Thanks to Rebuilding Place for pointing out this article on the image problems that can plague buses. There are various reasons people don't ride buses:
-lack of knowledge of routes
-lack of knowledge of schedules (or fear of/actual irregularity in schedules)
-perceptions about the types of people that do ride the bus
-preference for cars/metro
Whether you think these reasons are valid, or not, you've got to admit that a good number of people simply refuse to ride the bus. Will many of these people be willing to ride the H Street streetcar? I'm betting they will. Even if you object to making changes to cater to the prejudices that keep some off buses, the reality is that a streetcar will get these guys out on H Street and they will spend money here. That, is a good thing.
Bus Load: The B.S. Bus Solution (Dan Savage)
How to Ride the Bus (Rick VanderKnyff) <--Serious, yet funny bustales.com <--true stories from the bus
24 comments:
Anyone know if the H Street streetcar effort is strictly public? Or will deeceedeedot work with private firms like the Circulator project?
This is a tough subject. The article says "It’s based on stereotypes and based on the class system that still seems to exist." The problem is that there are plenty of times (most recently last week on the X2) when a person who hasn't bathed in a long time gets on the bus and really just ruins the trip for me. So the stereotype is based on cold hard facts at least when it comes to the D8, D4, and X2.
Nonetheless I totally agree that people who won't ride buses will ride the streetcar & look forward to when they're finally rolling.
I've ridden the X2 pretty frequently and I've never run into a body odor problem. My main issues are usually noise levels, but that is fairly minor and to be expected (in my 14 years as a DC resident, I think I can fairly say that bus rides, for some reason, are noisier than metro rides, from louder conversations to hearing people's music blaring out of headphones (and sometimes out of actual radios)).
Also, I have witnessed several very loud arguments, but no violence. However, to the untrained bus rider/new urbanite, those instances might be quite unnerving.
I've definnitely seen & smelled issues (once or twice there has been someone who reeked of urine) on the X2 & I've seen a few (non-violent) confrontations & one fight. Mostly things are normal and run fairly smoothly. The funniest thing I ever saw was a guy who got on a fairly crowded X2 in Chinatown carrying the door that had been ripped off of a truck. I get frustrated when the buses pass you by & are behind schedule. I've had as many as three buses pass by in a row without stopping (at which point you might be late for work). But I have to say that during the snow storm a few years ago I took the X2 to work (the office was "closed" but law firms like that never really close, they just pay double wages on those days) when metrorail was closed due to snow and ice. Many bus routes were totally closed down, but the X2 still ran once an hour, and I was very glad for that. The x2, for all its faults, runs more frequently & for longer hours than most other DC bus routes. I'm very glad to have it.
I ride the B2, X2 and D6 pretty often. the B2 and X2 have a lot of drama. The D6 has been hassle free for a number of years, It is hands down, the best bargain in town. Maybe, it is the Metro route, (I ride the green line into southern Maryland) but I find the train cars just as noisey and much more trashy than the bus.
Looking for some transit advice...
Just got a job near the White House. Will probably be taking the X2 from H Street, NE to get there. Is the bus schedule accurate? In the morning will it take 20 minutes to get from 8th Street, NE to 16th Street, NW or should I allow more time for the trip? And what about the ride home in the evening? Is it 30 minutes?
Thanks for any advice you can offer. I don't want to show up late for the new job! :)
Definitely give yourself lots of exra time the first few times you go. It really depends on what time you are leaving each place. The X2 is pretty good, but the schedules are more of a guideline than an iron clad rule. Anytime you take public transit you should always build extra time into your schedule. Thst particular ride isn't bad unless the traffic is funky. But sometimes buses are on time, and sometimes they are late.
I only take the bus when I'm high on crack.
The X2 is a dependable, reliable line, though it has its quirks, as Inked mentioned.
For those who must commute during the weekday, there also is the morning west-bound and afternoon east-bound X1 bus. The west-bound morning bus turns left on North Capitol and ventures down Constitution to Potomoc Park.
For those wanting to travel north and south, the 90, 92 and 93 buses stop frequently at 8th and H St NE. They travel north on U St NW up through the heart of Adams Morgan on 18th St NW.
Also, Metro is testing on the 90 bus lines a new service that tells you via text message or Internet when the next bus is predicted to arrive. I believe it relies on GPS and I've found it to be VERY accurate.
Richard Layman's Jan. 25 post had the copy of a GM ad that was pulled b/c people felt it discouraged the use of public transit...but c'mon it was funny and spot on on some very basic levels.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rllayman/9006896/
There is something about the bus that seems to make it the preferred option for some of the biggest characters.
That said- that doesn't keep me from riding the bus.
I am also a frequent X2 rider...I do have issues with overcrowding on the bus on occasion, but it is usually relieved when the bus hits 8th and H and the Pentacle.
I have never witnessed violence, but I have witnessed drinking and talk of illegal activity. I had one man bother me (and a few others because he couldn't keep his pants up) and the driver kicked him off the bus. Most drivers have no time for people that harass riders.
Yeah, there are smelly people on the bus, there are smelly people everywhere. If it bothers you, move to another section of the bus or get off and wait for the next one.
I guess I have been riding long enough to ignore a lot. I just want to get to and from work safely and in a timely manner...and during the colder months, the X2 fits the bill.
