MetroNow Dispatch 11.2021
This month we celebrate WMATA advancing the regional Bus Network Redesign process, dive into what the IIJA means for Metro, thank our federal delegation, and cheer for Mayor Bowser’s bus boldness.
Questions Remain on 7000-Series Timeline and Impacts to the Region’s Recovery
At this stage in the Failure of the 7000-series Wheelsets saga, it may be safe to presume that the 7000-series cars will not be back in full-service for the foreseeable future and it remains unclear as to whether or not the remaining 40% of the railcar fleet can pick up the slack.
We know WMATA is doing what it can to safely return its 7000-series railcars back to regular service as quickly as possible but we need WMATA to create a solid game plan for 2022 service before the end of this year. If WMATA can’t create a reasonable, reliable, and frequent Metrorail service plan with its reduced fleet and more regular inspection requirements, WMATA leadership should be as transparent as possible, as early as possible about ongoing service reductions.
Over the next few weeks, WMATA should be outlining potential rail service scenarios for 2022, including how the agency will increase bus service to supplement reduced rail service. What a great time to start adding more dedicated bus lanes! Without clear timelines and expectations, WMATA will have a harder time regaining ridership and trust, and may harm the region's recovery from the pandemic. As we stated last month, “hearing directly from WMATA during a crisis, early and often, helps restore trust in the system.” This is true as we enter crisis-recovery mode as well.
Read More:
Decision to pull most of Metro’s trains from service was not made lightly, head of safety commission says (Washington Post 11.23.21)
“While the commission has issued several orders and safety audits, no action came close to the one issued Oct. 17, when Mayer ordered Metro to pull all 748 of its 7000-series trains from service, suspending about 60 percent of the transit agency’s fleet. The move reverberated across the region, creating lengthy waits as more people begin to resume normal routines amid the pandemic.”Metro By the Numbers (Washington City Paper 11.5.21)
“The derailment saga doesn’t involve only the ill-fated Blue Line train, but all of the lives it derailed in the process. Metro’s expansive network allows many residents in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia to rely less on or even live without cars. The website Walkscore lists D.C. as having the fourth best transit network in the U.S., which contributes to it having the nation’s seventh best walk score. Losing trains means longer wait times, puts added pressure on buses, and potentially puts more cars on the road.”
The Future is Bus
We come bearing good transit news from WMATA’s better half and fully operational Metrobus (just kidding, we love all of our transit modalities equally...). This month, WMATA released its draft FY2023 budget, announced its intention to start a Bus Network Redesign process (see our request in last month’s Dispatch), and presented progress against the 26 recommendations of the Bus Transformation Project to the Board.
Why should you care about the bus? Well…
Since the start of the pandemic, more people ride the bus than rail in the DMV
Low-income riders and people of color rely more on the bus than rail
Better bus service is needed now to meet climate goals and slow emissions
Better bus service can be implemented for a fraction of the cost of a new rail line
The WMATA Bus Network Redesign will create a more seamless and reliable Metrobus network that is better coordinated with local bus networks in Arlington County, the City of Alexandria, the City of Fairfax, the District of Columbia, Fairfax County, Montgomery County, Loudoun County, and Prince George’s County.
While we won’t see the new bus network for another two or three years, jurisdictions can make investments now on their high-ridership essential bus corridors to make faster, more reliable bus service today and better bus service when the new network launches. The IIJA may have arrived just in time to help.
Read More:
Bus Transformation Project Update. (WMATA Board Executive Committee, 11.18.21)
“Bus riders in the region are more likely to: live in households that do not have a car; live in households making less than $30,000 annually; have limited English proficiency; and be persons of color.”Metro Proposes More Fare Discounts, No Increased Service In 2023 Budget (DCist 11.1.21)
“Next year’s budget includes a $2 flat fare for one-way rail trips taken after 9:30 p.m., and an 11% discount for monthly passes. It also proposes reducing the cost of weekly passes, and it introduces a $5 bonus on a SmarTrip card for every $25 spent. Metro is also planning to make permanent the discounts implemented this past September: the flat $2 weekend fare and the $12 seven-day regional bus pass.”
Sign up for this Bus Network Redesign event!
Eno Center Webinar
Redesigning Transit Networks for the New Mobility Future
Wednesday, 12.8.2021 from 2pm - 3pm EST
“Join us to uncover best practices from transit agencies across the country about how to conduct a bus network redesign and to learn how new mobility options can be integrated into the network redesign process.”
What does the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (aka Bipartisan Infrastructure $) mean for transit in our region?
President Biden signed the $1.2T bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (H.R.3684), into law on Monday, November 15 and by that Friday, the House passed the Build Back Better Act (H.R.5376), which is now in the hands of the Senate. The IIJA provides historic levels of investment in our transportation systems and other infrastructure. Its passage means WMATA, as well as the District, Maryland, and Virginia will be eligible to compete for billions of new dollars in infrastructure investments.
