More Metrobus Meetings Set on Future of 30s

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METRO'S MUCH-MALIGNED 30/32/34/35/36 buses are among the slowest and most off-schedule bus routes in the city, traveling clear across the District from points in Southeast to the Friendship Heights station through downtown and Georgetown. It's common for buses to bunch up, be late or not show up. But why?

In recent months, Metro surveyed riders and has hosted public meetings focusing on the 30s, their problems and how they could be potentially improved, along with the M6 route, which runs between the Potomac Avenue station and Fairfax Village in Ward 7 via Pennsylvania Avenue. With Metro and the D.C. Department of Transportation set to host another set of meetings starting Thursday, Metro has compiled feedback from earlier public meetings.

Overall, complaints about the 30s generally echo those you might hear about any bus route, including concerns over scheduling, signage and crowding. But riders identified specific problems regarding congestion and other service issues. For instance, crossing the Anacostia River via Pennsylvania Avenue can take considerable time because of normal traffic congestion. Additionally, points in Georgetown and downtown — particularly Farragut and McPherson squares — can be clogged with traffic, delaying buses through the area. Idling tour buses were singled out as obstacles that generate delays.

Some other issues, from July's public meetings:

» "Bunching starts at the terminal; they come out of the garage three-at-a-time. Traffic is not an excuse for bunching."
» "Need enforcement against people parking in Metrobus zones."
» "Maybe run a 30s bus along [Massachusetts Avenue]."
» "Implement a limited-stop express service from SE to downtown and NW to downtown."
» "There are too many stops; how about express service?" (There are 240 stops along the 30s route.)

Another issue that came up was the possibility of splitting the bus routes into two halves, one running from Southeast to downtown and the other running from Upper Northwest to downtown, requiring a transfer. Metro had proposed that last year, but due to public opposition, dropped the idea. The No. 32 route is the longest, running 15.3 miles. But the line as a whole, which carries 19,000 people on an average weekday, has plenty of passengers who ride it all the way across town. So splitting it would be the most drastic move, one that would be greeted with applause by some and intense anger by others.

» "Metro and DDOT to Host Public Meetings for Metrobus 30s and M6 Lines" [WMATA]