September 2010 Observations

[Tritransit Area]

I have good news. The 5400 NABI's are now operating on the X2 line as i type.

All right!  Finally...I guess they finished the roadwork?

[Tritransit Area]

ART's 30-LFW's are starting to enter service. 5257 was seen in Ballston on the 52 during rush hour yesterday.

Nice I can't wait to see and ride them!  Out of curiosity, what sparked this huge revelation that ART must get rid of all the cutaways?  I know they had increased ridership on the 41 that required larger buses.  I guess they liked them so much they kept getting more?

[ChristopherF]

RIDE ON:
085733 54 (Lakeforest)
085734 54 (Rockville)
095757 10 (Twinbrook)
095332 10 (Hillandale)
085745 20 (Silver Spring)
095331 20 (Hillandale)

FAIRFAX CONNECTOR:
9610 402 (Franconia- Springfield)
9710 401 (Tysons West*Park)
9703 171 (Franconia- Springfield)
7856 171 (Huntington Metro North)
9733 950 (West Falls Church)
9745 950 (Reston Town Ctr via Herndon-Monroe)
7776 505 (West Falls Church)

PRTC OMNIRIDE:
308 (Manassas)
354 (West Falls Church Metro)
360 (West Falls Church Metro)
174 (Gainesville/ Linton Hall Road)

METROBUS:
6150 NH1
6159 NH1
6110 NH1
6349 36
9358 Z8 with an M (Montgomery) block
9360 J4 with an M (Montgomery) block
4091 C4 (Twinbrook Station)
4216 2C (Tysons Corner)
4236 2C (Ballston Station)
4260 S2 (Federal Triangle)
4266 S4 (Federal Triangle)
4289 70 (Archives)
4299 S2 (Silver Spring Station)
4311 K6 (Ft Totten)
4315 C8 (College Park Station)
4322 J2 (Montgomery Mall)
4328 J2 (Montgomery Mall)
4330 J2 (Silver Spring Station)
4336 J2 (Silver Spring Station)
4342 C8 (College Park Station)
4345 Q4 (Rockville Station)
4349 Q4 (Silver Spring Station)
4351 Z8 (Silver Spring Station)
4353 10A (Hunting Towers)
4359 10B (Hunting Towers)
4366 28A (Tysons Corner)
4373 F8 (Langley Park)
2005 F8 (Cheverly Station)
2010 F4 (Silver Spring Station)
2034 E4 (Riggs Park)
2035 64 (Federal Triangle)
2038 32 (Friendship Heights Station)
2046 64 (Ft Totten)
2050 E4 (Friendship Heights Station)
2077 K6 (Ft Totten)
2091 C4 (PG Plaza Station)
2118 10A (Pentagon)
2139 28A (King Street Station)
2141 S2 (Silver Spring Station)
2145 S2 (Federal Triangle)
2152 S4 (Silver Spring Station)
2161 70 (Silver Spring Station)
2163 83 (Rhode Island Avenue Station)
2174 86 (Calverton)
2176 32 (Southern Avenue Station)
2208 36 (Naylor Road Station)
2228 36 (Friendship Heights Station)
6014 T18 (Rhode Island Avenue Station)
6015 C2 (Greenbelt Center)
6028 C4 (Twinbrook Station)
6038 C8 (White Flint Station)
6039 J2 (Montgomery Mall)
6201 J2 (Silver Spring Station)
6205 C8 (White Flint Station)
6206 C8 (White Flint Station)
6207 C8 (College Park Station)
6210 C8 (College Park Station)
6317 F6 (New Carrollton Station)
6321 F6 (Silver Spring Station)
6328 R12 (Deanwood Station)
6348 36 (Naylor Road Station)
6354 36 (Friendship Heights Station)
6360 31 (Friendship Heights Station)
6363 31 (Foggy Bottom Station)
6364 62 (Takoma Station)
6365 C4 (Twinbrook Station)
6367 Z8 (Briggs Chaney Park & Ride)
6376 Z8 (Silver Spring Station)
6382 C2 (Wheaton Station)
6385 K6 (White Oak)
6392 Z6 (Burtonsville)
6393 K6 (Ft Totten)
6394 Z6 (Silver Spring Station)
6395 1A (Vienna Station)
6404 1B (Dunn Loring Station)
6409 1A (Ballston Station)
6410 F4 (New Carrollton Station)
6412 F4 (Silver Spring Station)
6414 T18 (New Carrollton Station)
6417 84 (Rhode Island Avenue Station)
6420 F6 (New Carrollton Station)
6422 84 (New Carrollton Station)
6485 S2 (Federal Triangle)
6509 S4 (Silver Spring Station)
6510 F4 (New Carrollton Station)
6531 F4 (Silver Spring Station)
6541 K6 (White Oak)
6542 K6 (Ft Totten)
6548 K6 (White Oak)
6555 J2 (Montgomery Mall)
6564 J2 (Silver Spring Station)
6567 2C (Tysons Corner)
6569 1B (Ballston Station)
2574 25A
2703 5A (L'Enfant Plaza Station)
2645 16J (Culmore)
2658 16J (Culmore)
2532 16J (Pentagon)
2531 16J (Pentagon)
2359 79 & then on the R2 (Calverton)
2390 86 (Rhode Island Avenue Station)
2330 83 (Rhode Island Avenue Station)
2332 R2 (Calverton)
2823 R2 (Calverton)
2348 R2 (Ft Totten)
2421 80 (Kennedy Center)
2331 80 (Ft Totten)

