WMATA Proposes Discontinuation of N22, Transfer to Circulator

[WMATAGMOAGH]

From Dr. Gridlock's blog on washingtonpost.com:
  Metrobus Route Switching to D.C. Circulator Metro is planning to end the N22 bus service in the District that brought many baseball fans to Nationals Park last summer and helps some people get to and from work around the Navy Yard. But the District government plans to replace that with a new Circulator bus route.
The Metro board today authorized the public hearing that must precede the discontinuation of a Metrobus route. No date set yet for the hearing. But the thinking is that the route between Union Station and Navy Yard Station would transfer from Metrobus to Circulator on March 29.
I hope the switch to the distinctive red, silver and black Circulator buses will help build ridership on this route, both in and out of baseball season. The route links the Union Station, Eastern Market and Navy Yard neighborhoods, which don't have a direct connection via Metrorail. It should help link employment centers by day and entertainment centers by night.
Money isn't much of an issue in the switch. The D.C. government subsidizes the N22 Metrobus and the existing Circulator routes. The subsidy will just transfer to the new Circulator route.

[OrionFlyer]

Noooooo!!! My favorite route is going to be changed to a Circulator route?

[LandoverDivision]

I have never caught the N22 before so it wouldn't really matter to me.

[wmata employee]

Well metro is losing N22 and the 98 u -st link but i here there tryin to get more buses for circulators.

[WayneNYC]

Is it less expensive to have Circulator operate this route?

[79MetroExtraMD]

This was kinda left field. I knew about the 98 line, but the N22 thing was just a surprise. Quite honestly, I think Circulator should take the N22 over because it could free up some buses that could be used elsewhere on FMR routes. Secondly, it would give Circulator service to Navy Yard and the Nat's Stadium area. Only caveat would be the fleet (if they even get anymore buses).

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Is it less expensive to have Circulator operate this route?

From reading the Dr. Gridlock blog post, I think the answer is probably not significantly so, if at all.  It sounds to me like they are just rearranging the deck chairs more than anything else.  But I think the city wants to develop Circulator brand for routes such as the N22, 98, and the existing Circulator routes, which don't exactly serve the same purpose as a "traditional" Metrobus route. 

This was kinda left field. I knew about the 98 line, but the N22 thing was just a surprise. Quite honestly, I think Circulator should take the N22 over because it could free up some buses that could be used elsewhere on FMR routes. Secondly, it would give Circulator service to Navy Yard and the Nat's Stadium area. Only caveat would be the fleet (if they even get anymore buses).

IIRC, the N22 only uses 2-3 buses depending on the time of day, so there aren't a huge amount of resources to be freed up.  And this didn't really come out of left field.  How would ANYONE know about this before the Board raised it for discussion?

[WES]

They should do cut  or redo something with the north-south circulator route, since that route barely has anyone on it.  Dare I say connect the soon to be extinct N22 with the north-south route.

Wasn't the Circulator supposed to get more buses anyway or no money, no more expansion buses.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

They should do cut  or redo something with the north-south circulator route, since that route barely has anyone on it.  Dare I say connect the soon to be extinct N22 with the north-south route.

Wasn't the Circulator supposed to get more buses anyway or no money, no more expansion buses.

Not a bad idea to combine the routes, they did say the N-S Circulator would be extended to Nationals Park once it opened.  I don't see people riding from end to end on this U shaped route (Convention Center-Mount Vernon Square-Chinatown-7th/9th Streets-L'Enfant Plaza-Arena Stage-SW Waterfront-M Street-Navy Yard/Nationals Park-Eastern Market-Capitol Hill-Union Station) , but the route could get some decent ridership.