HI, Im a wmata supervisor and I find you all's web site very interesting we take time to thank you and the riding public of taking pride in our fleet or should I say loving our bus fleet. Im a metrobus division supervisor and as of yet we have not decided when or were the new 60ft. articulated coaches will be assigned on any route, as far as on the 5A those runs are paid for by the state of virginia so its impossible that the buses will go there on that route, virginia divisions will recieve there new fleet pretty soon when the West Ox-Arlington division opens in March 2009. Royal st. will not recieve new fleet because the authority is working on finding a replacement or space for the new garage to be built. But lets get back to the 60ft. buses they will be assigned only to Bladensburg Facility only the old fleet of the 94-95 NABI 60FT buses will retire/move to Montgomery garage. But to answer questions as of the split of the 50's not true that line is houses at Northern garage, the S1-4 is going threw a study rite now to get more feed back on the line log on to www.16thstreetbusstudy.com or go to www.metroopensdoors.com to get the correct link go to events/projects. we ask or I ask that check on our website for the next general managers on line chat he will be glad to ask any of ur questions or concerns about the "BRT FLEET". If u have any question per bus or any other bus related question email me on dowellantonio@yahoo.com my personel email.
Quote from: wmata employee on September 16, 2008, 05:13:44 PM
HI, Im a wmata supervisor and I find you all's web site very interesting we take time to thank you and the riding public of taking pride in our fleet or should I say loving our bus fleet. Im a metrobus division supervisor and as of yet we have not decided when or were the new 60ft. articulated coaches will be assigned on any route, as far as on the 5A those runs are paid for by the state of virginia so its impossible that the buses will go there on that route, virginia divisions will recieve there new fleet pretty soon when the West Ox-Arlington division opens in March 2009. Royal st. will not recieve new fleet because the authority is working on finding a replacement or space for the new garage to be built. But lets get back to the 60ft. buses they will be assigned only to Bladensburg Facility only the old fleet of the 94-95 NABI 60FT buses will retire/move to Montgomery garage. But to answer questions as of the split of the 50's not true that line is houses at Northern garage, the S1-4 is going threw a study rite now to get more feed back on the line log on to www.16thstreetbusstudy.com or go to www.metroopensdoors.com to get the correct link go to events/projects. we ask or I ask that check on our website for the next general managers on line chat he will be glad to ask any of ur questions or concerns about the "BRT FLEET". If u have any question per bus or any other bus related question email me on dowellantonio@yahoo.com my personel email.
Well, I don't know what's going on with the 5A or the BRT buses, but I was told by someone that they were going to be put on there.
well sir or mam that is not true they will be tested on dc routes only. virginia is not going to get any 60ft brt buses any time soon.
I'm pretty sure the 5A started as a demo route paid for with DC funds to get job seekers out to the Dulles area, then after 18 months became a compact route (meaning all jurisdictions share the burden, like with most other bus routes). Correct me if I'm wrong.
If I'm right, however, the possibility of the 5A getting the relief it needs is still open.
If you are right, we could be seeing those BRT buses hitting the 5A. The 60 foots that is.
NO!! ur wrong the 5A,5B CAME APART OF VIRGINIA FUNDS ONLY THEN THEY DISCONTINUED THE ROUTE 5B AND ADDED MORE BUSES TO THE 5A SO IM LETTING YOU NO AS A WMATA 15YRS.ON THE JOB SUPERVISOR AND EMPLOYEE THAT THIS IS NOT PAID 4 BY DC FUNDS VIRGINIA OWNS THAT ROUTE
Okay again we're going to have to stop the capital letters. I don't mind being wrong but again, capital letters means shouting, so you're shouting to me that I'm wrong. This is not the impression you are trying to make, I'm sure. Just check your caps lock.
LOL.... thanks for the welcome ............... but check check our website for updates on the
Quote from: Tristan on September 16, 2008, 05:52:20 PM
I'm pretty sure the 5A started as a demo route paid for with DC funds to get job seekers out to the Dulles area, then after 18 months became a compact route (meaning all jurisdictions share the burden, like with most other bus routes). Correct me if I'm wrong.