[Annex4421]

All are from Friday 6597 on 7th street
4088 C21
9303 F4
9384 T18
6162 W4
6168 M6
6214 B29
9398 F12

And to add I saw an all white C40LFR on constitution avenue it rode past while I was on the 13B

[ChristopherF]

RIDE ON:
5529 30
005821 55 (Germantown Trans Cntr)
035910 59 (Montgomery Village)
035911 55 (Rockville)
035912 59 (Rockville)
035913 46 (Medical Center)
035914 46 (Montgomery College Rockville)
085737 5 (Twinbrook)
095011 26 (Montgomery Mall)
095030 26 (Glenmont)
5365 5 (Silver Spring)
5376 15 (Silver Spring)

METROBUS:
6107 NH1
4020 NH1
6110 NH1
4213 1A (Vienna Station)
9330 R5 (Fort Totten Station)
9363 Z8 (Silver Sprng Station) with an M (Montgomery) block
4100 Z8 (Briggs Chaney Park & Ride)
4260 S2 (Federal Triangle)
4268 S4 (Silver Spring Station)
4298 70 (Archives)
4301 S2 (Silver Spring Station)
4302 70 (Silver Spring Station)
4305 70 (Silver Spring Station) with an N (Northern) block
4306 K6 (White Oak)
4313 Z6 (Burtonsville)
4317 J2 (Montgomery Mall)
4318 K6 (Ft Totten)
4323 C4 (PG Plaza Station)
4337 C4 (Twinbrook Station)
4344 K6 (White Oak)
4349 K6 (Ft Totten)
2100 10A (Hunting Towers)
2116 28A (Tysons Corner)
2141 70 (Half & O SW)
2161 70 (Archives)
2162 X2 (Lafayette Square)
2178 32 (Friendship Heights Station)
6017 Z8 (Briggs Chaney Park & Ride)
6037 C4 (Twinbrook Station)
6335 S2 (Federal Triangle)
6338 S4 (Silver Spring Station)
6357 36 (Friendship Heights Station)
6366 K6 (White Oak) & then on the Z8 (Briggs Chaney Park & Ride)
6371 Z8 (Silver Spring Station)
6373 J2 (Silver Spring Station)
6382 Q4 (Rockville Station)
6386 K6 (Ft Totten)
6391 J2 (Montgomery Mall)
6422 F4 (Silver Spring Station)
6425 S9
6480 S4 (Federal Triangle)
6497 S2 (Federal Triangle)
6509 S2 (Silver Spring Station)
6510 F4 (New Carrollton Station)
6537 Z6 (Silver Spring Station)
6543 J2 (Silver Spring Station)
6556 K6 (Ft Totten)
5446 Z11 (Silver Spring Station)
5447 70 (Silver Spring Station)
5448 70 (Silver Spring Station)
5451 70 (Silver Spring Station)
5452 70 (Silver Spring Station)
2703 5A (L'Enfant Plaza Station)
2714 3A (Annandale)
2720 23A (Tysons Corner Westpark)
2541 23A (Crystal City)
2680 REX (Fort Belvoir)
2565 REX (King Street Station)
2421 R2 (Calverton)
2357 R2 (Calverton)
2824 80 (Kennedy Center)
2341 80 (Ft Totten)
2825 80 (Kennedy Center)
2365 80 (Ft Totten)

[C40LF_2464]

4088 on the F4 this morning, Sign had a glitch to.

[RideOn5905]

This one is... random.
This morning, I was on the 55, heading back home from my Business Law class at MC-Germantown, and when we reached Goldenrod Lane, I saw a Shuttle-UM Gillig Phantom; 7001, to be exact, headed in the opposite direction. The bus was empty, and the destination sign said "TERPS WIN!" I don't know if it was headed to MC or what, but it felt weird to see a Shuttle-UM bus as far north as Germantown.

Another thing on the side: It seems that the 61 and the 55 are interlining in the mornings. For the past week, the 61 that I take in the morning to go to class turns into a 55 upon arrival at GTC. And for some reason, they seem to happen on 35-footers (5951 on Wednesday, 5907 on Friday, and 5931 (which has a very jerky transmission) today). Buses interlining at GTC is rare enough, and shorter buses on the 55 are not necessarily uncommon, but why this early in the morning?

[Scrabbleship]

6397 on the 15L. Somewhat rare to see a 40' LFA on that route.

