the overnight that are more productive than mid-day.
My understanding is that a lot of those late night G2 trips are well utilized as well. Since GUTS (Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle) has infrequent evening service a lot of students use the G2 between GU's campus and DuPont Circle.
Just my opinion but I think the post-midnight cuts are largely symbolic similar to what all levels of government do: Go for the seemingly "low hanging fruit" that has minimal $$ impact but addresses the public perception that such services are "wasteful".
Regarding reduced headways I think this is mostly positive since, IMO, while shorter frequencies are perceived as a service improvement it becomes more difficult for operations/supervision to maintain schedule adherence which increases the probability of bunching, especially in peak periods. Thus what theoretically should be a significant improvement in service actually impedes service reliability which leads to frustrated riders. Shorter headways mean more buses/drivers at higher cost for little actual benefit to riders from increased service. On the surface this would seem to favor the argument for more artics on longer headways. The surface equivalent of: Is it better to run more frequent overcrowded six-car trains or longer eight-car trains on wider potentially more reliable headways?
Duplication/triplication of service goes back to DC Transit days. I believe this has less to do with rational service planning and more to do with pandering to local political realities where my brothers/sisters in DC have always perceived that the 'burbs were getting more/better service than DC was getting for their fares/taxes. That perception still exists and is felt by the city council and WMATA board. That will probabaly not change in our lifetimes: It is what it is. To a lesser extent that perception exists in the 'burbs as well.
My solution? Cut back WMATA to Metrobus only in the District plus Metrorail. Bus service outside DC reverts to the counties. Rail is still supported by all the jurisdictions per the Compact.
What do you think?
I could only upload the DC routes so far, and I'm notice that a lot, if not all, of the "school based routes" are being completely eliminated. Was Metrobus not getting funding for these routes in any form? If that's the case, why create them in the first place? Are they historic routes?
I'm also very disappointed in the discontinuation of late night service. How will people get home from late night jobs at the hospitals, entertainment venues, etc? Couldn't they work to at least reduce the frequencies, even if it must be hourly? Is Metrorail getting cut in such a manner as well?
EDIT: Just managed to download the MD cuts. I must say...thank goodness for Ride On! A lot of transit access seems to be saved by Montgomery County's transit system, especially in the late nights.
Regarding late evening service, they should look at the PPSH, passengers per service hour, of each of those routes and then cut the trips that don't meet a certain threshold. We have a 20 PPSH standard that we've been applying and if a certain late evening trip doesn't meet it, it's on the block to get chopped. At some point, you have to fish or cut bait, but if it's a well utilized trip, it's really bad politically to get rid of it.
They should just contract all of their bus operations out and they can save a ton of money on wages and benefits that their unions have forced on them!
They really do need to do some real transit planning and forget the old days of mixing in the routing schemes and do something that is logical and easy to understand.
Not sure if the $6 for the 5A and B30 is that odd nowadays. FFX Connector has two routes charging $7 per ride weekdays between Reston and the Pentagon.
Info here: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=3356
That's alot of cuts. But most every transit agency is going through this unfortunately. I'll chime in more with my 2 cents when I get a chance.
Quote from: Transport on March 29, 2010, 02:14:20 PM
Not sure if the $6 for the 5A and B30 is that odd nowadays. FFX Connector has two routes charging $7 per ride weekdays between Reston and the Pentagon.
Info here: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=3356
The difference between those FFX routes and the 5A/B30 is that almost 100% of the ridership on the FFX routes is paid via the pre-tax transit benefits of government workers. Not the same with the 5A/B30.
If anything, I'd say $4.50 via SmarTrip, $5 even for cash. Makes it quick, easy, and painless for tourists to pay.
Scrabble, we actually agree! I've always said charge cashers $.50 or $.00 and let the ST crowd get all the nickel-and-dime discounts. If a tourist happened to stray onto a city bus, they'd probably pay $1.50 over $1.45 anyway. $3.20 on an express bus becomes $3.25 easily. It's a source of revenue that tourists wouldn't care about but that the locals don't have to suffer through.
If I started a Facebook group called "Jack up the cash fare!", would anyone join it?
