RIA/Baltimore Ave Bus Route Improvements: Another Round of Input Needed
At public meetings over the summer and fall, the community gave WMATA lots of feedback about improvements needed to the bus lines serving the Route 1 corridor of Rhode Island and Baltimore Avenues. In the latest public meetings, held earlier this week, WMATA representatives presented a series of possible improvements, and asked for community feedback. The most significant proposed improvements, directly impacting commuters along the corridor by providing direct routes to downtown DC. One of these options is to create a regular route (82) that runs from Mt. Rainier all the way to Foggy Bottom in DC. Check out the proposed map: Another option is to create a limited-stop express service from College Park to McPherson Square during rush hours. Check out all of the options at the WMATA Metrobus Studies website. Even though the public meetings phase is over, WMATA still wants to hear from you – particularly if you weren’t able to make it to the meetings. Take a minute to fill out the most recent WMATA survey to share your opinion about which of the line improvements are most important to you. After WMATA compiles all of your feedback, they will make final recommendations for changes to the bus routes. At that point, it will be up to the DC Council to provide funding to implement the changes. According to WMATA representative Douglas Stallworth, new routes, such as the proposed 82 extension would cost in the range of $2.5 million for seven days a week service. The limited-stop, rush hour only service option between Mt. Rainier and Franklin Square would cost about $1.2 million and on to College Park at least $1.5 million. Stallworth further noted that the cost figures are estimates based on similar services implemented by the Transit Authority, and final costs for the recommended service improvements will not be available until January 2014. Both of these routes would have the potential to significantly reduce rush hour traffic and provide much easier transportation options, with reduced transfer and travel times, for everyone along the corridor. Please take a moment to fill out the survey, then let the DC Council and the Mayor know that this is a priority for reducing traffic and improving transportation options for all community members along the RIA corridor. (Edited 11/16/2013, 1:10 p.m., to reflect corrected cost figures – our apologies for any inconvenience. –...
Read MoreProvide input on Rhode Island Ave Bus Lines
Following up on earlier meetings, the latest round of meetings on the Metrobus Rhode Island Avenue-Baltimore Avenue Corridor Study to solicit input from riders to identify and evaluate transit service problems in order to develop improvements for the bus routes (G8, 81, 82, 83, 84, 86, and T18) have been scheduled: Metro is holding a second round of public meetings to get input from riders about a set of service improvement options to Routes G8, T18, 81, 82, 83, 84, and 86. The dates, times, and locations are: Tuesday, November 12, 2013 Watha T. Daniel / Shaw Neighborhood Library Rhode Island Avenue & 7th Street NW Washington, DC 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (Across the street from Shaw Metro Station and served directly by Metrobus Routes G8, 70, and 79.) Wednesday, November 13, 2013 Hyattsville City Hall, Municipal Building 1st Floor, Multipurpose Room 4310 Gallatin Street Hyattsville, MD 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (Served by Metrobus Routes 83 and F8) The format of the meetings will be open house, which means that no presentation will be given. Instead, participants can arrive any time between 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm to review the improvement options and talk with project team members. Metro would like to get feedback about the preliminary ideas for improvements from as many riders as possible before completing the final report and submitting the recommendations to the WMATA Board for approval. All members of the public are invited and no RSVP is necessary. Please let your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and fellow riders know about these public meetings! The facilities are wheelchair accessible. A Spanish translator will be available upon request for those who prefer to communicate in Spanish. Source: WMATA’s website on improving Rhode Island Ave...
