June 2010 Observations

NewFlyer9736BCT · June 05, 2010, 11:49:39 AM

Yesterday:

9351 on the Q4
9352 on the Y5 (non-working signs so the driver had to stop at every stop and say the route number. the bus had poor acceleration as well)
9390 on the Y9
9831 on the Q4. you could barely hear the engine because the bus had a so much bass.
2825 on the D6
3017 on the G8
3767, 6436 and 6483 on the K2
5408 on the R1
2631 on the R2
2632 on the 80
2301, 2306, and 2312 are still not rehabbed
2306, 2408, 2429, and 2825 on the D6. 2408 look very nice and freshly painted, but it's only rehab #1376 (the highest I've seen is 1392, which is 2430)
6111 and 6186 on the 34
6187 remains at Montgomery
4305 and 6210 on the T2
3911 and 3920 on the M4
6308 on the F6, that bus has the "centered route number" syndrome, where it will say "F6 New Carrollton Station" then flip to "______F6______"

at the new 30s bus stop across the street from the original bus stop (where Hechts used to be), instead of having a "30's Limited Stop" sign for the 37, it has a MetroExtra sign. Ken and I were stumped when we saw that.

OrionFlyer · June 05, 2010, 11:51:37 AM

6513 is at Bladensburg.

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C40LF_2464 · June 05, 2010, 08:50:46 PM

Apparently the 06 Hybrid are getting the new stamp as in the 6300/6400's. I saw one on an DE40LFR on the F1 earlier.

WMATAGMOAGH · June 08, 2010, 11:05:30 AM

Saw a Ride On Orion I at Friendship Heights last night, didn't catch the number. The bus scene there looked quite different than the last time I was in the states about 10 months ago.

Also, I'll throw a few other things out here:

1. I can understand why people get frustrated when Metro wants to raise fares and the first thing I see when I get to Union Station having already brought my my backpack, suitcase on wheels, and duffel bag about 6000 miles in the previous 26 hours is two out of service escalators. Of course, with no money, the escalators will not be fixed, but that is another discussion.
2. Keep in mind that by the time my train reached Farragut North at 7:05 PM Eastern time last night, I had been traveling for 26 hours, so my jetlag may have been a factor in what I saw, but at the north end of the pocket while heading outbound on track A2, we passed a red signal at that end of the pocket while going at full, normal speed. I didn't pay enough attention to see if the signal dropped as we approached it as happened to me many years ago at Medical Center or if it had been red the entire time, but not a very assuring situation.
3. The new numbers on the exteriors of the cars look really ugly in my opinion. Even uglier are the door numbers near the middle of the door leaves, and also the way they just scratched away at the old numbers, both interior and exterior.

ChristopherF · June 08, 2010, 11:11:35 AM

RIDE ON:
095323 on the 20 (Silver Spring)
095751 on the 20 (Hillandale)
095754 on the 5 (Twinbrook)
015581 on the 5 (Silver Spring)
095331 on the 10 (Twinbrook)
965394 on the 10 (Hillandale)

FAIRFAX CONNECTOR:
9610 on the 402 (Franconia- Springfield)
9634 on the 401 (Tysons West*Park)
9635 on the 950 (Reston Town Ctr via Herndon- Monroe P&R)
7829 on the 505 (West Falls Church Metro)

PRTC OMNIRIDE:
308 (Manassas)
323 (West Falls Church Metro)
382 (West Falls Church Metro)
175 (Gainesville/ Linton Hall Road)