[WayneNYC]

This one is... random.
This morning, I was on the 55, heading back home from my Business Law class at MC-Germantown, and when we reached Goldenrod Lane, I saw a Shuttle-UM Gillig Phantom; 7001, to be exact, headed in the opposite direction. The bus was empty, and the destination sign said "TERPS WIN!" I don't know if it was headed to MC or what, but it felt weird to see a Shuttle-UM bus as far north as Germantown.

Shuttle-UM has service to/from the Colleges at Shady Grove campus.  Not sure why you'd see it from the 55 though as it usually travel via I-270.

[LandoverDivision]

4088 F8
4052 F8
9331 Laying over at RI Ave
6573 18P
2178 36

[ChristopherF]

RIDE ON:
095331 34 (Friendship Heights)
095338 34 (Wheaton)
095342 10 (Twinbrook)
015591 10 (Hillandale)

METROBUS:
6107 NH1
6110 NH1
4242 2C (Tysons Corner)
6349 36
9326 83
9375 D8
4052 F8 (Langley Park) with an L (Landover) block
4084 70 (Archives) with an N (Northern) block
4200 R2 (Calverton)
4209 83 (Rhode Island Avenue Station)
4211 1A (Vienna Station)
4301 70 (Silver Spring Station)
4311 C4 (PG Plaza Station)
4313 C4 (Twinbrook Station)
4319 C8 (College Park Station)
4323 Z6 (Burtonsville)
4328 K6 (White Oak)
4349 C8 (College Park Station)
4355 28A (Tysons Corner)
4360 10B (Ballston Station)
4366 10A (Pentagon)
4368 F4 (Silver Spring Station)
2057 E4 (Friendship Heights Station)
2058 1B (Dunn Loring Station)
2073 13B (Pentagon via Mall)
2087 K6 (Ft Totten)
2088 C4 (PG Plaza Station)
2089 C4 (PG Plaza Station)
2100 28A (King Street Station)
2112 10A (Hunting Towers)
2114 28A (King Street Station)
2116 28A (Tysons Corner)
2129 28A (Tysons Corner)
2139 28A (Tysons Corner)
2141 S2 (Federal Triangle)
2159 K2
2173 86 (Rhode Island Avenue Station)
2176 64 (Ft Totten)
2185 64 (Federal Triangle)
2199 E4 (Riggs Park)
2215 E4 (Frirndship Heights Station)
2221 36 (Naylor Road Station)
6014 F4 (New Carrollton Station)
6015 C4 (Twinbrook Station)
6017 C8 (White Flint Station)
6028 J2 (Montgomery Mall)
6037 J2 (Silver Spring Station)
6177 F6 (Silver Spring Station)
6205 C2 (Greenbelt Center)
6214 R12 (New Carrollton Station)
6304 F4 (New Carrollton Station)
6330 A12 (Capital Plaza)
6334 A12 (Addison Road Station)
6335 S2 (Federal Triangle)
6351 36 (Friendship Heights Station)
6360 60 (Georgia Ave Petworth)
6367 K6 (Ft Totten)
6383 C2 (Greenbelt Center)
6390 C2 (Wheaton Station)
6409 1A (Ballston Station)
6410 F4 (New Carrollton Station)
6442 39
6509 S2 (Silver Spring Station)
6510 F4 (New Carrollton Station) & then on the F8 (Langley Park)
6521 T18 (Rhode Island Avenue Station)
6563 C8 (White Flint Station)
2521 9A (Huntington Station North)
2509 9A (Pentagon)
2616 R3 (Ft Totten)
2615 remains @ FMR.
2619 R2 (Calverton)
2622 R2 (Ft Totten)
2621 remains @ FMR.
2310 R2 (Calverton)

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

4020 on the N4 with block MN25

[C40LF_2464]

And to add I saw an all white C40LFR on constitution avenue it rode past while I was on the 13B

I believe i saw he same bus today at rossylyn. While on the 38B i looked closely it couldn't be a WMATA unit. It also had a stimulus sticker on the front.

[WMAveteran]

 On Wednesday, 9/15/2010 at approximately 12:30 PM on Minnesota Avenue NE, I saw Metrobus #2450 operating in revenue service (picking up and discharging passengers) in complete "stealth" mode: the front destination sign was blank, the side destination sign displayed ******** and the rear destination sign displayed the word "Golf". PRICELESS!
Based on its route where it turned off Minnesota Ave SE onto Ridge Road, the bus appeared to be operating the U5/U6 service but no one would have known that prior to the turn off without the destination signs. 

[C40LF_2464]

On Wednesday, 9/15/2010 at approximately 12:30 PM on Minnesota Avenue NE, I saw Metrobus #2450 operating in revenue service (picking up and discharging passengers) in complete "stealth" mode: the front destination sign was blank, the side destination sign displayed ******** and the rear destination sign displayed the word "Golf". PRICELESS!
Based on its route where it turned off Minnesota Ave SE onto Ridge Road, the bus appeared to be operating the U5/U6 service but no one would have know that prior to the turn off without the destination signs. 

Yes, its been like that for some time now when U5/U6's  terminate at Minnesota Ave the sign changes to that. I remember seeing a 79 bus doing that before.