Enhanced B30 & 5A Service for Inaguration including NABI Artics on Both Routes

[WMATAGMOAGH]

The press release says artics will be running on both lines, I think it is safe to assume they will be NABIs.
 

Metro to run extra bus service to airports for Inauguration Weekend For immediate release: January 12, 2009

Metro is doubling the number of passengers it can carry on its buses that serve the Washington region's major international airports for Inauguration Weekend.

Metro will run additional buses from Friday, January 16 through Wednesday, January 21 on the B30 Route, which runs from the Greenbelt Metrorail station on the Green Line to the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and on the 5A Route, which will run a modified service from Rosslyn Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines to Washington Dulles International Airport. The expansion is to meet an influx of air travelers heading to the Washington region for the January 20th Inauguration. The 5A normally stops at L'Enfant Plaza and Rosslyn Metrorail stations, but will not service the Tysons-Westpark Transit Station or the Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride Lot between January 16 and January 21.

Buses will operate on a weekday enhanced schedule for the 5A and B30 routes with buses running every 15-20 minutes, instead of every 30 minutes during the six-day period. Metro also will run two new longer articulated buses on each line. The articulated or accordion style, buses can carry 103 people versus 76 people on a standard bus.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is the only regional airport directly served by a Metrorail stop on the Yellow and Blue lines. Travelers also can take the 13F and 13G buses which run from the airport to Federal Triangle and Southwest Washington, D.C.

For more information about Metrobus service for the inauguration or to sign up for special e-alerts, dedicated to the Inauguration, please visit Metro's Web site at http://www.wmata.com/inauguration. E-alerts will be issued when Metro has news relating to service throughout Inauguration weekend.

View timetables for: 5A to Washinton Dulles International Airport, B30 to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport,  13F/G to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

[btconet]

Good move.  I was thinking these may well be pretty well utilized in this week.  The B30 in particular may be mobbed on Inauguration Day itself and not from Airline riders, but Baltimore riders looking for an alternative to the sold out MARC trains.

It is a little odd though that they post links to the regular schedules, when they're advertising modifications to them.  I realize it is likely time consuming to produce a one-week timetable PDF, and putting two and two together, one can figure out to insert trips directly between those shown, but a bit more explanation might have been helpful.

[Perry]

The planning that is going into this from WMATA's perspective seems to be relatively disjointed with some of it being thrown together at the last minute.  2 1/2 months between the election and Inauguration Day seems like it would be enough time to put a more comprehensive schedule together.  They are running all of these express routes from MD to DC but not running any of their park and ride routes from VA to at least the Metro Stations, not advertising other satellite lots where people could park and ride, (malls, etc.).  Considering that WMATA is the big dog in DC you'd think they would have more access to a lot of the inside information and really put something grand together.

Again, so glad not to be anywhere near DC!! :-)

[wmata employee]

All bus will be in sevice on those days extra service is added all over the system we are really pleased.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

The planning that is going into this from WMATA's perspective seems to be relatively disjointed with some of it being thrown together at the last minute.  2 1/2 months between the election and Inauguration Day seems like it would be enough time to put a more comprehensive schedule together.  They are running all of these express routes from MD to DC but not running any of their park and ride routes from VA to at least the Metro Stations, not advertising other satellite lots where people could park and ride, (malls, etc.).  Considering that WMATA is the big dog in DC you'd think they would have more access to a lot of the inside information and really put something grand together.

Again, so glad not to be anywhere near DC!! :-)

I'm not sure anyone really knows what to expect, which is probably why the WMATA preparations seem haphazard to the rest of us.

And Perry, I'm with you on being glad to be nowhere near DC next Tuesday.

[Scrabbleship]

I wonder if those 2 artics on the 5A are in addition to the 2 FMR already has. With those headways it might be time for me to fan the 5A this weekend if it comes often enough to wait for an NABI.

[OrionFlyer]

So its safe to assume there will be New Flyers on the B30? There may even be Orion VII's on that route too.

[btconet]

Took me a second to get what you were getting at, but I think I got it.  You're suggesting that since Bladensburg is likely running the extras, any Bladensburg stiock can wind up on the B30.  sounds plausible.

Media here reports MARC is sold out, but instead of making any reference to the B30 as an option, they merely mention going using Park and Ride Buses.  The only one even close to local is Columbia to DC Metro, and that will likely be of little consolation to those staying or living in Baltimore.

[79MetroExtraMD]

Took me a second to get what you were getting at, but I think I got it.  You're suggesting that since Bladensburg is likely running the extras, any Bladensburg stiock can wind up on the B30.  sounds plausible.

Media here reports MARC is sold out, but instead of making any reference to the B30 as an option, they merely mention going using Park and Ride Buses.  The only one even close to local is Columbia to DC Metro, and that will likely be of little consolation to those staying or living in Baltimore.

Remember the media is transit ignorant. They aren't as savvy as the rest of us who know the other options. I can't see anyone traveling out to Long Gate on the 150 or even the 310 to Columbia to get a bus to get to Metro. As for the B30, since Metrobus is running on a modified Saturday schedule, when will the first B30 leave either end?

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Took me a second to get what you were getting at, but I think I got it.  You're suggesting that since Bladensburg is likely running the extras, any Bladensburg stiock can wind up on the B30.  sounds plausible.

Media here reports MARC is sold out, but instead of making any reference to the B30 as an option, they merely mention going using Park and Ride Buses.  The only one even close to local is Columbia to DC Metro, and that will likely be of little consolation to those staying or living in Baltimore.

The media probably was told by the MTA about the MTA alternatives, which wouldn't include the B30.  Doesn't surprise me, and truth be told, they probably want the B30 capacity left for people actually destined to and from BWI.

[79MetroExtraMD]

The media probably was told by the MTA about the MTA alternatives, which wouldn't include the B30.  Doesn't surprise me, and truth be told, they probably want the B30 capacity left for people actually destined to and from BWI.

MTA does advertise the B30 as an option to get to DC. The B30 isn't just exclusively for airport folks. You do get some commuters who use it as an alternative to the train to get to Metro. I'm pretty sure those people who couldn't dish out the 25 bucks or just bothered not to deal with crowded trains will probably use the B30 to Metro option. I wouldn't blame them. I wouldn't want to dish out 25 bucks to ride the same crappy trains I ride everyday where I already paid 150 bucks to ride.

[Perry]

I think those lots are going to be more set up for those to drive and then take the bus not necessarily take a local bus to the commuter bus to the metro, etc. 

There should have been more of those throughout the region rather than the setup they have now. 

[btconet]

I spoke briefly to someone in the call center this morning, who said a LOT of people who are staying here in Baltimore (and not driving) are calling looking for options to DC now that the trains are sold out.  He did say their first recommendation is the Light Rail/B30/Green combo, but he says most, unfamiliar with the area, don't like that option, calling it too involved.

To the best of my knowlege, there are no concrete plans in place to run non-stop buses from a convenient Downtown (or even a transit accessible location like Cromwell LR) location to connect with Metro.

[rideonrulez]

The enhanced B30's I think are the new NABI CNG's. I saw at least one of them parked in Landover Division on Sunday evening.

[WayneNYC]

I was guessing the same in that they'd transfer a couple of the NABI-BRTs over to Landover for now.