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“By Order of DC Council, DC Circulator Fares to Be Reinstated Effective October 1”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Pablo Raw

From DDOT:

“Today, by order of the DC Council, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced that the fares on the DC Circulator will be reinstated effective October 1, 2021.

On March 2020, in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19), Mayor Muriel Bowser announced all DC Circulator fares were suspended through the public health emergency that ended on July 25. After positive feedback from District residents, the Mayor announced her extension of fare suspension on DC Circulator through September 30.

The Mayor’s FY 2022 budget proposal set aside $6.5 million in funding for free DC Circulator service. After deliberation, the Council rejected the zero-fare policy funding, requiring DDOT to reinstate the one-dollar fare on October 1, the beginning of FY 2021. (more…)

“Metro customers have more reasons to ride with new discounts, more trains and buses starting September 5”

By Prince Of Petworth

From WMATA:

“Metro is making changes that will make riding easier and more convenient as the region resumes school, leisure activities, and returns to workplaces. Beginning September 5, Metro will add more buses and trains, offer lower prices, and extend Metrorail’s operating hours on weekends.

The changes, approved by Metro’s Board of Directors in June, followed extensive public input about how riders plan to travel. The service and pricing improvements are designed to make Metro a more affordable, attractive way to go and to meet customer needs for more service at all times of the day, not just during rush hour.

“This is a time of change for Metro and our customers, and it’s an opportunity to make our service work better for all riders whether they take Metro to work, the grocery store, visit family or friends or just get around town,” said Metro Board Chair Paul C. Smedberg. “We are adding more rail and bus service, more hours, and working with businesses and the community to ensure the service will be there when riders need it.”

Among the service improvements, Metro will add more buses on the busiest lines to better serve customers throughout the day, reduce average wait times for buses during the day, restore more service that had been suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and provide free bus transfers between rail and discounted passes.

On Metrorail, more trains will run during off-peak hours with average wait times ranging between 2-7 minutes any time of day. Trains will also run longer, closing later overnight on weekends, and opening earlier on Sundays.

“As the region goes back to work and school, we will be ready with service that is convenient any time of the day and offers the flexibility riders need,” said Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld. “We are also making Metro the best way to go on weekends, with less wait times for trains and just $2 for a one-way trip anywhere on the rail system.”

The service improvements will bring overall bus and rail service to near pre-pandemic levels, providing 97 percent of pre-Covid service levels on Metrobus and 91 percent on Metrorail. On some bus routes, and off-peak on rail, service will be even better than it had been before the pandemic.

Metro will also offer up to a 50 percent discount on selected unlimited pass products between September 16 and October 15.

The following discounts and service changes will be effective beginning Sunday, September 5: (more…)

“DC Circulator Celebrates a Sweet 16 Years of Service”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by C Buoscio

From DDOT:

“This July, the Bowser Administration is celebrating 16 years of DC Circulator connecting DC residents and visitors to many of the District’s main attractions and liveliest corridors of business, culture, and entertainment. Beginning Monday, July 12, DC Circulator riders will have an opportunity to share their experience riding the system through the annual DC Circulator survey, which helps the District improve and deliver great service.

“The best gift riders can give to DC Circulator for its 16th birthday is feedback on their ridership experience,” said DDOT Acting Director Everett Lott. “Customer feedback is critical to DDOT’s work to plan, improve, and expand the DC Circulator system, so the more feedback we receive the better.”

In addition to the annual survey, every three years the DC Circulator relies on rider feedback to update the Transit Development Plan, which guides future growth of the system. In the 2020 update, DDOT used stakeholder feedback to determine the best route to return service to Ward 7, proposed improvements to the system operations and performance District-wide, as well as an extension of the Dupont Circle-Rosslyn (RS-DP) route to U Street NW. (more…)

“Metrorail will extend operating hours to midnight, seven days a week (July) until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays (September)”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Bekah Richards

From WMATA:

“Metro’s Board of Directors today approved improvements to Metrobus and Metrorail service and fares that will support the region’s recovery and encourage more customers to return to transit.

Rail service will be extended to midnight, seven days a week, in July, and other bus and rail service improvements and fare changes will start being implemented in the Fall, beginning Labor Day weekend, as many in the region prepare to go back to work and school.