Quote from: Tristan on March 31, 2010, 12:05:20 PM
Scrabble, we actually agree! I've always said charge cashers $.50 or $.00 and let the ST crowd get all the nickel-and-dime discounts. If a tourist happened to stray onto a city bus, they'd probably pay $1.50 over $1.45 anyway. $3.20 on an express bus becomes $3.25 easily. It's a source of revenue that tourists wouldn't care about but that the locals don't have to suffer through.
If I started a Facebook group called "Jack up the cash fare!", would anyone join it?
It would be smart to do that. I always thought it should have been 1.25 instead of 1.20 for that increase back in the early part of the 2000s.
At least the C2 won't be as long anymore. Greenbelt Station should have been the eastern terminus all along, instead of Roosevelt Center.
These cuts start June 27th, right?
Quote from: Tritransit Area on March 31, 2010, 07:56:38 PM
These cuts start June 27th, right?
These are proposed changes that are on the table given the number of public meetings still scheduled to occur. It's quite alot to take in. It reminds me of (that which will not be named) that happened in Baltimore and how big the packet was of all the changes and cuts.
The 80% J5 I was on this morning (with the entire 80% staying on until after the Beltway) is going to be the centerpiece of my written testimony.
What are the odds of Ride On starting a "5X" or "105" route in rush hours if the J5's routing takes it off the Beltway? I'd hack away the on-life-support Nicholson routes for that to happen if possible.
Quote from: Scrabbleship on April 01, 2010, 10:49:02 AM
The 80% J5 I was on this morning (with the entire 80% staying on until after the Beltway) is going to be the centerpiece of my written testimony.
What are the odds of Ride On starting a "5X" or "105" route in rush hours if the J5's routing takes it off the Beltway? I'd hack away the on-life-support Nicholson routes for that to happen if possible.
Zero. The point of these cuts isn't to reallocate resources, it is to reduce them.
If the J5 was somehow further modified beyond this proposal to somehow get to White Flint, I don't think the reroute is too bad. I don't think that many people get on or off at Grosvenor, unless something has changed in the past 5 years or so.
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on March 31, 2010, 02:59:59 PM
Quote from: Tristan on March 31, 2010, 12:05:20 PM
Scrabble, we actually agree! I've always said charge cashers $.50 or $.00 and let the ST crowd get all the nickel-and-dime discounts. If a tourist happened to stray onto a city bus, they'd probably pay $1.50 over $1.45 anyway. $3.20 on an express bus becomes $3.25 easily. It's a source of revenue that tourists wouldn't care about but that the locals don't have to suffer through.
If I started a Facebook group called "Jack up the cash fare!", would anyone join it?
It would be smart to do that. I always thought it should have been 1.25 instead of 1.20 for that increase back in the early part of the 2000s.
If I cut both of you at the pass and make the group, I promise to make you both officers :)
Quote from: Scrabbleship on April 06, 2010, 11:44:48 AM
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on March 31, 2010, 02:59:59 PM
Quote from: Tristan on March 31, 2010, 12:05:20 PM
Scrabble, we actually agree! I've always said charge cashers $.50 or $.00 and let the ST crowd get all the nickel-and-dime discounts. If a tourist happened to stray onto a city bus, they'd probably pay $1.50 over $1.45 anyway. $3.20 on an express bus becomes $3.25 easily. It's a source of revenue that tourists wouldn't care about but that the locals don't have to suffer through.
If I started a Facebook group called "Jack up the cash fare!", would anyone join it?
It would be smart to do that. I always thought it should have been 1.25 instead of 1.20 for that increase back in the early part of the 2000s.
If I cut both of you at the pass and make the group, I promise to make you both officers :)
Don't bother with FB. Why don't you submit a written comment before today's deadline instead?
