Redskins, WMATA Discontinue Shuttle Service due to FTA Regulations

[WMATAGMOAGH]

From WTOPnews.com:

Redskins stop bus service to stadium
August 5, 2008 - 3:59pm

LANDOVER, Md. - Fans can no longer take a shuttle bus from the Landover Metro station to Washington Redskins games.

The team is ending the shuttles because of federal regulations that prohibit public transit agencies from providing charter bus service if private companies want to do it. The team tried to hire a private bus company, but the deal would have forced a fare increase from $6 to $20.

The Redskins are instead advising fans to take the blue line to the Morgan Boulevard station and walk to the stadium, which is about a mile away.

The Redskins will continue to provide free shuttle service from their cash parking lots.



With the opening of the Blue Line to Largo, I wonder how many people were still using the shuttle from Landover...

[79MetroExtraMD]

From WTOPnews.com:

Redskins stop bus service to stadium
August 5, 2008 - 3:59pm

LANDOVER, Md. - Fans can no longer take a shuttle bus from the Landover Metro station to Washington Redskins games.

The team is ending the shuttles because of federal regulations that prohibit public transit agencies from providing charter bus service if private companies want to do it. The team tried to hire a private bus company, but the deal would have forced a fare increase from $6 to $20.

The Redskins are instead advising fans to take the blue line to the Morgan Boulevard station and walk to the stadium, which is about a mile away.

The Redskins will continue to provide free shuttle service from their cash parking lots.



With the opening of the Blue Line to Largo, I wonder how many people were still using the shuttle from Landover...

One thing still gets to me. Why not have something from Morgan Boulevard?

[WMATAGMOAGH]

From WTOPnews.com:

Redskins stop bus service to stadium
August 5, 2008 - 3:59pm

LANDOVER, Md. - Fans can no longer take a shuttle bus from the Landover Metro station to Washington Redskins games.

The team is ending the shuttles because of federal regulations that prohibit public transit agencies from providing charter bus service if private companies want to do it. The team tried to hire a private bus company, but the deal would have forced a fare increase from $6 to $20.

The Redskins are instead advising fans to take the blue line to the Morgan Boulevard station and walk to the stadium, which is about a mile away.

The Redskins will continue to provide free shuttle service from their cash parking lots.



With the opening of the Blue Line to Largo, I wonder how many people were still using the shuttle from Landover...

One thing still gets to me. Why not have something from Morgan Boulevard?

Who would operate it?

[rideonrulez]

I thought WMATA could operate it if there isn't any private carriers willing to do the work?

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Apparently the Redskins aren't willing to hire the private company willing to do it.  Although 20 dollars a ride sounds like a price Dan Snyder would consider charging...

[79MetroExtraMD]

Does anybody know of any ridership counts from special event charters in the past? I'm pretty sure even if you had every motorcoach operator in the region hired (especially on a weekday), there wouldn't be enough coaches to support the capacities and then have to operate commuter bus services as well.

[Tristan]

It couldn't be that bad if Metro could handle it and still hold down their operating service...

[Perry]

I think they carried about 7 or 8 thousand a game.

[79MetroExtraMD]

I think they carried about 7 or 8 thousand a game.

Ain't no way private charters can. We'll probably most likely see Metro continuing to provide the service. I wonder if there is any way to get a waiver or an exception from the FTA in lieu of this rule.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

I think they carried about 7 or 8 thousand a game.

Ain't no way private charters can. We'll probably most likely see Metro continuing to provide the service. I wonder if there is any way to get a waiver or an exception from the FTA in lieu of this rule.

They tried to get a waiver for the entire season, the FTA denied the request.  The service is dead.  No private company is doing it, WMATA isn't doing it.

Had this happened before the Largo extension opened, I think it would be a much larger issue.  I wonder how many people rode the shuttle from Landover since Morgan Boulevard opened.  Perry, is that 7000-8000 number for recent seasons with just the Landover-FedEx route?

[Perry]

7,000 for parking and another 4,000 for Landover.

[Tristan]

Would it be cheating to expand service on routes that go near the stadium, or operate a route that ordinarily would not operate but operate it as a route indeed, not as a special?  They'd have to work to make it attractive and simple but...could it work?

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Would it be cheating to expand service on routes that go near the stadium, or operate a route that ordinarily would not operate but operate it as a route indeed, not as a special?  They'd have to work to make it attractive and simple but...could it work?

I'm sure they could run find a legal way to run F14 trippers on 8 of 17 Sundays between Labor Day and New Year's Day but is it really worth it?  I wonder how many of those 4,000 riding the shuttle from Landover actually took the Metro there and how many just parked there to take advantage of the free parking and cheap shuttle ride?  Not to mention, one can skip quite a bit of traffic congestion by parking there.

[79MetroExtraMD]

Would it be cheating to expand service on routes that go near the stadium, or operate a route that ordinarily would not operate but operate it as a route indeed, not as a special?  They'd have to work to make it attractive and simple but...could it work?

The 67 in Baltimore is similar to what you're talking about. The last time I was at Rogers Avenue, it appeared to be in full service. It might be seasonal now just for races at Pimlico and the Preakness.

[Perry]

ND shuttles back with Transpo Private companies don't bid to provide game-day service. By ADAM JACKSON Tribune Staff Writer SOUTH BEND — Parking in a grassy field, hopping a Transpo bus and riding to the stadium has been a Notre Dame game-day ritual for years.
And, apparently, it still will be.
After a saga in which it appeared federal regulations might prevent Transpo from providing a series of game-day shuttles, officials announced this week that a lack of private sector interest in providing the shuttles has placed the job back in Transpo's hands for the rest of the season.
Right where it should be, Transpo general manager Rick Brown said.
"This is great for us, for the fans, for everyone," he said.
The Federal Transit Administration announced this spring that it would enforce a rule that made it mandatory for publicly funded transit companies like Transpo to offer any charter or special service routes up to the private sector. If no private company was interested, then public transit companies could apply for an exemption to operate the services.
And for Notre Dame football weekends, that service is a big job. For the game-day shuttle services, including campus parking shuttles, special buses to the airport, downtown and nearby hotels, Transpo usually provides rides to more than 22,000 on a typical football Saturday.
After Transpo's public posting of the service in July, two companies notified the FTA of an interest in the job — Indian Trails of Owosso, Mich., and Alexis Luxury Tours of Mount Prospect, Ill. But by a deadline this week, both companies had declined to provide the service.
Notre Dame assistant athletics director Josh Berlo said the university was glad to have this part of football season preparations sorted out.
"We are certainly pleased to have brought this to a resolution," he said, "especially considering the brief period of time we had to work with. And we are certainly looking forward to continuing our strong relationship with Transpo for another year."
The announcement may not be the end of the story, however. Brown said that, to comply with the regulations, Transpo must provide notification of any special service it would like to provide, in order to give private companies a chance to bid.
That means that everything from the holiday Santa Express service to shuttles for Mishawaka's Summerfest will have to be posted every year.
And, yes, that includes the Notre Dame football shuttle services. Every year.
"My staff isn't too happy about it," Brown said. "But now we know what we are up against.
"We'll start the process earlier next year," he said.