METROBUS (*asterisk indicates unrehabbed 2001-02 New Flyer C40LF buses):
6107 on the NH1
4020 on the NH1
4364 on the 28A (Tysons Corner)
9322 on the 83 (Cherry Hill)
4063 on the 80 (Kennedy Center)
4064 on the 80 (Kennedy Center)
4204 on the 80 (Ft Totten)
4289 on the S4 (Federal Triangle)
4299 on the S2 (Federal Triangle)
4302 on the 52 (Takoma Station)
4304 on the C8 (College Park Station)
4310 on the C8 (College Park Station)
4317 on the 28A (Tysons Corner)
4320 on the K6 (Ft Totten Station)
4336 on the C8 (White Flint Station)
4337 on the 28A (King Street Station)
4394 on the T18 (Rhode Island Avenue Station)
2115 on the 28A (King Street Station)
2121 on the S2 (Silver Spring Station)
2170 on the 86 (Calverton)
2173 on the R4 (Brookland Station)
6016 on the K6 (Ft Totten)
6115 on the A2
6394 on the C8 (College Park Station)
6395 on the 1A (Ballston Station)
6409 on the 1B (Ballston Station)
6410 on the F4 (New Carrollton Station)
6477 on the 52 (L'Enfant Plaza Station)
6492 on the K2 (Takoma Station)
5448 on the 70 (Archives)
5449 on the 70 (Silver Spring Station)
2637 on the R4 (Highview)
2301* on the D8 (Uinion Sta)
2347* on the R4 (Highview)
2413* on the R2 (Calverton)
2424* on the 80 (Kennedy Center)
2461* on the 86 (Rhode Island Avenue Station)
2408 on the 83 (Cherry Hill)
2409 on the 86 (Calverton)
2351 on the P6, freshly rehabbed & repainted in silver/red
2361 on the 80, freshly rehabbed & repainted in silver/red
2813 on the G8 (Farragut Square)
2805 on the R2 (Calverton & then to Ft Totten)
2306* on the R2 (Calverton)

WES · June 08, 2010, 11:10:50 PM

Interesting sighting this morning. I saw 5442 on none other than the...........L1. For me it's the first time seeing an artic on that line. Also saw what looked to be a VRT El Dorado EZ-Rider II heading towards West Falls Church Station.

WMATAGMOAGH · June 08, 2010, 11:45:36 PM

Not sure the exact date that the former Hechts exit at Friendship Heights opened (the adjacent Whole Foods opened on May 18) but as part of the reconstruction there, the non-WMATA escalator between the rotunda and landing has been removed, and there are only stairs now. It also appears to me as if that intermediate landing is smaller than I remembered it being.

Also, the bus stop sign in front of the new development there has a MetroExtra flag for the 37.

WMAveteran · June 09, 2010, 02:07:47 AM

Wes: on a historical note DC Transit started the L1 as a premium rush hour express to operate between Chevy Chase and Capitol Hill. DC Transit used coaches on this route (first ACF Brills then they were replaced by fishbowl suburbans - see representative photos) whose destination signs didn't have room for route numbers so the signs read either Chevy Chase or Capitol Hill. From that perspective the use of artics is a diminution in the quality of the service that was provided by DC Transit (lol).

ChristopherF · June 09, 2010, 11:01:15 AM

RIDE ON:
005809 on the 55 (Germantown Trans Cntr)
085734 on the 55 (Rockville)
085735 remains @ Silver Spring.
095338 on the 10 (Twinbrook)
075311 on the 10 (Hillandale)

METROBUS:
6107 on the NH1
4388 on the NH1
2100 on the 28A (King Street Station)
9304 on an unknown route, bus was seen on E-W Hwy off PG Plaza Station
4207 on the H2 (Van Ness UDC Station)
4260 on the S2 (Federal Triangle)
4261 on the 54 (L'Enfant Plaza Station)
4302 on the 52 (Takoma Station)
4313 on the C4 (PG Plaza Station)
4314 on the 10A (Hunting Towers)
4323 on the C8 (White Flint Station)
4330 on the C8 (White Flint Station)
4331 on the C8 (College Park Station)
4362 on the 28A (Tysons Corner)
4366 on the 10B (Hunting Towers)
4368 on the F4 (Silver Spring Station)
2032 on the 1B (Ballston Station)
2033 on the 32 (Friendship Heights Station)
2057 on the 36 (Friendship Heights Station)
2058 on the 1A (Vienna Station)
2074 on the 1A (Ballston Station)
2075 on the Z8 (Silver Spring Station)
2081 on the K6 (Ft Totten)
2104 on the 10A (Hunting Towers)
2106 on the 28A (King Street Station)
2166 on the R4 (Highview)
2170 on the 86 (Rhode Island Avenue Station)
6201 on the K6 (Ft Totten)
6409 on the 1A (Vienna Station)
6410 on the F4 (New Carrollton Station)
2623 on the 86 (Calverton) & then on the R2 (Ft Totten)
2344 on the R2 (Calverton)

