X9 to launch, 16F/7E to enter DC, Greenbelt service to be redrawn

[WES]

It would make sense to extened the 9A that far up.  Right now it's only a 30 minute route from Huntington to Pentagon.  Extending it another 20 minutes isn't going to hurt and like I said it might take some of the people who now take metrorail, to save a few dollars and take the bus.  I can't say that the 11Y is always packed but it seems to get good patronage from K Street to southern Fairfax and the 16Y isn't doing all that bad either.

[79MetroExtraMD]

They are basically almost restoring the original R12 line.  Before the extensions, it ran from Deanwood to Greenbelt.  I think it terminated at either Beltway Plaza or Greenbelt Center, can't remember.  For a time it ran from Addison Road to Greenbelt, replacing part of the old P14 line, before the V14 took that segment over.  But buses coming from that long of a haul often would run late, especially going to New Carrollton from Deanwood.  I know this from the many times coming from Baltimore and none coming for a while because they got caught up somewhere.

Case in point: The 16 and 64 (Baltimore). Those lines seem to always run late no matter what day. You get late on one part of the run, your entire run is late.

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

It would make sense to extened the 9A that far up.  Right now it's only a 30 minute route from Huntington to Pentagon.  Extending it another 20 minutes isn't going to hurt and like I said it might take some of the people who now take metrorail, to save a few dollars and take the bus.

Plus it's good for those who just wanna go to VA no matter what time of day without having to go through Georgetown...ugh...

you know what this makes me think of? instead of "orange line with a view", this would pretty much make it the "yellow line with a view" assuming it will go up to L'Enfant Plaza or Archives or further north.

[OrionFlyer]

The thing I'm wondering is: are any of the newer buses going to be in the Express Scheme for the X9? If not, Bladensburg could possibly need additional  Express buses from other divisions for that route.  But then that will mess things up for the other division.

They should just repaint some of the C40lfs into the Express scheme, if none of the newer buses are going to be in that scheme. I'm pretty sure the current 18 Express buses at the yard isn't enough for both those routes.

[79MetroExtraMD]

The thing I'm wondering is: are any of the newer buses going to be in the Express Scheme for the X9? If not, Bladensburg could possibly need additional  Express buses from other divisions for that route.  But then that will mess things up for the other division.

They should just repaint some of the C40lfs into the Express scheme, if none of the newer buses are going to be in that scheme. I'm pretty sure the current 18 Express buses at the yard isn't enough for both those routes.

Most of the C40LFs are in the local scheme and it really wouldn't be feasible to re-repaint a bus. There are still quite a few of the C40LFRs that haven't been repainted outside of 2817 and 2823. Those might be good candidates.
The X9 might start as a rush hour only route like the 79 and X9 and granted if there is funding available, it could go all day.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

WMATA bus branding is ridiculous.  Better to just keep using the older schemes and not having buses assigned to specific services.

The X9 is a rush hour only operation to start IIRC.

[WayneNYC]

WMATA bus branding is ridiculous.  Better to just keep using the older schemes and not having buses assigned to specific services.

The X9 is a rush hour only operation to start IIRC.

I was thinking the same. I hope they don't continue this as it just doesn't work for the way WMATA operates.

[79MetroExtraMD]

WMATA bus branding is ridiculous.  Better to just keep using the older schemes and not having buses assigned to specific services.

The X9 is a rush hour only operation to start IIRC.

I was thinking the same. I hope they don't continue this as it just doesn't work for the way WMATA operates.

I mean, marketing and curb appeal. I doubt they'll stop with the branding.

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

See...for the most part the whole branding thing is working. On the Limited Stop and Express routes, most of the time you'll see express-branded buses (37, 39, S9, 79, J4, B30) but whenever needed, there's plenty of local-branded and non-branded buses available. In that case, a bus is a bus, and if it can transport dozens of passengers, then it works just as fine. Same with vice versa (express buses on local routes), but I do see why this isn't working out, just because more times than usual, we're seeing all sorts of buses all over the place (like a MetroExtra bus on the 86, a local bus on the 79, express bus on the K2, etc etc...). The only way how this is affecting the budget is switching the signs to the green ones that 2815-2817 and 2665 have.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

See...for the most part the whole branding thing is working. On the Limited Stop and Express routes, most of the time you'll see express-branded buses (37, 39, S9, 79, J4, B30) but whenever needed, there's plenty of local-branded and non-branded buses available. In that case, a bus is a bus, and if it can transport dozens of passengers, then it works just as fine. Same with vice versa (express buses on local routes), but I do see why this isn't working out, just because more times than usual, we're seeing all sorts of buses all over the place (like a MetroExtra bus on the 86, a local bus on the 79, express bus on the K2, etc etc...). The only way how this is affecting the budget is switching the signs to the green ones that 2815-2817 and 2665 have.

The fact that express buses appear on local routes with a certain amount of regularity, especially on weekends, would indicate to me the branding isn't working as well as you make it out to be.

[79MetroExtraMD]

See...for the most part the whole branding thing is working. On the Limited Stop and Express routes, most of the time you'll see express-branded buses (37, 39, S9, 79, J4, B30) but whenever needed, there's plenty of local-branded and non-branded buses available. In that case, a bus is a bus, and if it can transport dozens of passengers, then it works just as fine. Same with vice versa (express buses on local routes), but I do see why this isn't working out, just because more times than usual, we're seeing all sorts of buses all over the place (like a MetroExtra bus on the 86, a local bus on the 79, express bus on the K2, etc etc...). The only way how this is affecting the budget is switching the signs to the green ones that 2815-2817 and 2665 have.