The deadline for written comments is today (April 6) at 5 PM. I just submitted my comments via email, and was wondering if anyone else did as well? Here is a copy of my e-mail:
QuoteTo whom it may concern:
My name is Oren Hirsch. I have lived in the Washington, DC area for nearly my entire life and am a strong advocate for public transportation and Metro in particular. I am well aware of the budget challenges that WMATA currently faces in light of the current economic situation, and have reviewed the proposals for fare increases very carefully. The most important thing to consider is that shifting capital funds to cover operating expenses is a recipe for disaster in terms of future funding and maintenance, and should not even be considered. It is high time for fares to go up, including for bus riders in all jurisdictions, and for underutilized services to be cut. I would much rather see service being added, but unfortunately, these times do not allow for that. With that said, I would like to offer my thoughts on the various proposals:
1. For all increases, consider making the fares, especially non-Smartrip fares, multiples of 25 cents wherever possible. Having round numbers like these eliminates the need to fumble for change at the farecard machines or at the farebox on buses.
2. I am strongly opposed to the idea of charging an extra 50 cents on Metrorail during the peak of the peak for all trips. I used to reverse commute from Friendship Heights to Grosvenor and the train was empty. A surcharge on that type of trip is going to drive away riders, especially reverse commuters. If such a charge is implemented, it should only apply at downtown stations that see high levels of congestion, or at other crowded locations such as at Shady Grove.
3. I am in favor of having a higher fare on Metrobuses on all routes during rush hours.
4. I am strongly in favor of reducing the amount of transfer time from 3 hours to 2 hours. For that matter, I don't even understand why it was extended to 3 hours in the first place, no trip should be taking 3 hours.
5. I am strongly in favor of having higher fares for riders who do not use Smartrip, on both the subway and buses, at all times. (Additional Smartrip vending machines should be installed at stations that do not have them as well.)
6. I am opposed to lowering the age for free rides for children.
7. I am strongly opposed to the reduction in frequencies on the Metrorail system during off peak hours, especially on weekends and during the evenings on weekdays. Though slight reductions would probably be tolerable, the wait for a train can never be more than 20 minutes or else the system becomes unusable to the point where no one will use it. Also, if trains are going to come less frequently, when service is modified due to trackwork, the notices for the trackwork should indicate how the published schedules might be affected so riders can plan ahead and not miss their trains, and the timetables that are available for download on the Metro website should be prominently displayed in stations and available as brochures so people can minimize waiting time and maximize connections. That said, I would much rather pay a higher fare to retain the current evening and weekend frequencies.
8. I am in favor of the service reductions on MLK Day, Presidents Day, and between Christmas and New Years and on the day after Thanksgiving. However, I find that ridership on Columbus Day and Veterans Day is still slightly higher than on a Saturday, and have seen ridership data to support this, so these cuts may not be as appropriate on those days.
9. I am strongly opposed to the proposal to eliminate all 8 car trains at rush hour. Instead, I would suggest running fewer, longer trains. For example, for every 4 6 car trains in service, run 3 8 car trains, and don't cut capacity from the current levels. This will reduce labor costs, provide consistent train lengths, and also result in the trains being more reliable since there will be fewer trains to bottleneck when there is congestion.
10. I am strongly in favor of the proposal to modify Red Line service. Coupled with my comments above about running fewer, longer trains, in addition to saving money, I think this proposal will result in a more reliable Red Line service. Service has deteriorated ever since the 2.5 minute headway was introduced about 6 years ago because there are too many trains trying to funnel through the line each hour.
11. I am in favor of reducing the frequencies of train service before 6:30 AM on weekdays, as ridership during that time is not as heavy as it is during the later part of the morning rush hour.
12. I am in favor of closing additional mezzanines during weekends and evenings.
13. I am in favor of closing lightly used stations on weekends, but would also suggest considering the closing stations that are lightly used in Downtown on weekends, such as Judiciary Square, Farragut West, Federal Center SW, and Federal Triangle.
13. I generally don't have any detailed comments on the bus proposals, but generally support the elimination of low ridership trips, underutilized routes, and routes where service is highly duplicated. However, there are some changes that I did want to comment on:
A. For the H2 reroute, if the H2 is meant to replace the N8, why not run the H2 on its pre-1999 route via Reno Road and maintain service there? This isn't significantly different than the current proposal, since connectivity to the Red Line and L1/L2/L4 (proposed to be eliminated) is maintained.
B. I am concerned about what appears to me to be a reduction of frequency of service between Fort Totten and Prince Georges Plaza outside of the rush hour period, with the proposed changes to the R2 and F6.