I've been riding the D6 for about four years now and am struck by how much the ridership has changed over that time. It was a lot sketchier when I first started riding, but in general that bus route carries people who work downtown. Compared to some of the other buses I have ridden around NE/SE, it is the best - only tried the X2 twice and I definitely don't envy those who take that bus all the time.
I've always thought that the bus was patronized by more 'characters' (when compared to the trains) because you can ride it for free with the little paper transfer that basically anyone will give you. I thought I heard about a plan for the buses to go completely electronic with no paper transfers and I wonder how this would impact things.
I've been a DC resident for 6 years and have never ridden the bus. It doesn't seem reliable and I typically could walk to the nearest metro station faster than waiting for the bus to take me to the metro. The streetcar will work because it is on a line, which can demonstrate realiability. Also streetcars will not block lanes of traffic like the metro buses and hopefully won't hit/injury the number of pedestrians and bikers that the metro buses have.
Will the streetcars have dedicated lanes. In other words, can cars use the streetcar lane?
Will the streetcars have dedicated lanes. In other words, can cars use the streetcar lane?
2 things:
1) If the transfer pass system went electronic, you'd have way less characters on the bus (who use "free" passes). That system is so antiquated and invites so much fraud. There are always guys selling all day bus passes for $1 all over the city including H St. Ever wonder where these guys get stacks of those all day bus passes? I know, it's hard to believe that there's fraud and corruption inside metro! If metro really wants to look for extra $$, then they should pursue a system update.
2)Trolley schmally, sure you can take that to union station to catch the metro, but now you've just increased your commuting trip by 100% (won't be able to get a free transfer to metro from the trolley) so the trolley is not going to change your life like you think it will - also, you'll wait for it, just like a bus, trust me. Additionally, the trolley line will end at Union station - how the heck is that going to help the people in the community get downtown?! You're going to take the trolley to Union station, get a transfer pass and then take the X2, c'mon - get real and be honest!! The trolley will only be serving people who are coming to H Street as a destination. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just presenting the reality of the Trolley.
1. No dedicated lane for the trolly. It will share lanes with traffic.
2. typically when the buses on H Street block traffic it's because some creep has decided to park his/her car in the bus stopping zone (how about some agressive ticketing for this?).
3. I'd like to see some kind of credit for a bus/trolley to rail transfer. It doesn't make much sense to have transfers from metrorail to buses, but not the other way around. It could be easy to implement with smart trip cards(e.g. you might only pay half price to ride metrorail within 1.5-2 hours of riding a bus).
I only got about half way down the comments, when I felt like I had to leave my own. I grew up in an urban area(not dc), so I figure I am good bus rider. I have a few observations all of which bother me. DC buses are dirty worse the the NYC subway system. I feel this is do to more attention being spent on the subway because suburbanites complain more. Second the X2 never runs on time, bus's bunch up the pass each other, but I have never been able to count on the schedule for anything, so I ussually end freezing or melting waiting for the X2. Secondly I saw the most disturbing thing a while back, a kid about 16 flashing hold a 3 inch hooked pocket knife on the X2. I have never feared for my safety on the bus until that moment. He was not yelling or anythgin just sitting there holding it out for all to see. I got off at the next stop looking over my sholder. I will still ride the bus, but I not begrudge anyone the chooses not to ride the bus in this city for safety reasons.
A guy lit a cigarette on the X2 the other day. Good fodder for my day.
Anon 2:05,
I wonder if we were on the same bus. I saw this happen recently, but I've never seen someone smoke on the bus before (drinking on the bus is another thing), and I ride the bus a lot.
I live on a group house just north of H street. Here are some of the highlights we have from the bus:
* Group of kids smoking.....MARIJUANA, followed by the cops boarding the bus like it was Tikrit.
* Man drank not only in half flask of whisky, but also a tall boy, between 7th NW and 8th NE.
* Undercover cops flash badge and hall man off of bus.
* Waiting, waiting, waiting, for bus.
* Being told.."I will not move to no back of no bus for no white boy!" Note: He was not asked.
* I don't remember their names, but one of my roommates knows two people very well. They are so loud every day he literally knows the names and social situations of their children.
There are more, but these are the highlights.
Anon 1:39: if you get a Smart Trip card, your transfers are figured for you automatically when going from one form of transit to another. I was stunned at how well this worked Metro to bus and bus to bus.
To Dottie suggesting I get up and move away if the smell bothers me. That's fine, I'm not going to play "who's the tougher bus rider". My point is simply that the buses aren't being kept down by false stereotypes held by the privileged classes as the article maybe hints at...the comments here show that they're sometimes smelly, dangerous, rowdy, crowded and unreliable and people with choices will make them the choice of last resort for these real reasons. Probably the reality on the streetcars will dictate how well they're accepted as well.
To Rob from 1:39 anon:
Yes, the smart card works great, but did you know that you can't tranfer from the bus to the metro? Well, sure you can, but you pay full fare for both trips. And this is deducted from your smart card correctly and efficiently everytime.
Now why is it that you can transfer from the metro to the bus, but not the bus to the metro. Anyone know? I don't even want to write why I think the reason is, if you get my drift.
I agree it's a bit crazy that transfers don't work both ways, but that predates smarttrip.
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