The fact that express buses appear on local routes with a certain amount of regularity, especially on weekends, would indicate to me the branding isn't working as well as you make it out to be.

It's the whole scheduling and assignments. Like theres a J2 that does a Z express in the evening and always gets an express bus. I think since now alot of runs are crazy interlined, yea some branded buses end up elsewhere but I don't think most people care as long as its the bus they want (granted they even READ the sign properly). Once the scheduling system improves, things might change to exclusive express and exclusive local. But then, that all depends on the starter and how the runs are set up.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

See...for the most part the whole branding thing is working. On the Limited Stop and Express routes, most of the time you'll see express-branded buses (37, 39, S9, 79, J4, B30) but whenever needed, there's plenty of local-branded and non-branded buses available. In that case, a bus is a bus, and if it can transport dozens of passengers, then it works just as fine. Same with vice versa (express buses on local routes), but I do see why this isn't working out, just because more times than usual, we're seeing all sorts of buses all over the place (like a MetroExtra bus on the 86, a local bus on the 79, express bus on the K2, etc etc...). The only way how this is affecting the budget is switching the signs to the green ones that 2815-2817 and 2665 have.

The fact that express buses appear on local routes with a certain amount of regularity, especially on weekends, would indicate to me the branding isn't working as well as you make it out to be.

It's the whole scheduling and assignments. Like theres a J2 that does a Z express in the evening and always gets an express bus. I think since now alot of runs are crazy interlined, yea some branded buses end up elsewhere but I don't think most people care as long as its the bus they want (granted they even READ the sign properly). Once the scheduling system improves, things might change to exclusive express and exclusive local. But then, that all depends on the starter and how the runs are set up.

So either they need to stop interlining, or they need to stop branding.  You can't have it both ways.  I'd rather they interline for maximum efficiency than paint buses a certain way to indicate what service they supposedly are running.  It is silly to tell people to expect a bus of a certain color (even if WMATA has never said this explicitly, this is what branding entails) on certain routes and then for that system to not be followed, whether it be by having a local bus on the 79, a third or fourth or whatever number scheme bus it is on the 79, or an express bus on the N6 on the weekend.

[WayneNYC]

See...for the most part the whole branding thing is working. On the Limited Stop and Express routes, most of the time you'll see express-branded buses (37, 39, S9, 79, J4, B30) but whenever needed, there's plenty of local-branded and non-branded buses available. In that case, a bus is a bus, and if it can transport dozens of passengers, then it works just as fine. Same with vice versa (express buses on local routes), but I do see why this isn't working out, just because more times than usual, we're seeing all sorts of buses all over the place (like a MetroExtra bus on the 86, a local bus on the 79, express bus on the K2, etc etc...). The only way how this is affecting the budget is switching the signs to the green ones that 2815-2817 and 2665 have.

The fact that express buses appear on local routes with a certain amount of regularity, especially on weekends, would indicate to me the branding isn't working as well as you make it out to be.

It's the whole scheduling and assignments. Like theres a J2 that does a Z express in the evening and always gets an express bus. I think since now alot of runs are crazy interlined, yea some branded buses end up elsewhere but I don't think most people care as long as its the bus they want (granted they even READ the sign properly). Once the scheduling system improves, things might change to exclusive express and exclusive local. But then, that all depends on the starter and how the runs are set up.

So either they need to stop interlining, or they need to stop branding.  You can't have it both ways.  I'd rather they interline for maximum efficiency than paint buses a certain way to indicate what service they supposedly are running.  It is silly to tell people to expect a bus of a certain color (even if WMATA has never said this explicitly, this is what branding entails) on certain routes and then for that system to not be followed, whether it be by having a local bus on the 79, a third or fourth or whatever number scheme bus it is on the 79, or an express bus on the N6 on the weekend.

I totally agree. 

Guys:  Do you see what's happening here.  Oren is saying that bus branding doesn't work for WMATA, and I agree.  Then Ken is giving an explanation of why local branded buses are showing up on express routes and vice-versa.  This is why my position is that bus branding is not good for WMATA.  It doesn't make sense (and can confuse people) to have buses dedicated to a particular service and then have them regularly doing other services.   

Bus branding can certainly work in other places.  A good candidate would be in NYC, now that they use OTR coaches for express service.  Local buses still occasionally show up on express routes at MTAB, but it's pretty much unheard of nowadays on NYCTA routes.   

IMO, WMATA should discontinue the express-local branding and simply use the the PR signs to indicate whether it's a local, express or limited-stop.

[LandoverDivision]

Branding really doesn't matter. You're not going to let a bus pass because it's painted blue and says express. No one is saying you're wrong or anything, it's just that no one really cares about it being branded. We gotta deal with it one way or another.

[WayneNYC]

Branding really doesn't matter. You're not going to let a bus pass because it's painted blue and says express. No one is saying you're wrong or anything, it's just that no one really cares about it being branded. We gotta deal with it one way or another.

OK, So... If branding doesn't matter and no one cares about it, then why bother doing it?  Sure, no one will pass up a bus just because it is branded.  I think you're missing the point as it's not about whether riders will care about branding or not.  Sure, some of the bus fans here don't care.  However, I'd bet that if you present this situation to any level-headed person, they'd likely also question why bues are being branded.