Metro starts Better Bus Program Sunday, biggest change to system in half-century

D C Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metro General Manager Randy Clarke before boarding the renamed D bus as part of the Metro bus system's first overhaul in years WTOP Dan Ronan D C Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metro General Manager Randy Clarke before boarding the renamed D bus as part of the Metro bus system's first overhaul in years WTOP Dan Ronan On Sunday Metro begins its Better Bus undertaking it s the biggest overhaul of the road-based transit system in years Hundreds of bus routes path names and times are changing This is the first time in decades that we are making comprehensive changes to the bus reported Metro General Manager Randy Clake On Friday D C Mayor Muriel Bowser and Clarke along with city and transit agency staff members took a ride on the newly renamed D Potomac Park trail that travels through four D C wards from the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Stop winding its way through the city and eventually ending at the State Department in Foggy Bottom It s a combination of several old familiar Metro bus routes the H and Clarke says this initiative took three years of staff work to complete and it creates an entirely new route-naming system remakes and adds new signs and consolidates more than stops specific of which Metro announced were just a minimal hundred yards from each other It also adds several new routes including bus operation between National Harbor in Prince George s County and L Enfant Plaza as well as several others Related stories Road work traffic shift on Capital Beltway in Tysons-McLean area Work begins on yearslong project to create more population space along Connecticut Avenue DC rolls out new parent portal to help prevent transportation issues From Dave Thomas Circle to Mamie Johnson Plaza DC upgrades dangerous interchange The system will also have all-new way names using regional letter prefixes for improved navigation For example routes with an A will stand for Arlington Alexandria M will be for Montgomery County D is for downtown D C and C is for crosstown routes F is for Fairfax City Fairfax County and Falls Church Limited-stop routes are indicated by an X at the end of their names This is about providing people more reliable more frequent better bus system We move over people a day and we know it is a lifeline for people in our region to get to work get to school for wellbeing care and all of the great things this region has Clarke stated at a news conference at Dupont Circle with the mayor after the -minute bus ride through the city Clarke noted there also will be improved access to high-traffic locations including malls hospitals supermarkets and transfer hubs in better coordination with the rail system which helps to establish the bus system as the robust backbone of the region s transportation system Area shifts led to system revamp Both the mayor and Clarke commented the bus system was due for an overhaul because the city and region has changed Neighborhoods such as NOMA and Navy Yard either didn t exist or were far less populated -plus years ago and people who live in those communities now need reliable affordable population transportation The mayor noted this is a occurrence of the transit agency changing to meet the necessities of its customers This redesign also give us more provision more frequency more reliability for the same outlay Bowser explained We have a reliable system A clean system A safe system and an affordable system The changes will also save Metro several money at a time when transit agencies across the country are just now beginning to see a recovery in ridership and in their financial books after the COVID- outbreak caused ridership and revenue to plunge Metro is leading the U S in ridership improvement we now carry more people on our bus system them we did before the pandemic We are the only large transit agency in the country that can say that Clarke announced Clarke estimates the changes will save the transit agency at least million a year He acknowledges that until riders get used to the modifications it may be a bit complex to address the system But he urges them to be person and do specific research before getting on a bus and he believes in the long run the system will be more robust and reliable This is about providing people with a more reliable more frequent better bus institution Not just during rush hour but for people all days of the week all hours of the day Clarke noted Metro authorities have also worked closely with Montgomery County s Ride on Bus and Prince George s County The Bus to try and coordinate schedule and course changes Those two society transportation systems are also adjusting their system on June as well For more information on all of the changes to the bus system you can go to WTOP com or https www wmata com initiatives plans Better-Bus index cfm Source