C. I am in favor of the proposed change for the J5, although I would rather see C2/C4 service retained between Twinbrook and Wheaton.
14. In addition to these cuts, an entire evaluation of the bus system should be made to find duplicative services and to make the system more efficient. The current Metrobus system seems to be designed based on the needs and patterns of riders in the 1970s and not 2010.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Oren Hirsch
Mine was so long, it might take Metro until FY2011 to read it ;)
Seriously, it was just long enough. Went into detail about the Yellow/Red changes, some routes, late night service, fares, the 5A/B30 situation, and bringing MetroAccess closer to ADA minimums. Bringing this back on topic, I suggested a 25-cent difference on SmarTrip between local bus/Metrorail, 50 cents for express buses.
Quote from: Scrabbleship on April 06, 2010, 03:37:54 PM
Mine was so long, it might take Metro until FY2011 to read it ;)
Seriously, it was just long enough. Went into detail about the Yellow/Red changes, some routes, late night service, fares, the 5A/B30 situation, and bringing MetroAccess closer to ADA minimums. Bringing this back on topic, I suggested a 25-cent difference on SmarTrip between local bus/Metrorail, 50 cents for express buses.
Care to share it?
Oren, I liked your letter. The points were clearly marked out and in general it was easy to read. Are they actually having in-person public hearings, or did that happen already?
Quote from: Tritransit Area on April 06, 2010, 09:00:25 PM
Oren, I liked your letter. The points were clearly marked out and in general it was easy to read. Are they actually having in-person public hearings, or did that happen already?
In person hearings already took place. The information about where and when they took place is available on the WMATA website.
Here is the revised budget proposal made at today's (April 22nd) board meeting:
QuoteIntroduction Metro received a great deal of input during the public comment period, and taking that into account along with the reality that some action must be taken, Metro has proposed a solution (http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/board_of_directors/board_docs/042210_3AREVISEDFY2011BudgetDiscussion.pdf) that balances the FY2011 budget as well as the interests of all in the region fairly.
Metrobus & Merorail Fares The new Metro proposal would be to adopt the $89 million in fare adjustments in the General Manager's initial proposed budget. This is in keeping with the public comment received, as 70% of the on-line comments favored an increase in Metrobus fares and 80% favored an increase in Metrorail fares given the current budget situation.
There are several other adjustments in the new proposal. Among them are:
- The bicycle locker rental fee will be $200 annually, which was an option supported in 62% of the public input.
- The express bus service boarding charge for seniors and people with disabilities will be $1.85, which was supported in half of the inputs received.
- About 27% of the public input supported a charge of up to 50 cents for the use of paper fare cards on Metrorail, we have limited the charge to 25 cents in our new proposal.
- Since 40% of the public input supported some type of fare adjustment for late night weekend service, we have proposed a flat $4 fee for that service.
- The General Manager would also have the authority to implement special event fares for historic, political, or major sporting or entertainment events. This received support for in about 11% of the input.
Parking Fees Metro is also proposing some changes to parking fees in the system. Under the proposal Metro would adopt a daily parking fee increase of 50 cents, at all facilities, which is less than half of what was considered in the docket. The proposal would also raise the reserved parking fees by $5 a month, which is half what was considered in the docket. Additionally, the General Manager would have the authority to increase the number of reserved parking spaces (up to 8% of all spaces) for stations at which all reserved parking slots have been sold. These changes are estimated to yield close to $6.75 million in revenue.
Jurisdictional Contribution Up to 70% of the public input favored increased contributions from Metro's funding partners in the local jurisdictions, so the proposal asks that they contribute an extra $26 million, which is about 14% of the budget gap.
Use of Capital Funds for Preventive Maintenance About 60% of the comments favored using some money from the capital budget for preventive maintenance, so we have proposed using $30 million in that way
Of those comments that favored using capital money in this way, half asked that it be repaid into the capital budget at a later date. The new proposal makes provisions for that. If Metro exceeds ridership projections for any quarter in FY2011, the surplus money earned will be placed in a reserve fund and returned to the capital budget in the next fiscal year.
