Getting Involved
Your dear C$ is getting involved--WATCH OUT!
Metro announced in March that they were going to eliminate several bus routes and to cut late night service. Two of the bus routes effected are the two major bus routes that I use every day to get to and from work, social activities, etc.
This would mean that to get to work in NoVa I would have to leave my home no later than 7 am each morning. I would sit in traffic for roughly 30-45 minutes and then be on the metro for roughly another 45 minutes. The other option is to walk the 1 mile to the closest metro station, which in the daylight hours of Spring is fine, but any other time of year is just not safe (lack of proper crosswalks, lack of proper lighting, general safety)
If these changes are made, staying out late would basically be impossible for dear C$. It is a 2+ mile walk home from Potomac Ave Metro and as stated above, walking from Naylor road is just out of the question. The other alternative is to take any of the 30 buses to Branch Ave and walk the just under 1 mile walk up an poorly lit highway with no sidewalk to my place. Taking a cab is possible, but rarely are there any cabs in the neighborhood to pick up and if you are able to hail one, the possibility of them wanting to take you out to my 'hood is rare. People have been refused. It's against the law, but it happens. Plus, it's expensive! DC cabs are meterless, so drivers just pull an amount out of their ass and unless you (the rider) are aware and fully understand the zones, have no idea that it's wrong.
To try and rectify these issues, I have joined some friends in the forming of DC Night Riders
a group of concerned citizens that want to try and get the public involved in what Metro is doing. I have written to my Council Member and the local ANC commissioner. I will be speaking at the April 25th hearing in Arlington. I will be speaking out for my neighbors who know NOTHING about this cut to their M2 bus line, the one that they all use to get to work every day.
If you are in the DC area and are affected by any of Metro's plans to cut bus service, please voice your opinions and do something. It's great they are expanding the yellow line to Mt. Vernon square, but if they cut off the M2, we'll be stuck in SE without a way to get out. Support those of us who live East of the River and are often ignored by DC politics.
DO SOMETHING!
C$
posted by C$ @ 10:15 AM
6 Comments:
I believe myself to be adversely affected by Metro. As a result, I am very much in support of any organization that tries to put Metro in its place.
Once you slap them around and get them to step back on this cutting the bus service thing, if you got them to make it so that you can pay cash to leave the parking lot again and everything will be all gravy.
oh i-66 I will do my best my friend, but one battle at a time, one battle at a time. :)
You go girl!!! Keep me updated!!!
In particular what problem do you have with the proposed changes. The presentation to the Board found that all the night routes proposed for elimination have low ridership. The money saved from their elmination would go to enhance sevice on routes that have high ridership. Yes, some people lose but to me this is good public policy in a era of constrained resources.
I understand the presentation to the Board, but I don't understand the logic they have used. Many bus lines have MUCH lower low ridership than some of those that are planning on getting cut. I.E. the 28 (not sure the route #) that runs from Adam's Morgan to U Street. No one uses that bus, ever. Cut that one instead.
Some people loose? Those people that loose are the exact ones that need better public transportation. They are the ones that rely on it to get to and from work. They are the ones that are often marginalized in every aspect of society. They are the working poor who can't afford to drive to work every day (if they even have a car). Would you rather them be fired from their job and go on welfare than keep a few low ridership buses on the route and keep them employed?
We all need to have better, more cost efficient public transportation, espeically in this era of high gas costs and pollution, but really, should that be at the cost of those who don't have any other viable option? (those that come to mind, the hill staffers who get on at Eastern Market and get off at Cap South). The people in my neighborhood that use the M6 have no other option to get home. I have a few, but I'm one of the lucky.
And how can they cut a bus with low ridership (ie the M2) that is PACKED every route? We are already using a small bus, but could fill up a normal metro sized bus anyday.
I completely understand your point, but do understand mine?
I understand your point. However, the fact is that Metro is struggling to absorb higher fuel prices while at the same time aborbing additional ridership. Metro is a creature of its member governments and they are responding to criticism that service on some routes is lacking. The member jurisdictions essentially told Metro to look at other ways to invest in improving service on overcrowded lines (not lines with a small bus that is full, but lines where so many people ride that keeping the schedule is a problem).
The question here is what is the net welfare benefit. The answer depends upon how you weight the loss of transportation options on one hand for some with less waiting time, overcrowding, and service unreliability for others. There is no correct answer in this and many other public policy issues.
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