MetroNow Dispatch 9.2021
This month we dream of a better commute, fan over a new Blue-Orange-Silver line, crush on Alexandria's DASH, highlight WMATA's progress on safety, and ask you to send a survey to your employer!
The (Missing) Commute
For many employers, the spread of the Delta variant put post-Labor Day return to office plans on hold. Despite the added uncertainty, the Delta-delay may have a silver lining — it gives employers and employees more time to reimagine the commute.
The return to office is a once in a lifetime opportunity to build healthier, greener, happier commuting options for employees. If done well, we could take a bite out of the region’s significant congestion problems. Companies who address issues with commutes can make big gains on their sustainability, equity, employee retention and talent attraction goals. Plus, it can help boost businesses’ bottom line by reducing costs like paying for parking or lost time.
Whether your company is extending its work from home protocol, or you’re going to work and wearing a mask, here are some ways to make ditching the stressful, expensive, unhealthy car commute easier than ever:
Employers can set up pro-transit, pro-biking, pro-walking employee benefits. Our region has incredible local Transportation Demand Management agencies who can provide tailored commute resources for your company. Reach out to learn about programs like WMATA’s SmartBenefits program, a fee-free way for employers to allow employees to commute tax free. Or find out about company-led initiatives like Amazon’s new bike benefit.
Employees can rethink rush hour. With the ability to continue to work from home and more flexible work schedules, employees can explore new modes and establish new routines for getting to and from the office. Encourage your coworkers to try transit (for all trips, not just the commute), or a late-morning bike commute today!
WMATA, regional transit agencies, and local jurisdictions can continue to improve offerings and incentives while reducing the administrative burden for employers. Let’s continue to push our transit agencies to provide better, easier transit benefits for all of the region’s transit options. And lets push our region’s elected officials to adopt policies that make it easier and cheaper for employers to provide transit benefits.
The cost of the commute (in time, cost, hassle, stress, etc.) should not outweigh the benefits of in-person collaboration and office amenities. Ask your CEO, HR director or office manager if your company’s return to office plan helps employees address commute challenges, and offers incentives for non-car commuting. Change does not come until we start asking for it. Have you asked lately?
Read More:
Offices Reopen With Safety Plans, but Big-City Commutes Spook Workers (Wall Street Journal 9.14.2021)
“Some employees push back against returning to the workplace, saying they are reluctant to use trains and buses during the Covid-19 pandemic.”7 ways the ride to the office might be different this fall (Washington Post 9.2.2021)
“As more Washington-area residents resume normal commutes, they will encounter changes that have taken shape in the region’s transportation networks since the coronavirus pandemic disrupted how we work and get around… Here are seven ways transportation has changed — whether driving, taking transit or walking — in the Washington region since the start of the pandemic.”Returning to offices, rethinking commutes (Washington Post 9.2.2021)
“I want to go back to my office…mainly so I can do my commute by bike.”
Blue-Orange-Silver Line Study
DMV Transportation Twitter hasn’t been this excited about something since Secretary Buttigieg was spotted on a CaBi bike. The Blue-Orange-Silver (BOS) Line Study outlines early concepts for how the WMATA system can deal with the Rosslyn-Georgetown Potomac Tunnel bottleneck. Options range from do-nothing (boo!) to a Blue line loop down to National Harbor (woah!). It is still too early in the process to know if any of these concepts will move forward, or another option altogether, but it sure is exciting to know the region’s largest transit agency is planning for a more transit-oriented future with big ideas that could benefit from the Fed's renewed support for infrastructure. Once WMATA starts it’s next round of engagement for this study, we’ll be sure to circle back for more pontificating and to get you engaged.
Read More:
Blue-Orange-Silver Line Capacity & Reliability Study (WMATA)
“Metro launched the Blue/Orange/Silver Corridor Capacity & Reliability Study (BOS Study) in 2019 to identify potential solutions to address capacity, reliability, and customer needs on those three Metrorail lines. Following extensive community outreach, public meetings, and work with the community and local jurisdictions, Metro has come up with a set of potential infrastructure and operational improvements that will ensure quality service while meeting the needs of the growing region.”Metro’s Proposed Expansion Plans Could Face Common Foe: Cost And Interstate Rivalries (dcist 9.13.21)
“Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said he hopes parochialism doesn’t become a factor in the process. “I think it’s a good process. It’s a fair process. It’s a long process,” he said. “I understand someone may sit there and say, ‘Well, I know the answer is this.’ But we need to make sure we’re looking at all the potential answers, and then whittle it down, and then obviously, build consensus for whichever way you want to go.”