Additionally, Metro is proposing a 5 cent surcharge at specific stations to collect money to be used for capital projects at those specific stations. This was supported in20% of the inputs received on-line, and there was specific support in the public hearing/written comment for doing this at the Union Station and the Tenleytown-AU Metrorail stations.
Service Adjustments With the public's preferences in mind, the proposal limits the changes proposed for Metrorail and Metrobus service to about $8 million. To put this in context, that is less than half of the administrative cuts Metro will be making in order to balance the budget, and it accounts for only 4% of the budget gap.
Metrobus Service Adjustments These changes, many of which would be done as part of fine tuning bus service, Metro is able to make up $4.3 million of the budget gap, and still reinvest $2.6 million in improvements. Many of the changes are on routes with very low ridership, and many of the improvements are in response to requests from our customers to improve running times.
A. Details of Metrobus Service Adjustments ($4.3 million)
- Metro will reduce service to meet actual demand, which is about 70% of that on a regular weekday, on Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Columbus Day and Veterans Day. Metro has developed a specifically tailored schedule for these and other holidays days (http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/FY2011%20Board_Docket_Holiday_Service_Plan.pdf) based on the service needs of customers. This received support in about 30% of the public inputs received on line.
- Metro will adopt this new holiday operating schedule on the day after Thanksgiving and the weekdays between Christmas and New Years. This received support from about 42% of the public inputs received online.
- Metro will reduce the span of special late night weekend coverage to match the proposed reduction in Metrorail to 2AM on Saturday and Sunday mornings. This received support from about 13% of public inputs received online.
(There are 19 routes in the region that run virtually around the clock, and that will not change. Those routes are the 32,36; 90,92,93; A2,6,8,42,46,48; 52,54; 70; S2,4; U8; X2.)
As an example of the ridership on the bus trips being reduced, a single weekend trip on the 7A after 2 a.m. would average about 4 passengers. - Metro will implement projects to reduce travel times and the number of buses needed to operate services by reducing the number of bus stops (support in 21% of inputs), implementing traffic signal priority for buses, and introducing bus-priority lanes and traffic management techniques on select lines. These projects will begin in the fall with a goal of improving travel times for customers on the selected lines by 15%.
For example, signal priority projects on Lee Highway and Leesburg Pike in Virginia and on Route 1 and University Boulevard in Maryland are planned for implementation later in the year. The reduction of bus stops on the U8, 63, 68, and 80 lines is planned for fall, and reviews on other routes will be done later in the year as well. Again the goal being the improvement of travel times for passengers by as much as 15%. - Since J2 and J3 service is available between Medical Center and Montgomery Mall during rush periods, the J1 is not needed along that route segment and can be discontinued. The J3 provides service through Rock Spring Park westbound in the a.m. rush and eastbound in the p.m. rush. Two-way service through Rock Spring Park is also available on Ride On Routes 6, 26, 47, and 96. Thus, the J1 service is redundant there as well.
- Since the ART 77 provides service on Walter Reed Drive, the segment of the 23C running from Walter Reed Drive to Four Mile Run Drive will be discontinued. The remainder of the 23C would continue.
B. Details of Metrobus Service Improvements and reinvestment ($2.6 million)
Improvements
- Reschedule the N6 on Saturdays and N2,4,6 on weekdays to provide more regular service frequency and re-route buses to provide a more consistent service option in the area near Wisconsin and Massachusetts Avenue (i.e. widen headways run larger buses)
- Replace the N8 by rerouting the E6, M4 and H2, H3 routes, which reduces a redundant route and responds to the complaints from residents of Yuma Street about the impact of the N8 buses.
- Reroute the H6 in Fort Lincoln to serve the retirement community at Wesley House. Service would be provided from 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Monday thru Saturday and from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Sunday. The frequency of service would be 12-14 minutes during a.m. and p.m. peak periods and 22-24 minutes off-peak and weekends. Current stops on 31st Place would not be served by the rerouted H6, but they would continue to be served by Routes B8 and B9. H6 service would be no more than one block away on Fort Lincoln Drive and on South Dakota Avenue.