“This package of service and fare changes makes it easier for riders to return to Metro and give transit a try,” said Metro Board Chair Paul C. Smedberg. “The Board today voted to provide more frequent trains and buses, addresses the historic transfer fee to promote connecting from bus to rail, and includes special weekend fares that will encourage visitors and area families to take transit as they start traveling again.”

Dates of key service changes and improvements will be detailed in future announcements. The improvements approved by the Board today include: (more…)

Android Users Can Now Get Some of that High Tech SmarTrip Action

By Prince Of Petworth


If you missed our look back on commemorative smartrip cards, you can see them here.

Ed. Note: Info on iPhone and Apple Watch action here.

From WMATA:

“Metro today announced the launch of SmarTrip® on Google Pay, providing more options and more convenience to Android™ customers wherever they go on the Metro system. SmarTrip — the way to pay for Metro and all regional transit providers in the Washington, DC area — allows the ease to tap-and-go on any Android compatible phone using the Google Pay app.

As the region recovers from the pandemic and more riders return, customers will find managing their SmarTrip card even easier with Google Pay, with more functionality from the app. Customers can transfer an existing SmarTrip card or purchase a new one, and instantly add value or passes. (more…)

“Late-night Metrobus service expands, additional service restored starting Sunday”

By Prince Of Petworth

From WMATA:

“Beginning Sunday, June 6, Metro customers who need to get to work or home late at night will have more options when Metrobus extends late-night service on dozens of bus lines throughout the District, Maryland and Virginia. Buses on 36 of Metro’s busiest routes will operate until 2 a.m., seven days a week, providing a vital link for those that depend on public transit. (more…)

“Metrobus to expand late-night service, restore more routes to support region’s recovery effective June 6”

By Prince Of Petworth

From WMATA:

“Metrobus customers will soon have more options, with expanded late-night service, additional routes restored and improved service on selected routes throughout DC, Maryland and Virginia.

Beginning Sunday, June 6, late-night service will extend until 2 a.m. on 36 of the busiest routes throughout the region, providing customers who work or travel late at night a way to get to work and home.  The changes are part of improvements to more than 60 Metrobus routes to provide more frequent, reliable service and restore routes.

In April, Metrobus ridership on weekdays averaged about 180,000 passenger trips each day, providing essential transportation for people to get around the region. The service changes will bring Metrobus service to 85 percent of pre-pandemic service levels with more buses, more often to accommodate the growing return of bus riders.

Service Information, effective June 6, 2021  (more…)

“Mayor Bowser Announces Proposed New Ward 7 Circulator Route”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Mr.TinDC

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced that, based on feedback from the community, a new proposed route has been selected for the return of DC Circulator service to Ward 7. The new 14.56-mile DC Circulator route, which will launch in 2023, will provide a unique east/west connection between Ward 6 and Ward 7, supplementing the existing WMATA Route 97 service, which only operates during peak hours. The route will serve Deanwood, Benning Road, Stadium Armory, and Union Station Metrorail stations. (more…)

“Under the approved $2.07 billion operating budget, Metro will maintain service at 80-85 percent of pre-pandemic levels to support expected ridership growth as the region resumes events, classroom learning, and businesses reopen with increased capacity.”

By Prince Of Petworth

From WMATA:

“The Metro Board of Directors Finance and Capital Committee today approved a $4.7 billion operating and capital budget for fiscal year 2022 (beginning July 1, 2021) that maintains current service levels and enhancements, while continuing to accelerate Metro’s capital investment in safety-critical repairs and service reliability improvements. The full Board of Directors is expected to approve the Committee’s recommendation on April 22.

Under the approved $2.07 billion operating budget, Metro will maintain service at 80-85 percent of pre-pandemic levels to support expected ridership growth as the region resumes events, classroom learning, and businesses reopen with increased capacity. (more…)

16th Street NW Bus Lane Construction Officially Launched! “will be completed by Spring 2022”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Tim Brown

From Mayor Bowser’s Office:

“Mayor Muriel Bowser celebrated the ongoing construction of the 16th Street NW bus lane, kicked off the 2021 paving season, and highlighted the upcoming Spring Cleanup. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is currently installing the long-awaited 16th Street bus lane, which will be completed by Spring 2022, to make the transit experience better and more efficient for the thousands of passengers, motorists, and cyclists who travel through the corridor each day. (more…)

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