January 2012 Observations

RideOn5905 · January 31, 2012, 01:22:53 PM

Two bits of news from Ride-On:

5008 is back in service; saw it on the 97 today.

Ride-On also introduced a new route; the 94, which is a shuttle from Kingsview P&R to Germantown MARC Station. I must say, they did a good job of keeping that last one under wraps, because I never knew about it until just a few minutes ago; I got off the 61 at my stop (Germantown Road & Dawson Farm Road), and that's where I saw the marker for the 94.

NewFlyer9736BCT · January 31, 2012, 03:02:01 PM

Quote from: RideOn5905 on January 31, 2012, 01:22:53 PM
Two bits of news from Ride-On:

5008 is back in service; saw it on the 97 today.

Ride-On also introduced a new route; the 94, which is a shuttle from Kingsview P&R to Germantown MARC Station. I must say, they did a good job of keeping that last one under wraps, because I never knew about it until just a few minutes ago; I got off the 61 at my stop (Germantown Road & Dawson Farm Road), and that's where I saw the marker for the 94.

heh, i saw 5007 yesterday on the 45 and was wondering if 5008 ever made it back. guess it did then...

as for the 94, seems like a pretty short route, though a good idea for Germantown commuters especially since the Germantown Transit Center parking for commuters is very small.

Transport · January 31, 2012, 09:50:09 PM

FFX Connector's new 77xx series buses are now in service. They are similar to the 96xx Xcelsiors but with different tail lights and a white LED side destination sign mounted in the second standee window from the door (vs the first like on most buses).

Connector route 335 was shifted from West Ox to Huntington and the 306 and 395 were shifted from Huntington to West Ox.

79MetroExtraMD · February 01, 2012, 07:54:35 AM

Quote from: Transport on January 31, 2012, 09:50:09 PM
FFX Connector's new 77xx series buses are now in service. They are similar to the 96xx Xcelsiors but with different tail lights and a white LED side destination sign mounted in the second standee window from the door (vs the first like on most buses).

Connector route 335 was shifted from West Ox to Huntington and the 306 and 395 were shifted from Huntington to West Ox.

So they have the same sign setup as MTA's Xcelsiors. Also, I'm curious as to why the 395 was shifted to West Ox from Huntington. Seems reasonable that it would operate out of Huntington since it's a shorter deadhead than going all the way to West Ox. I can understand why the 306 was shifted to West Ox but boggled about the 395.

Transport · February 01, 2012, 10:40:16 PM

Quote from: 79MetroExtraMD on February 01, 2012, 07:54:35 AM
Quote from: Transport on January 31, 2012, 09:50:09 PM
FFX Connector's new 77xx series buses are now in service. They are similar to the 96xx Xcelsiors but with different tail lights and a white LED side destination sign mounted in the second standee window from the door (vs the first like on most buses).

Connector route 335 was shifted from West Ox to Huntington and the 306 and 395 were shifted from Huntington to West Ox.
So they have the same sign setup as MTA's Xcelsiors. Also, I'm curious as to why the 395 was shifted to West Ox from Huntington. Seems reasonable that it would operate out of Huntington since it's a shorter deadhead than going all the way to West Ox. I can understand why the 306 was shifted to West Ox but boggled about the 395.

Buses on the a.m. 395 trips become the 306 buses which then become the 395 again for p.m. peak. There are two 395 buses that pull back to West Ox and deadhead along 110 and 66 back to West Ox like the WMATA buses from the Pentagon going home to West Ox.

I believe Huntington Division is at capacity... that division runs ALL 100 and 200 routes, most all 300 routes (except the weekday 310, 306, and 395), the frequent 371, and all runs on the 401/402.

WMAveteran · February 03, 2012, 12:33:11 AM

January 25, 2012: the number of riders on route 201 seems to be increasing. I rode D4500 coach 172C in ICC wrap on the 3:00 pm departure to BWI Thurgood Marshall from Gaithersburg P&R: 2 passengers boarded at Gaithersburg P&R, 3 passengers boarded at Shady Grove Metro, 1 passenger boarded at Norbeck P&R, 2 passengers alighted at Burtonsville P&R, no passengers boarded or alighted at Dorsey MARC station, the remaining 4 passengers alighted at BWI Thurgood Marshall airport. There were six passengers in total.

WMATAGMOAGH · February 03, 2012, 08:30:49 AM

Has the route changed at all now that more of the ICC is open?

WMAveteran · February 04, 2012, 12:36:03 AM

Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on February 03, 2012, 08:30:49 AM
Has the route changed at all now that more of the ICC is open?

Oren: Yes the route has changed. After the Norbeck P&R stop the bus returns to the ICC to reach route 29 and the Burtonsville P&R stop instead of following route 198 to route 29. The last six trips to BWI in the afternoon (departures from Gaithersburg at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 pm) now stop at the Dorsey MARC station.

WMATAGMOAGH · February 05, 2012, 05:33:42 AM

Nice. Maybe someday I'll fly into or out of BWI and try it out, since I think it would be faster to take that from the airport to Shady Grove and get to my parents' home from there when compared to the B30/Green Line combo. My next visit to the states takes me through IAD however.

News:

January 2012 Observations