Circulator Set to Expand, 14 New Buses on the Way

[WMATAGMOAGH]

From Dr. Gridlock's blog:
  Posted at 12:26 PM ET, 02/12/2009 DC Expanding Circulator Bus The District and Metro are taking several steps that will increase the Circulator bus service.
Metro's finance committee approved a plan to end regular Metrobus service on Route 98, which links the Adams Morgan and U Street entertainment areas in Washington as of March 29.
The District's plan is to replace that service with the red, silver and black Circulators, which now operate on three routes in the city's core.
The finance committee also approved and forwarded to the full board a plan to buy four more of the buses on behalf of the District. An additional 14 buses are scheduled for delivery this month.
The District pays for the buses, though Metro procures them, so this move will have no impact on Metro's current budget problems.
Still to come after a public hearing later this month is a plan to end Metrobus's N22 route linking Union Station and Navy Yard, and replace that with yet another Circulator route.

[WES]

 If it's feasible, DC should think about replacing G-town Shuttle with one or two Circluator routes.  That seems within the bounds of what the Circulator is. 

[WMATAGMOAGH]

I think you are right WES, those are prime candidates for Circulator service.

[RailBus63]

What are they getting for buses - more Van Hools?  I wouldn't mind seeing another manufacturer's buses in the Circulator paint scheme.

[79MetroExtraMD]

I honestly think they do need to look outside of the Van Hool scene (if only AC Transit would get the point). The Georgetown line gets alot of people and those buses are way too small to accommodate the passenger load along the route.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

I honestly think they do need to look outside of the Van Hool scene (if only AC Transit would get the point). The Georgetown line gets alot of people and those buses are way too small to accommodate the passenger load along the route.

Except European bus interior layouts, such as what the Van Hools have, have higher capacities even though there may be fewer seats.  I rode in the stairwell of SRO articulated buses in Rome countless times.  You don't know what a truly packed bus is until you see how the Italians cram onto a bus.

[Tritransit Area]

Are they planning on operating full sized buses on that soon-to-be-ex 98 line?

[Tristan]

Right now, there's no public funding in the G-Town Shuttle, so it's not on d.'s radar screen.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

If it's feasible, DC should think about replacing G-town Shuttle with one or two Circluator routes.  That seems within the bounds of what the Circulator is. 

Looks like there are plans to do it:

Circulator may cross Key Bridge
February 27, 2009 - 9:44am

Adam Tuss, wtop.com

WASHINGTON -- The Circulator Bus, one of the more popular commuter options in the District, could cross the Key Bridge toward Rosslyn in the fall.

The new route would take the place of the existing Georgetown Blue Bus, which runs between the Dupont Circle and Rosslyn Metro Stations.

"We are looking at taking on some routes and just switching the circulator in," D.C. Department of Transportation Director Gabe Klein tells WTOP.

The Circulator, which DDOT operates, has already been expanded once to run through Georgetown. An Adams Morgan Route is in the works. The bus may now have its sights on Virginia.

"As part of our ongoing efforts to monitor the transit services we provide and find ways to improve and make them more efficient, we have explored the possibility of adding this route to our Circulator system," says DDOT spokesman John Lisle.

The agency does say there are some legal issues to tie up first -- crossing the Key Bridge would add buses to what is an already congested Potomac Crossing. The D.C. Council would likely have to weigh in on the proposal before the expansion to Rosslyn could happen.

The Circulator costs $1 to ride and currently has three lines operating at 10-minute intervals.

The east-west line connects Georgetown with Union Station and operates primarily along K Street and Massachusetts Avenue.

The north-south line connects the Washington Convention Center with the Maine Avenue waterfront and operates primarily along 7th and 9th streets, which have bus lanes. These two lines meet at Mount Vernon Square.

The third line, which runs only on weekends, serves the National Mall in a loop along Constitution Avenue, 4th Street, Independence Avenue, and 17th Street.