March 2009 Observations

[C40LF_2464]

Ima have to slap Catoe in the face for holding my babies back. 

[Transport]

I rode the S9 this afternoon!

2016 on the trip from 16th/I to Silver Spring (East-West/Colesville).  Inoperable destination sign and farebox.  Paper S9 sign taped to the front window; dest. signs displayed Not In Service.

6425 - brand spankin' new - on the trip from East-West/Colesville to McPherson Sq.  Operator had farebox set to charge a $3 express fare!

The Eastern Ave layover was confusing and didn't help the "express" nature of the route.  Two S2s passed along with an S4 on 16th.  We caught, eventually, both S2s but not the S4 - that would have been faster from Silver Spring. 

The street supervisor had to chase down a NB New Flyer on the S9 operating via 16th instead of Alaska and Eastern.  Lots of explanation providing to passengers that happened to be waiting at express stops.

For 6425 being a new bus there was a lot of squeaking and rattling going on.  The STOP REQUESTED sign in the interior looks cool outlined in LEDs instead of backlit with incandescent bulbs.  Comfy seats with good support.

[Scrabbleship]

While some of us were chasing the S9 (which would be so easier to fan if it ran a little later out of Silver Spring), I chased the Jim Graham Express 14th Street-Adams Morgan Circulator yesterday.

I ended up getting rides on 1103 on one leg and 1112 on the return. Some stops have Circulator signage, others don't. A couple people were even wondering if it went to Georgetown! The route's limited stop nature works like a charm, not even 15 minutes from Columbia Heights to McPherson Square though there is some risk for delays on the Adams Morgan-Columbia Heights stretch though not as bad as U and Columbia on the old 98.

On that tangent, why WMATA didn't extend the 90/92/93 across the Ellington Bridge to Woodley Park to increase service on the 98 route miffs me. I know heritage turnarounds are heritage turnarounds, but still...

/ Don't even get me started on the lack of non-Nats night or weekend service on the N22 replacement route...

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

I saw 5818 today on the 56 approaching Lakeforest. Apparently it's not orange crushed...

Why is it that 5579 got crushed, not only with an orange sign but with one unique sign that no other Ride-On bus has, and it ends up on the training track...while 5818 (which took longer to repair (or whatever they did to it...seeing as this took MUCH longer than it should have)) has nothing changed other than being nice and shiny.

[C40LF_2464]

HEHE Saw 9761 on the R12

[Transport]

On that tangent, why WMATA didn't extend the 90/92/93 across the Ellington Bridge to Woodley Park to increase service on the 98 route miffs me. I know heritage turnarounds are heritage turnarounds, but still...

I've wondered the same about the 90/92/93 not running past the Duke Ellington Br loop to the Woodley Park Metro station loop (or at least the 90 OR 92 with the other staying at the Duke Ellington Br loop).  Makes more sense to have at least either the 90 OR 92 run all the way to me.  The 96 doesn't come often enough (although I do admit I've caught it a few times at Conn/Calvert when heading to 18th Street.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

And where do you all propose that the 90s layover at Woodley Park?  There isn't really any suitable place to do it in my opinion, even the 98s didn't have a lot of room there.

[Transport]

And where do you all propose that the 90s layover at Woodley Park?  There isn't really any suitable place to do it in my opinion, even the 98s didn't have a lot of room there.

Either the 90 OR 92 (not both) could continue to Woodley Park and layover (although it would be one bus at a time) on 24th St, opposite the L2 stop near the Wardman Park Marriott.

Just an idea

[WMATAGMOAGH]

And where do you all propose that the 90s layover at Woodley Park?  There isn't really any suitable place to do it in my opinion, even the 98s didn't have a lot of room there.

Either the 90 OR 92 (not both) could continue to Woodley Park and layover (although it would be one bus at a time) on 24th St, opposite the L2 stop near the Wardman Park Marriott.

Just an idea

That bus stop isn't very large.  Seeing as the ridership on the 90s isn't all that high when it reaches Adams Morgan to begin with, I'm not sure extending the route to the Metro will dramatically change anything, especially now that the circulator route runs all day and you also have the L2 operating from the Metro to Adams-Morgan.  Better to leave it the way it is IMHO.

[Tristan]

HEHE Saw 9761 on the R12

HEHE why is that funny?

[Tristan]

Ima have to slap Catoe in the face for holding my babies back. 

Did Catoe flood the Red River?  I knew he was powerful but damn!

Scrabble, I've known Circ to do special service "more readily" than Metrobus would because it's easier for City Council to give them money / easier for them to ask City Council for money (or the Nats or other parties for that matter) to fund extra service than it would be for WMATA to do so - therefore, I wouldn't be surprised to see some impromptu game day service.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Ima have to slap Catoe in the face for holding my babies back. 

Did Catoe flood the Red River?  I knew he was powerful but damn!

Scrabble, I've known Circ to do special service "more readily" than Metrobus would because it's easier for City Council to give them money / easier for them to ask City Council for money (or the Nats or other parties for that matter) to fund extra service than it would be for WMATA to do so - therefore, I wouldn't be surprised to see some impromptu game day service.

I haven't used the N22 postgame and it stops by the wrong side of Navy Yard station for the ballpark anyway.  However, I doubt the N22 late night and weekend service was justified when the Nats are not at home.  I agree with Tristan, having the route operated by DC instead of WMATA probably allows for greater flexibility such that the route will only run when it actually needs to.

[Tristan]

I checked out the Ox action a bit today and -- much to my bewilderment, they are using A for the run numbers.

Well it makes perfect sense, but I was anticipating a surprise.  Oh well. 

Also saw 4242 on the 7A about an hour ago.

[Antozilla]

flexibility and cost are the reasons fro things like the Circ and Dash and ART.  Cost too as they are much cheaper than Metro.

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

HEHE Saw 9761 on the R12

Not funny, but awesome, seeing as that bus is (hopefully) out of its misery from Northern.

And yeah, I wouldn't be surprised at all if West Ox kept A for the block #, I was actually expecting that