- Continue with a comprehensive look at bus services in the Greenbelt and Hyattsville communities. Propose a series of coordinated changes to improve connections, reduce travel times and eliminate redundant service. The lines to be reviewed are the C8, F4, F6, R2, R12, T16, T17
- Replace the R3 with the R2 on 23rd Avenue and with a re-routed F6 on Sargent Road. On weekends, the C8, which operates along Adelphi Road, would be diverted into Archives II and rerouted to serve Prince George's Plaza Station instead of College Park Station over the same route that the R3 now uses.
- Address the crowding on Metrorail trains coming into the District of Columbia from Virginia by replacing the 13A and 13B with extension of the 16F and 7F to Federal Triangle and the National Mall area, respectively. Additionally, the 16H will be extended to Skyline City to replace the 16W.
- Implement the City of Alexandria's proposed changes to services on the Fox Chase-Seminary Valley (8XWZ and the 7AF, XW, BC) bus lines to reduce the number of route variations and the number of buses needed to provide service.
- Implement proposals developed with the District of Columbia's Department of Transportation and Department of Public Schools for added trips to meet peak passenger demands on several routes throughout the City.
Reinvestment
- Invest $1.5 million of savings in safety, running-time and crowding adjustments on routes with identified problems to improve reliability and regain ridership. Among those routes will be:
- District of Columbia: 52, 53, 54, B2, D8, E2, E3, E4, H8, L1, L2, L4, P6, W4
- Maryland: 81, 83, 84, 86, D12, D13, D14, T2, J1, J2, J3,
- Virginia: 2A, 2C, 2G, 10A, 10B, 28A - Invest $400,000 of savings in the start up of the bus passenger facilities at the Silver Spring Transit Center and in the improvement of facilities at the Rosslyn Metro. Also provide resources to respond to major events detours, construction on Pennsylvania Avenue SE and snow emergencies.
- Invest $700,000 of savings into formal studies and initiatives to respond to ridership growth and service enhancement strategies. Among those routes to be studied are:
- District of Columbia: B2, 37, 39
- Maryland: D12, D13, D14, W15
- Virginia: 22A, 23A, 23C
Metrorail Service Adjustments
Realizing that service adjustments were the least popular method of reducing the budget gap, we have adopted only those that received the most public support on-line during the comment period, and as a result of the comments received at public hearings and in writing we have modified several of those service adjustment options.
On the rail side, about one third (33%) of the public input supported closing Metrorail earlier on weekends, so we have proposed to operate Metro until 2 a.m. rather than 3 a.m. On a given weekend night between 2 and 3 a.m. this service averages only about 2,400 riders.
One third (33%)of the public input supported service reductions on the day after Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas and New Years when ridership drops as low as 40-60% of normal weekday totals. Non-peak headways will remain unchanged, though during peak periods we will only run 6-car trains.
One quarter (25%) of the public inputs supported the idea of running Red Line trains every 3 minutes between Grosvenor and Silver Spring, and every 6 minutes between Silver Spring and Glenmont and between Grosvenor and Shady Grove. This change will actually improve reliability, bringing the schedule in line with the way the trains actually run. It will not reduce the number of people we carry as the number of 8 car trains will be increased.
About 28% of the public input supported closing one entrance at five Metrorail stations after 8 p.m. After consideration of the input, the option was limited to four of these stations: Stadium-Armory, McPherson Square, Friendship Heights, and King Street Metrorail stations at 8 p.m. The extra entrance at the Shaw-Howard Metrorail station will remain open. Additionally, the Stadium-Armory entrance will be open during events at the stadium.
About 36% of the public input supported closing a single entrance at 10 Metrorail stations with multiple entrances on weekends. This was modified and limited to closing a single entrance at eight stations. These entrances are: Anacostia North, Stadium Armory North, Navy Yard West, New York Avenue South, Friendship Heights South, L'Enfant Plaza West, King Street North, and Silver Spring North. The entrance at Stadium Armory North will remain open for stadium events.
About 25% of the public input supported changing the frequency of trains between 6 and 6:30 a.m. from six to eight minutes. This will be a reduction of just one trip in each direction on each line during this time period.
MetroAccess Service Adjustments MetroAccess base fares will be increased at a rate comparable to twice the Metrobus fare, in keeping with current policy. About 55% of the public input supported some sort of increase in the MetroAccess fare, and 45% of the input showed for this option specifically.