WMATAGMOAGH · June 09, 2010, 11:54:38 AM

Quote from: WMAveteran on June 09, 2010, 02:07:47 AM
Wes: on a historical note DC Transit started the L1 as a premium rush hour express to operate between Chevy Chase and Capitol Hill. DC Transit used coaches on this route (first ACF Brills then they were replaced by fishbowl suburbans - see representative photos) whose destination signs didn't have room for route numbers so the signs read either Chevy Chase or Capitol Hill. From that perspective the use of artics is a diminution in the quality of the service that was provided by DC Transit (lol).

How does the L5 fit into things historically? My recollection is that today's L1 is akin to the old L5, which ran the same route to Potomac Park but required a surcharge to board.

Scrabbleship · June 09, 2010, 11:57:27 AM

Quote from: WES on June 08, 2010, 11:10:50 PM
Interesting sighting this morning. I saw 5442 on none other than the...........L1. For me it's the first time seeing an artic on that line. Also saw what looked to be a VRT El Dorado EZ-Rider II heading towards West Falls Church Station.

Given the anemic level of service on the DC L's, artics on the weekdays when it's a Montgomery route make a lot of sense.

WMATAGMOAGH · June 09, 2010, 01:43:34 PM

Quote from: Scrabbleship on June 09, 2010, 11:57:27 AM
Quote from: WES on June 08, 2010, 11:10:50 PM
Interesting sighting this morning. I saw 5442 on none other than the...........L1. For me it's the first time seeing an artic on that line. Also saw what looked to be a VRT El Dorado EZ-Rider II heading towards West Falls Church Station.

Anemic level of service?

Given the anemic level of service on the DC L's, artics on the weekdays when it's a Montgomery route make a lot of sense.

Scrabbleship · June 09, 2010, 03:14:31 PM

Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on June 09, 2010, 01:43:34 PM
Quote from: Scrabbleship on June 09, 2010, 11:57:27 AM
Quote from: WES on June 08, 2010, 11:10:50 PM
Interesting sighting this morning. I saw 5442 on none other than the...........L1. For me it's the first time seeing an artic on that line. Also saw what looked to be a VRT El Dorado EZ-Rider II heading towards West Falls Church Station.

Anemic level of service?

Looking at the schedule for the first time in forever, I partially retract that statement...for weekdays. Weekends are another story.

WMATAGMOAGH · June 09, 2010, 03:23:18 PM

Look at the schedule again. There is more frequent service through Adams-Morgan on a Saturday at midday than on a weekday. Considering most of the ridership north of Van Ness changes for the Metro (thus all the short turns) and the fact that Farragut Square isn't a huge rider destination or origin on the weekends, I think the service is adequate. Why do you think all this extra service is needed? I don't remember if the L4 ran on weekends before its mid-1990 discontinuance, and it used to run all the way to the Kennedy Center in its previous incarnation, but still.

79MetroExtraMD · June 09, 2010, 06:04:03 PM

5432 J4 M153
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- <direction title="East to College Park Station">
<prediction seconds="453" minutes="7" epochTime="1276121604432" isDeparture="false" dirTag="J4_J4_0" vehicle="5432" block="M153" />

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June 2010 Observations