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DASH Brings Better Bus Service to Alexandria
As we wait for the region to finally launch a coordinated bus network redesign effort, we are excited to see Alexandria taking the lead. On September 5th, the Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) implemented its new bus service based on its network redesign. The New DASH Network is the first comprehensive redesign of its bus network since its establishment in 1984. As a result of the bus network redesign, nearly 60,000 additional Alexandria residents will gain access to high-frequency service and the number of low-income residents with access to frequent transit will improve from 29% to more than 72%. Major transit corridors across the City will run bus service all day, seven days a week, with buses every 15-minutes or less.
DASH complemented these new service improvements with free fares for all riders. Thanks to a $1.5M subsidy in the City of Alexandria’s FY22 budget, DASH is the first regional transit provider to go fare free (the District’s free Circulator program was technically a pilot and other jurisdictions have so far limited their free fares to the pandemic period). DASH estimates that making transit free for everyone could expand ridership by 23% and help bring riders back to transit following the COVID-19 pandemic.
DASH’s fare free approach highlights an ongoing debate in the transportation policy world around the benefit of free fares vs more frequent and reliable service, especially for low-income riders. A recent MIT study showed that low-income residents in Boston with discounted CharlieCards took about 30 percent more trips, especially for health care visits. But those same riders also overwhelmingly said reliability was a bigger concern than affordability.
The MetroNow Coalition applauds Alexandria for focusing on improving the availability and reliability of transit for more residents, especially low income residents, while also making free fares additive to these service improvements.
Read More:
How the pandemic and a renewed focus on equity could reshape transportation (Washington Post 9.17.21)
“While many transportation systems have been geared to the 9-to-5 commuter, the pandemic highlighted the role public transit plays in getting essential workers to jobs. Meanwhile, despite fewer cars on U.S. roadways, statistics showed an increase in traffic fatalities, particularly among Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans, raising questions about how to ensure all Americans can safely move around their communities.”Alexandria’s DASH is going fare-free. The city says transit should be considered public infrastructure (Washington Post 8.27.21)
“Nationally, a movement to make public transportation fare-free has gained momentum. In the Washington region, Alexandria’s DASH system hopped onboard. On Sept. 5, DASH will become the first transit agency in the D.C. area to end fares (the D.C. Circulator is fare-free until Sept. 30).”
Transit Champions of the Month: WMATA
WMATA? Really? Hear us out.
Ever since the MetroNow Coalition helped secure $500 million in dedicated capital funding for WMATA in 2018, the agency has actually been able to put that money to good use. Last month, WMATA released a progress report outlining what they’ve been up to. Prior to 2018, years of deferred maintenance led to the tragic death of an Alexandria resident on the Yellow Line in 2015. In 2016, there were 71 arcing insulator incidents and 37 track fires! But with dedicated funding, WMATA has embarked on a maintenance and reconstruction program to improve safety and reliability. By 2020, there were only 18 arcing insulator incidents and four track fires.
Though there is still much more work to do — see the recent report on safety issues for track workers— let’s take a moment to applaud WMATA’s work to get Back2Good, and support the work that lies ahead. As WMATA develops a program to grow the system, and prepares to address a potentially large operating gap once federal COVID-funds run dry, agency leadership must aggressively pursue and maintain a record of safety and create a strong safety culture.
Not included in the report is the tireless work of the entire WMATA team throughout the COVID crisis. Thank you WMATA employees for all that you have done and are doing to keep riders and employees safe through these unprecedented times.
Read More:
Keep WMATA Safe, Reliable, and Affordable - Progress Report (WMATA 8.21)
“This report to WMATA’s funding partners highlights systemic, substantial improvements to WMATA safety made possible by their efforts over three years, and sets forth priorities for the FY22-27 Capital Program.”WMATA Board’s Fare Policy Work Session (WMATA Board Meeting 9.23.21)
“Fare policy and initiatives have the potential to increase ridership, advance equity and improve the customer experience. While future ridership and revenue remain uncertain as Metro and the region recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Metro has the opportunity to update its fare policy principles and to consider additional concepts for fare charges.”Metro faregate replacement project underway with new and improved faregates fully installed in two stations (WMATA 8.24.21)
“The new faregates allow for quicker and easier access to the Metrorail system and feature larger displays and enhanced safety features. Work is also underway to replace the faregates at 13 additional stations, with new faregates being phased in as they are completed and ready for service.”
Take the Capital COVID Employer Snapshot Survey
Take this 10-min survey to help the region understand the evolving impact of the pandemic on employees, employers, and the business community.
Who: Any employer in the Capital Region, inclusive of the Baltimore, Washington, DC, Fredericksburg, and Richmond metro areas. We ask that this survey be completed by an employee with the authority to answer or estimate return to worksite timelines, COVID-related policies, and employee transportation trends
What: 10-minute survey on your organization’s return to worksite timelines, COVID-related policies, and transportation trends
When: Before close of business, Thursday, September 30, 2021
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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.