Metro Seeks Public Input on Metrobus Service‏

Metro plans to conduct public hearings in October on a slate of Metrobus service changes that will improve service for many customers without increasing operating expense. The Metrobus service adjustments are part of Metro’s plan to invest $5 million to provide customers with ‘better bus’ service, the biggest improvement to bus service in five years.

The public will be asked to review includes input from bus route studies, feedback from customers and the jurisdictions, as well as data on population, ridership and development. Customer input through public hearings will help shape the final plan before it is implemented.

Under the current plan, 15 customers will see improvements for every one customer who might experience an adverse impact.

Highlights of the improvements and changes include:

• Adding trips to reduce crowding 
• Adjusting schedules in response to changing ridership 
• Adding evening and weekday trips 
• Reducing unproductive and underutilized routes
• Potential benefits of the improvements include improved service for customers, increased ridership and revenue, more efficient use of buses and improved on-time performance. 

Metrobus carried more than 132 million trips in Fiscal Year 2012 (July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012), an increase of 7 million over the previous year.

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Opting Out May Not Take Loudoun County Off the Hook for Silver Line Project

From the Ashburn Patch comes this story... more drama in the quest to bring the Silver Line to Loudoun County.

The biggest revelation Tuesday night regarding Loudoun’s potential participation in Metro’s Silver Line extension appeared to be the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s expectation that the county would cover operation and maintenance costs as well as participate in Metro’s capital program, even if the Board of Supervisors opts out of the project.

WMATA is the entity that operates Metro, while the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is the entity constructing the project. While MWAA, which also controls Dulles Airport and the Dulles Toll Road, has been tasked with construction and will participate in phase two of the Silver Line project, it will not be responsible for operation and maintenance costs.

Shiva Pant, Metro’s chief of staff, first mentioned the airport station costs, noting that the station would be within Loudoun’s borders, despite being in airport property.

“Under our board policy, the subsidy for that one station would be allocated to Loudoun, based on the formula as described,” he said.

The notion irked several board members, including County Chairman Scott K. York (R-At Large), who openly supports participation in the project with the caveat that unions are not required and contractors are not rewarded for using them.

“If the Loudoun board so chooses to opt out, opt out means opt out,” York said. “We’ll fight the fact that we’re going to be held that $9 million if we opt out. There is no way we’re going to opt out, but we’re still going to pay.”

More details on the project are online.

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Metro Launches New Alert System to Keep Bus and Rail Customers Better Informed‏

Yesterday, Metro introduced a new email and text messaging alert system, "MetroAlerts," designed to provide bus and rail customers with improved up-to-the-minute information about planned service changes and delays.

For the first time, bus customers can receive alerts and advisories regarding route-specific delays, detours, schedule changes and construction activity. Customers can sign up to receive information for up to four bus lines and opt to have alerts sent to their mobile device, pager or desktop email. Bus delay information will be sent from Metro's Bus Operations Control Center between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.

MetroAlerts is intended to complement the Next Bus system, which provides predicted arrival times for individual bus stops based on GPS data.

To sign up for MetroAlerts, visit wmata.com/MetroAlerts.

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Metro Board Chair Outlines Vision for the Year

Read the remarks that Metro Board Chair Catherine Hudgins gave during the Metro Board of Directors meeting on Feb. 24.

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Metro Fare Increases Start Today

First phase of adjustments in place

Loudoun County commuters who use the Metro system for some of their journey may be interested to know that Metro’s Board of Directors recently approved a balanced budget for FY2011 that includes a number of steps to maintain Metro’s current service levels, including increasing fares on Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess.

The fare increases will take effect in two phases, the first today, Sunday, June 27 and the second on August 1. Below are the highlights of today's increases:

Metrorail Fare Changes

Metrorail fares will increase by approximately 18 percent. The new regular base boarding fare will be $1.95. The increase in Metrorail pass prices will mirror the fare increase. But even with its new cost, Metro reports that a pass will save customers money.