Read MoreWMATA schedules public meetings for RIA/Baltimore Ave bus lines
WMATA has scheduled the first round of public meetings for the Metrobus Rhode Island Avenue-Baltimore Avenue Corridor Study to solicit input from riders to identify and evaluate transit service problems in order to develop improvements for the bus routes (G8, 81, 82, 83, 84, 86, and T18) operating in the corridor. The meetings are the next step in the project, which started soliciting public input earlier this summer with a ridership survey. The public meetings are open to all members of the public, and no advance registration is required. These meetings will be “open house” style. Participants may arrive any time between 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm, as no presentation will be given. Instead, participants will be able to review display boards and speak individually with the project team about rider survey results and service issues and concerns. This feedback will lead to the development of service improvement options for the corridor, so please don’t miss this opportunity to share your thoughts and your transportation needs with WMATA! The meetings will be held on the following dates at the locations listed below: Monday, September 23, 2013 Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Neighborhood Library Rhode Island Avenue & 7th Street NW Washington, DC 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm Tuesday, September 24, 2013 The View, Senior Community 9th Floor, Crawford Hall 635 Edgewood Street NE Washington, DC 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm Thursday, September 26, 2013 Hyattsville City Hall, Municipal Building 1st Floor, Multipurpose Room 4310 Gallatin Street Hyattsville, MD 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm ...
Read MoreWMATA: Rhode Island Avenue Metrobus Ridership Survey
On Tuesday, July 16, WMATA will conduct a rider survey as part of the Rhode Island Avenue-Baltimore Avenue Corridor Study. The study is part of an effort to improve service on the bus lines serving Rhode Island Avenue and Baltimore Avenue. As we wrote earlier, there is no continuous bus line that runs the length of Rhode Island Avenue. Survey forms will be placed on buses at Eastern & Michigan Avenue (Route G8) and the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station (Routes 82, 83, 84, 86, T18) and staff will hand out surveys to riders at the following stops: College Park-U of MD Metro Station (Routes 83, 86), Brookland-CUA Metro Station (Route G8), New Carrollton Metro Station (Routes 84, T18), and at Rhode Island Avenue & 34th Street – Mt. Rainier (Routes 82, 83, 84 86, T18). An online survey is available on the WMATA web page for the study: www.metrobus-studies.com, and a rain date of Wednesday, July 17th has also been scheduled. This rider survey will be followed up by a series of public meetings designed to get your input on ways to improve bus transportation along the Baltimore and Rhode Island Avenue corridor. We’ll be publishing the meeting dates and locations as soon as we know about them. Here are some additional resources for news and updates about the study: Metrobus-Studies.com Twitter: @MetrobusStudies Twitter:...
Read MoreWMATA: Rhode Island Ave-Baltimore Ave Study Update
As mentioned earlier this month, WMATA has launched a study of the Rhode Island Avenue and Baltimore Avenue bus lines. Yesterday, we received this update from WMATA representative Douglas Stallworth: “Since we had our project kick-off meeting with other Metro staff and representatives from DDOT, Maryland DOT, Prince George’s County Department of Transportation & Public Works and Maryland National Capital Park and Planning yesterday, I thought you would like a status update on the project. We discussed the following: Scope of the project including an analysis of the following which will lead to improvement recommendations: Assessment of current transit service in the corridor on Routes G8, 81, 82, 83, 84, 86 and T18 Traffic operations assessment Condition of bus stops and shelters Condition of the bus fleet Availability of transit information Bus fare payment characteristics and issues Safety and security concerns Tentative date of on or about July 10 for a rider survey on the above routes Focus group meeting would be held in late July at a location to be determined First series of public meetings would be held in late August at locations to be determined after schools reopen in the District and Prince George’s County to avoid rider vacations” The rider survey, scheduled for July 10, will included a blitz of survey forms available on all of the bus lines listed. Additionally, WMATA has set up a website for this project, where the survey will also be available electronically and you can track the progress of the study, including dates and locations of public meetings. It is critical to have your voice be heard in improving the bus line access along our corridor. Be sure to take part in the survey and public meetings – we’ll help keep you updated with information about this project as it becomes available....
Read MoreAn early WMATA promo
Check out this VERY early promo for WMATA’s “new” metro rail service. Be sure to watch for sightings of the Rhode Island Ave station at the 1:37 and 11:22 minute marks. Not much seems to have changed – except the fashion. Also noticed – all the trains are only running 2 cars!! Many thanks to an eagle-eyed community member for forwarding it to us – keep ’em coming!...
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