I, for one, do not understand the X2 schedule. I'll wait sometimes for 20 minutes and then 2 or 3 X2's will come right behind eachother. Is that by design or because they're so off schedule. And if it's because they're so off schedule-- then how do they get so off schedule?!
Anon, I feel the same way about the X2 schedule (or lack thereof). It makes no sense to me! I heard that they were going to start running the buses more frequently during rush hour, but I feel like I wait longer than ever. It is so frustrating. (And, like many others, I have given up on NextBus.)
It's not by design that X2 buses are so off-schedule. Rather, it's a combination of a couple things.
1.) It's a route that travels through some of the most congested parts of Downtown, namely the area near Verizon Center.
2.) The buses have to deal with the streetcar-track construction on H Street.
3.) Drivers who purposely travel in packs because they will have to deal with fewer riders. They get away with this because WMATA has never put a priority on putting supervisors on the lines who can fix things when buses get delayed.
Put all of those things together, and you have a situation where there's often one dangerously full bus followed by two less-full buses, all in a row.
It's a problem on many Metrobus lines, and has been a problem for decades. All the construction on H Street only makes it worse.
Nextbus has actually made riding/waiting for the X2 somewhat bearable. I gave up on the X2 a couple years ago because of the persistent delays and began driving to work every day. When nextbus was introduced in July I decided to give the X2 another chance and have been relatively impressed with the results. There are some issues with ghost buses from time to time, especially when waiting at mcpherson square to head back to NE. buses seems to just randomly drop off the grid while on other days extra buses magically appear.
It's not a perfect system, but most of the time the system gets it right, give or take a couple minutes. Even at its current accuracy rate, nextbus is still a 1,000 times better than the old way of reading some comically flawed timetable and then going out to stand on the corner for 30 mins with your fingers crossed hoping a bus will eventually show. The day WMATA suspends nextbus is pretty much the day I stop using metro and go back to driving.
Anon 1:42- 1 & 2 are only reasonable for the outbound segment of the route. If 3 is the real reason, then that's just nuts and should be easily fixed... except that WAMTA doesn't seem to care.
8 comments:
Awww man, i thought this was going to be some haunted story about a ghost bus wandering the streets of dc....sigh...
I, for one, do not understand the X2 schedule. I'll wait sometimes for 20 minutes and then 2 or 3 X2's will come right behind eachother. Is that by design or because they're so off schedule. And if it's because they're so off schedule-- then how do they get so off schedule?!
Anon, I feel the same way about the X2 schedule (or lack thereof). It makes no sense to me! I heard that they were going to start running the buses more frequently during rush hour, but I feel like I wait longer than ever. It is so frustrating. (And, like many others, I have given up on NextBus.)
My usage with next bus has been good, but not great. It is definitely better than relying on the posted schedules!!
It's not by design that X2 buses are so off-schedule. Rather, it's a combination of a couple things.
1.) It's a route that travels through some of the most congested parts of Downtown, namely the area near Verizon Center.
2.) The buses have to deal with the streetcar-track construction on H Street.
3.) Drivers who purposely travel in packs because they will have to deal with fewer riders. They get away with this because WMATA has never put a priority on putting supervisors on the lines who can fix things when buses get delayed.
Put all of those things together, and you have a situation where there's often one dangerously full bus followed by two less-full buses, all in a row.
It's a problem on many Metrobus lines, and has been a problem for decades. All the construction on H Street only makes it worse.
Nextbus has actually made riding/waiting for the X2 somewhat bearable. I gave up on the X2 a couple years ago because of the persistent delays and began driving to work every day. When nextbus was introduced in July I decided to give the X2 another chance and have been relatively impressed with the results. There are some issues with ghost buses from time to time, especially when waiting at mcpherson square to head back to NE. buses seems to just randomly drop off the grid while on other days extra buses magically appear.
It's not a perfect system, but most of the time the system gets it right, give or take a couple minutes. Even at its current accuracy rate, nextbus is still a 1,000 times better than the old way of reading some comically flawed timetable and then going out to stand on the corner for 30 mins with your fingers crossed hoping a bus will eventually show. The day WMATA suspends nextbus is pretty much the day I stop using metro and go back to driving.
ditto ro. If not for the nextbus service I would still be driving to work
Anon 1:42- 1 & 2 are only reasonable for the outbound segment of the route. If 3 is the real reason, then that's just nuts and should be easily fixed... except that WAMTA doesn't seem to care.
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