Metrorail Passes Price
One Day Pass -- $9
Weekly Short Trip Pass -- $30.35*
Weekly Fast Pass -- $45*
SmartStudent Pass -- $30
Transit Link Card (MARC and VRE) -- $92*
D.C. Student 10-trip Farecards -- $9.50
* These pass prices will be adjusted on August 1

Elderly and disabled Metrorail fares will increase to 50 percent of the regular (peak) fares, including any applicable surcharges and differentials for all trips taken.

Metro will continue to provide late-night Metrorail service on weekends, however riders will be charged peak fare from midnight until closing on Friday and Saturday nights.

Metrobus Fare Changes

The new fare on a regular Metrobus will be $1.50 when paid with a SmarTrip® card or $1.70 when paid with cash. The new fare on an express bus will be $3.65 when paid with a SmarTrip® card or $3.85 when paid with cash. Even with the increase in the cost of a Metrobus weekly pass (from $11 to $15), customers begin saving after taking only 10 trips. And the Weekly Bus Pass allows unlimited travel on Metrobus for seven days.

Metrobus Passes Price
Weekly Flash Pass -- $15
Tokens (10 pack) -- $17
D.C. Student Tokens -- $7.50
Weekly Senior Flash Pass -- $7.50
Weekly Disabled Flash Pass -- $7.50

The new fare on Metrobus 5A to Dulles International Airport and Metrobus B30 to Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport will be $6.

Elderly and disabled Metrobus fares will increase to 50 percent of the boarding charge, including any applicable surcharges and differentials for all trips taken. The boarding charge for elderly and disabled on express buses and the airport shuttles will be $1.80, exclusive of surcharges.

MetroAccess Fare Changes

The MetroAccess base fare will increase from $2.50 to $3, with an additional $2 to $4 supplemental charge for MetroAccess passengers who begin or end their trips more than 3/4 miles from Metro fixed route service, which is the service corridor requirement laid out in the Americans with Disabilities Act. The maximum fare for MetroAccess service will be limited to $7.

Other Changes

In addition to the fare changes, several other changes will take place. The transfer window will be reduced from three to two hours. This applies to bus-to-bus, rail-to-bus and bus-to-rail transfers. For the first time in 32 years, the annual bike locker fee will increase. A reserved, secure place to store a bicycle will be only $200 per year (55 cents a day). And the reserved monthly parking fee will be $65.

More information is online at www.wmata.com. 

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Dulles Rail Project Continues this Weekend on the Orange Line

Orange Line riders in Northern Virginia should add 30 minutes to their travel plans this weekend (June 5-6) as the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project continues major construction activities between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations resulting in the tracks being closed between those two stations.

There will be no train service between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations on June 5, and 6 as the Dulles Corridor Metrorail continues major construction activities that will eventually connect the new rail line to the existing Metrorail system. Regular service on the Orange Line between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail station will resume when the Metrorail system opens on Monday morning, June 7.

On Saturday, June 5, Metrorail will open at 5 a.m., two hours early, for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Later that evening, the Washington Nationals play at Nationals Park at 7:05 p.m., the DC United play at RFK Stadium at 7:30 p.m., and the Washington Mystics play at the Verizon Center at 7 p.m. Orange Line riders in Northern Virginia who plan to take Metro these events should build an extra 30 minutes into their travel plans.

From 10 p.m. to closing (3 a.m.) on Friday, June 4, Orange Line trains will operate every 30 minutes and share one track between the East Falls Church and Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metrorail stations. The last Orange Line will depart the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metrorail station at its regular time of 2:25 a.m.

From 7 a.m., Saturday, June 5, to closing, on Sunday, June 6, the Orange Line will be split in two sections, the first running from Vienna/Fairfax-GMU to West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations, and the second between the New Carrollton and East Falls Church Metrorail stations. The East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations will remain open.

Metro will operate free shuttle buses between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations. Customers should expect delays and should add an extra 30 minutes into their travel plans if they need to pass through the work zone.

More information is available from WMATA.

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Drills to Test Regional Response to Metro-related Incidents This Sunday and Morning

Attention Loudoun County commuters who use Metro...