The proposal for MetroAccess service is to continue providing service beyond the 3/4-mile ADA requirement, for current MetroAccess customers. New MetroAccess customers will only be eligible for service within the 3/4-mile area outlined in the federal law. For those customers receiving service outside the 3/4-mile area there will be an increased charge.
The proposal also eliminates of the free ride program for those customers who qualify for full MetroAccess eligibility, as they would qualify to take all trips via a MetroAccess vehicle.
These changes to our MetroAccess service policy should close the budget gap by an additional $6 million.
Conclusion These are difficult times, and after careful consideration, balancing the public's input with the need to take action, Metro has put forward a proposal for the Metro Board's consideration that we hope everyone can accept as fair.
Overall, I'm fairly impressed. Very few of the proposed cuts are occurring, and duplicated services are being eliminated. I'm skeptical of the R3 elimination and the way that is being "covered" by other routes, I don't see that benefiting many people. I'm also sorry to see that the N6 is going to become a midday route. I'm not a fan of having the GM being able to charge special fares for events such as inaugurations. I'm a proponent of closing the system earlier on weekends if no one is in fact riding from 2 AM to 3 AM and curtailing bus service accordingly. I'm also glad to see they are going to adjust the Red Line schedule to meet reality (the 2.5 minute headway only existed on paper and never in reality), are going to adjust the schedules during the early AM rush hour to more adequately meet actual demand, that the transfer limit is going to be reduced, and that paper farecard users are going to see a surcharge. I also am glad to see that service will be reduced during holiday periods where ridership is low to more adequately meet actual demand.
What are other people's thoughts?
Surprised at some of the exit closings. Why close New York Avenue South when it's the closest exit to the Greyhound station? Why close Friendship Heights South when it is closer to much of the retail than the north entrance? I see the Silver Spring North closing, which would affect me directly backfiring; many people use it for ease of access to the J's, S's, 1/2/11, and 5 rather than now doing a roundabout route.
Having a job on the western end of the Red Line and often taking the Red in from work into DC, I can say that it's rare that I get a ride that doesn't have some slowdown due to there being too many trains and it's dragged out trip times. Two years ago it was still possible to get from White Flint to downtown in rush hour in about 30 minutes. Today it's closer to 40.
That 16F/7F extension into Federal Triangle should be an all-day extension. I've always scratched my head at how many routes go into DC from Maryland, some going downtown, but all Virginia has had outside rush hour is the 38B.
Quote from: Scrabbleship on April 23, 2010, 09:54:14 AM
Surprised at some of the exit closings. Why close New York Avenue South when it's the closest exit to the Greyhound station? Why close Friendship Heights South when it is closer to much of the retail than the north entrance? I see the Silver Spring North closing, which would affect me directly backfiring; many people use it for ease of access to the J's, S's, 1/2/11, and 5 rather than now doing a roundabout route.
Having a job on the western end of the Red Line and often taking the Red in from work into DC, I can say that it's rare that I get a ride that doesn't have some slowdown due to there being too many trains and it's dragged out trip times. Two years ago it was still possible to get from White Flint to downtown in rush hour in about 30 minutes. Today it's closer to 40.
That 16F/7F extension into Federal Triangle should be an all-day extension. I've always scratched my head at how many routes go into DC from Maryland, some going downtown, but all Virginia has had outside rush hour is the 38B.
By what standard is Friendship Heights south closer to retail? It is by far the less used mezzanine at the station, and doesn't have direct connections into three different major retail areas in the neighborhood. The additional distance from New York Avenue north to New York Avenue south is minimal, and again, I'm assuming the north side gets more fares even if it is closer to the Greyhound terminal. Not everything is necessarily based on your personal needs. I still think most people consider Union Station to be closer to the Greyhound terminal.
My opinion is some of the duplicate Metrobus/local service routes could have been eliminated with the $$ invested elsewhere. An example of this cut is the Metro 18E/F which duplicates FFX routes entirely. Not sure why the duplications were not cut which may have saved some of the late late night services being cut.
That said, overall I think Searle's budget is a good compromise. I'd rather see the reductions proposed rather than widened RAIL headways and more BUS route eliminations.