If I'm right, however, the possibility of the 5A getting the relief it needs is still open.
That is what I recall as well. Too many airport travelers and not enough reverse commuters for DC to foot the bill on its own.
It started off as a regular fare bus route, but so many commuters were using it from Herndon to DC that I remember some of the politicians getting mad and forcing the fare to be the express rate. I don't think it had as much to do with airport travelers as much as it was the commuters using it to go to DC in the AM and from DC in the PM.
Quote from: Perry on September 17, 2008, 10:55:07 AM
It started off as a regular fare bus route, but so many commuters were using it from Herndon to DC that I remember some of the politicians getting mad and forcing the fare to be the express rate. I don't think it had as much to do with airport travelers as much as it was the commuters using it to go to DC in the AM and from DC in the PM.
What if they did some morning and evening turnbacks at Hernon-Monroe? Would that cut down on the overcrowding on some runs coming from/going to Dulles?
Doesn't 99% of the ridership go to Dulles?
You'd think it'd be like that :D.
Maybe now it does since there is an express charge for it, but when it was a regular local fare it was much cheaper than taking the FFX Connector to WFC and the Metro from there.
Quote from: Perry on September 17, 2008, 10:55:07 AM
It started off as a regular fare bus route, but so many commuters were using it from Herndon to DC that I remember some of the politicians getting mad and forcing the fare to be the express rate. I don't think it had as much to do with airport travelers as much as it was the commuters using it to go to DC in the AM and from DC in the PM.
Now that you mention it, that sounds better. I've been scatterbrained the past few days, you don't want to know why.
Quick question:
My prediction (based on some slight research) is that an incoming order of New Flyer hybrids (mixed sizes, some 60ft) will possibly retire any and all remaining Flxible Metro B's in the WMATA.
I need to see if this is correct.
I hope the B's don't get retired I love those buses.
Yes, the 37 and 42 foot New Flyers will likely retire remaining Metro-Bs. Or at least push them into contingency status. Probably the same for the '92 Orion Vs, if any are left.
At one point WMATA was considering keeping a lot of their buses in contingency to allow for extra service where there was overcrowding. I don't know if that has subsided or not.
Supposedly, there was a recent directive to not retire any buses. I wonder if WMATA's goal is to always have a somewhat large contingency fleet. I think back to the days when they leased the new looks to NYCTA. We had 160 of them in NYC which makes me think that at least in those days WMATA kept lots of buses in their cntingency fleet.
we are not retiring no buses at this time when the news buses arrive all 4000-4104,9701-9785,9801-9835 will remain of an rehab fleet. metro will rehab all these buses for the expansion fleet.The new paint process is very unique LOCAL,EXPRESS
So does that mean that eventually all the buses in the WMATA fleet, except for Metro Extra buses will have the new paint scheme, including the Flxibles?
I really want to seen the Orion VII's in that paint scheme.
Am I the only one who isn't really a fan of the new scheme?
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on September 22, 2008, 07:34:01 PM
Am I the only one who isn't really a fan of the new scheme?
No - I'm not crazy about it either. I'd rather see a modified version that retains the red, white and blue stripes.
I really don't like the idea of painting buses 'Local' and 'Express' - you either lose a lot of flexibility when assigning buses, or you end up confusing the heck out of customers when a blue bus shows up on a 'red bus' route.
Quote from: RailBus63 on September 22, 2008, 10:39:34 PM
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on September 22, 2008, 07:34:01 PM
Am I the only one who isn't really a fan of the new scheme?
No - I'm not crazy about it either. I'd rather see a modified version that retains the red, white and blue stripes.
I really don't like the idea of painting buses 'Local' and 'Express' - you either lose a lot of flexibility when assigning buses, or you end up confusing the heck out of customers when a blue bus shows up on a 'red bus' route.
LACMTA has definately learned their lesson doing that, especially when they did that massive garage move in late 2006.