Metro and its regional partners will participate in two emergency response exercises involving simulated explosions on Metrorail and Metrobus this Sunday, March 28, and Monday, March 29, to test and practice the multi-jurisdictional coordination and response needed to mitigate such incidents.

The first exercise takes place at 1 a.m. on Sunday and will simulate an explosion on a rail car in the tunnel between the Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom Metrorail stations. As part of the drill, emergency personnel will be responding to the incident to find a scene representative of hundreds of injured passengers and multiple fatalities.

The exercise is taking place after midnight when ridership is lighter and fewer passengers will be impacted by the emergency response activity. The Rosslyn Metrorail station will remain open throughout the drill, closing at its regular time shortly after 3 a.m. From 11 p.m. to closing, Blue Line trains will share one track between the Foggy Bottom-GWU and Arlington Cemetery Metrorail stations, and Orange Line trains will share one track between the Foggy Bottom-GWU and Court House Metrorail stations. Passengers using the Rosslyn Metrorail station and residents in the area should expect to see numerous police, fire and emergency response vehicles, first responders and volunteer “victims” near the station between 11 p.m. Saturday, March 27, and 5 a.m. Sunday, March 28.

A second exercise is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at the RFK Stadium parking lot. This drill simulates an explosion on a Metrobus with multiple passengers injured, discovery of a second explosive found on a bus in a garage, and phone call stating that additional explosive devices have been placed on other buses.

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Major SmartBenefits® Changes to Begin January 1, 2010

Beginning January 1, 2010, Metro’s SmartBenefits® program will change and enable employers to comply with a new federal mandate that requires transit benefits to be disbursed and monitored separately from other value stored in their employees’ SmarTrip® cards.

Under the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) mandate, transit benefits and parking benefits will be stored in two distinct accounts in a central location that will be accessible system-wide through the SmarTrip® card. The card itself will store only value directly added by the employee. In addition, area workers enrolled in the SmartBenefits® program will no longer need to take an extra step to load their transit benefits onto their SmarTrip® cards at a vending machine.

New monthly benefits, stored centrally, will automatically load when the card is tapped at any SmarTrip® target, including targets on bus fareboxes and rail faregates. Upgrades to the SmarTrip® card will enable customers to pay as they go, because value will be added to their cards similar to a bank debit card.

The maximum personal stored value by the employee will continue to be $300. Transit and parking benefits will be limited to $230 each in addition to the stored value limit.

For more information about Metro’s SmartBenefits® program, visit www.wmata.com/business/employer_fare_program/.

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NVTC and Metro to Host Public Forum on Budget Issues Tonight

The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) and Metro will co-host a public forum to address critical budget issues including operating challenges and capital needs for the FY 2011 budget tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 21, at George Mason High School, 7124 Leesburg Pike in Falls Church. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Metro General Manager John Catoe will give a presentation that outlines Metro’s fiscal challenges as well as some proposed solutions. A public discussion will follow.

The cost of Metrobus, Metrorail and MetroAccess services is funded in part by passenger revenues and, in part, by subsidies provided by the District of Columbia, the State of Maryland and local jurisdictions in Virginia.

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Artwork Proposals Approved for Dulles Rail Extension

It seems that the final completion date for the rail extension to Dulles Airport keeps getting longer, but there was some action on the effort this week. The Metro Board of Directors approved artists’ proposals for public art projects at the first five Dulles Corridor stations.

Metro is managing and coordinating the public art component for the first phase of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail station project. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is funding the art projects at the first five Dulles extension stations.

Metro’s Art in Transit Program worked with MWAA to conduct a competition for the public art proposals for the five stations. Community representatives, the Fairfax Arts Council, art and design professionals, and Metro, MWAA and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation selected the five artist proposals out of 167 submissions. The artists are Martin Donlin for Tysons East, Ray King for Tysons Central 123, David Dahlquist for Central 7, Barbara Grygutis for Tysons West and David Wilson for Wiehle Avenue.

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