Comments on: Circulator Service on Wisconsin Ave to Remain

By: djdc

djdc — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:03:43 +0000

Agree with SB. I use the crosstown circulator during the day and after work and it’s pretty well used. The north-south route that runs through Chinatown may be pretty empty because it’s basically near the end of the line. You could walk a few blocks north to where it turns around and comes back. That doesn’t explain why it’s empty when it shows up though.

By: sb

sb — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:25:01 +0000

Pennywise, I think it really depends on which circulator, what part of the route, and what time of day. I take a circulator between my home in SW and my job in Shaw and nearly every seat is taken. I’ve been on the Gtown-Union Station one during the morning rush and it’s absolutely packed. And on both of those routes it’s a mix of people–different ages and races, folks heading to work and tourists and schoolkids, etc. The fact that it’s $1 instead of the $1.65 the rush-hour metro costs is a big plus in my book…especially since that dollar also gets you 3 hours of free transfers.

By: Pennywise

Pennywise — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:13:27 +0000

It just seems like there are so many of these Circulators and they are so often empty. I see them down at Gallery Place as I wait for the 79, and 3 – 5 Circulators come by for every other bus, all nearly empty.

By: Anon

Anon — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:54:46 +0000

Thank God they saved it. This route is key for people who depend on it.

By: Reema

Reema — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:38:17 +0000

Good point, 14th Street, but as someone who lives on the proposed route cut, it would have been very difficult not to have it. Since Social Safeway closed for renovations, I’ve had to take a 15-20 minute bus ride just to get (affordable) groceries. Add to that unreliable metrobuses and no circulator, and a simple errand would be much more stressful than it already is. Note, I am not the typical “Georgetown resident”- many who live here are students and young professionals making little to no money who no transportation of their own.

By: Andy (2)

Andy (2) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:52:38 +0000

Anonymous and 14thstreetres,
I use those busses regularly becuase after redoing the 30 routes that part of the city lost around 50% of the scheduled trips. Any more reductions would make getting to this part of the city even more difficult. I understand that its more affluent than say upper 14th but there are lots of elderly, young people, working class and foreigners that don’t have cars and rely on regular bus service to get around.

Additionally, the 30s run across the city (for the most part) and being that they are the longest routes in the city that go across the bussiest parts of the city, they are always delayed. The circulators are a nice, reliable alternative. I just wish that the circulator went up to Wisconsin and Calvert as that bus stop is the bussiest bus stop in the city – talk about a neighborhood that relies on public transportation!

I applaud Mayor Fenty for reversing this terrible decision and the neighborhood bloggers that drew attention to it in the first place.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:32:44 +0000

Boo. What a waste of money. Maybe 14th Street Res has a point, but this current part of the route is a complete and utter waste of money. Washingtonians just fear change.

By: 14thstreetRes

14thstreetRes — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:02:18 +0000

This service should be extended all the way to 14th and Colorado where people really use it. Every time I take the 54 or 52 bus I am amazed by the amount of people who live in upper 14th street who use public transportation – these are mothers with strollers, older folks, and low-income families.

Who cares about a circulator bus that runs to and from upper-end neighborhoods? Give us more buses that ran to SE, upper NW, and neighborhoods where people need them.