IMO, it's a good faith idea that may go screwy. Hopefully, WMATA won't do any garage moves anytime soon.
Way, way, way, back when, United Railways in B'more "permanently" assigned streetcars to their routes. Fleet #'s were based on the route; e.g. Line 13 cars were 1300's, etc. When cars were reassigned to different carhouses the entire fleet had to be renumbered. That didn't last long!
Quote from: MetroLinerXLZ on September 27, 2008, 03:42:46 PM
Quote from: RailBus63 on September 22, 2008, 10:39:34 PM
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on September 22, 2008, 07:34:01 PM
Am I the only one who isn't really a fan of the new scheme?
No - I'm not crazy about it either. I'd rather see a modified version that retains the red, white and blue stripes.
I really don't like the idea of painting buses 'Local' and 'Express' - you either lose a lot of flexibility when assigning buses, or you end up confusing the heck out of customers when a blue bus shows up on a 'red bus' route.
LACMTA has definately learned their lesson doing that, especially when they did that massive garage move in late 2006.
IMO, it's a good faith idea that may go screwy. Hopefully, WMATA won't do any garage moves anytime soon.
WMATA does massive garage moves without there being a paint scheme issue. We had thought when WMATA tried to put buses together in certain garages was the end of this, but it wasn't.
I think WMATA just loves to move buses around, they're addicted to it.
Quote from: RailBus63 on September 22, 2008, 10:39:34 PM
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on September 22, 2008, 07:34:01 PM
Am I the only one who isn't really a fan of the new scheme?
No - I'm not crazy about it either. I'd rather see a modified version that retains the red, white and blue stripes.
I really don't like the idea of painting buses 'Local' and 'Express' - you either lose a lot of flexibility when assigning buses, or you end up confusing the heck out of customers when a blue bus shows up on a 'red bus' route.
I like the "Local" & "Express" branding if the buses could be consistently used on the proper routes. Unless things will change at WMATA, I think this is not good, since currently local buses can often be seen on express routes and vice-versa.
Not sure how well LACMTA does with local, rapid and expresses branded buses on the proper routes. I think NYCTA, MTAB and even Bee-Line could pull this sort of thing off.
Quote from: WES on September 28, 2008, 11:19:38 AM
WMATA does massive garage moves without there being a paint scheme issue. We had thought when WMATA tried to put buses together in certain garages was the end of this, but it wasn't.
I think WMATA just loves to move buses around, they're addicted to it.
Back in NYC they claim to regularly do large bus moves for mileage reasons. Basically, they want a given group of buses to wear out evenly. So you'll often see buses at a high-mileage depot get sent to a lower mileage depot and vice-versa.
Wayne, that could explain the random movements we've seen here.
I think, regarding the local/express thing, that part of WMATA's issue is that there just isn't enough of that type of service for them to assign buses properly. If they increase service the way Catoe says they will, maybe express buses will do nothing but express and still do a full day's work, but as it is now, you probably can't cut an 8-hour run with nothing but express work.
Quote from: Tristan on September 28, 2008, 11:54:15 PM
Wayne, that could explain the random movements we've seen here.
I think, regarding the local/express thing, that part of WMATA's issue is that there just isn't enough of that type of service for them to assign buses properly. If they increase service the way Catoe says they will, maybe express buses will do nothing but express and still do a full day's work, but as it is now, you probably can't cut an 8-hour run with nothing but express work.
Pease tell me they are going to increase service here in PG. I'm tired of waiting hours for buses here. It's getting exausting and annoying.
Quote from: landoverdivision on October 01, 2008, 03:45:41 PM
Pease tell me they are going to increase service here in PG. I'm tired of waiting hours for buses here. It's getting exausting and annoying.
That's a decision for the Prince George's county gov't. I'm sure if Jack would get a clue and provide the funding for more service in the county, WMATA would do their part.
all 22 60 ft artculated buses are on property,still dont no the exact numbers that fourmile will get.
4 brt buses are on property at "CARMEN FACILITY"aka training facility.
9752 is in the paint shop all white hmmmmm must be getting the paint.