The biggest and clearest win for WMATA in the IIJA is the Metro Safety, Accountability, and Investment section (Sec. 30019), which reauthorizes current annual levels of federal capital funding for WMATA, providing $1.2B in capital support through fiscal year 2030. Importantly, the bill includes language that requires improvements in oversight, governance, and support for WMATA’s Inspector General.
However, the IIJA only provides capital funding. When federal COVID relief money for transit operating budgets runs out in FY24, every transit agency in the country will be staring in the face of a deep operating budget shortfall. Unless ridership exceeds pre-COVID levels, the region will have to make tough budget choices or find new sources of revenue for transit operations.
Our region has the opportunity to maximize the return on IIJA capital funding by accelerating investments that improve the reliability and speed of existing service. Capital projects such as dedicated right of way for buses, bus stop improvements, and the implementation of technology like transit signal prioritization and automated enforcement can reduce bus operating costs, attract more riders, and steer us away from the transit funding cliff.
Read More About Regional Infrastructure:
Bus systems are eyeing lower fares, leaving passengers and advocates to wonder at what cost (Washington Post 11.12.21)
“Bus systems across the Washington region are reexamining fares to address income inequalities and racial disparities as they try to lure riders back. But those discussions are at a crossroads, with operators and policymakers weighing whether financial benefits to riders outweigh the loss of fare revenue.”New Purple Line contractors selected to resume full construction this spring (Washington Post 11.5.21)
“A new construction team selected to complete Maryland’s Purple Line is expected to restart full-scale work on the stalled light-rail project this spring, state transportation officials and a private consortium managing the project said Friday.”Construction On The Silver Line Extension Is Complete, Project Will Soon Be Turned Over To Metro (DCist 11.4.21)
“Construction on the Silver Line extension from Wiehle-Reston to Ashburn is complete, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which is in charge of the project. The project is years behind its original estimated completion date of 2016.”
Transit Champions of the Month
Mayor Bowser + DDOT for Lapping the Region on Bus Transformation
Last week, WMATA staff updated the board on the Bus Transformation Project. The District shined as a regional leader for its efforts to prioritize buses on its roadways. Mayor Bowser and DDOT are leading on the number of implemented and planned dedicated bus lanes, queue jumps, and transit signal priority corridors, and the District is just getting started. DC’s local FY22 capital budget fully funded DDOT’s $63M Bus Priority Program, with plans to build 50 miles of dedicated bus lanes over the next five years, fully funded major bus prioritization projects like the K St Transitway, and the District is also resuming its low income fare pilot with WMATA, which was put on hold through the pandemic.
Transforming the region’s bus performance and bus networks relies on each jurisdiction prioritizing buses on its roadways and investing in the infrastructure and technology to make buses faster, more reliable, and better for riders. Thank you Mayor Bowser for making better buses a cornerstone of a more equitable, sustainable and economically competitive recovery!
Big, Big Thanks to Our Federal Delegation - the best in the land
We have thanked our delegation before for their steadfast commitment to transit and especially ensuring WMATA has the resources and oversight necessary to return the transit system to a state of good repair. While we still have a ways to go, our delegation has worked tirelessly to secure the federal authorization for capital funding for WMATA in the IIJA and pass the historic investment in our nation’s infrastructure. For that work, we are forever thankful. Thank you to Senators Cardin, Van Hollen, Warner and Kaine, and Representatives Hoyer, Brown, Raskin, Trone, Sarbanes, Norton, Beyer, Connolly, and Wexton.
Read More about Bus as a Political Tool:
Play the Game: Can you Get a City to Zero Emissions? (Bloomberg CityLab, 11.16.2021) “Amazing work! Your bus network redesign drew inspiration from Houston, where a similar overhaul bumped up ridership more than 4%. Your connections at TreeHug helped you pull in the smartest transit planners in the world, and their brilliant bus network redesign led to a 35% ridership increase. That massive success boosts your popularity and sets you up to tackle the next challenge.”
A Bus Agenda for New York City Mayor Eric Adams (TransitCenter 11.5.2021)
“To create the “state-of-the-art bus transit system” of his campaign platform, Mayor Adams will have to both expand the quantity and improve the quality of bus lanes. We recommend these strategies to get it done…”The Bikelash Paradox: how cycle lanes enrage some but win votes (The Guardian, 10.29.2021)
“Though road reclamations reliably serve as public-relation challenges for cities, experience shows that residents adapt quickly to road changes and predictions of traffic nightmares and business failures do not come to pass.”
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The MetroNow Coalition is made up of regional leaders from the business, non-profit, and advocacy communities who believe that transit is designed to bring us together —at work, school, and play. Today, we believe our collective advocacy for better transit for the Washington DC region is more important than ever.
We launched the MetroNow Dispatch to bring residents, leaders, and transit agencies together to think about how we can make better transit today, during the pandemic, and “tomorrow,” as we look beyond recovery to how we can build a more equitable, sustainable, and accessible transportation system for our region.