Metro buses to take over some of DC Circulator’s routes – Washington Examiner
The article reports that the DC Circulator service will be gradually phased out as Metro buses will take over some of its most popular routes over the coming months. However, not all Circulator routes will be replaced by Metro. The decision was influenced by the Circulator’s insufficient ridership levels. The DC Circulator service is set to be gradually phased out, with Metro buses slated to take over several of the Circulator’s most popular routes in the coming months. This decision comes in response to the Circulator’s struggles with ridership levels, which have been deemed insufficient. However, it’s important to note that not all Circulator routes will be replaced by Metro, indicating a selective integration of services as the city seeks to optimize its public transportation offerings.
Metro buses to take over some of DC Circulator’s routes
Over the next few months, the DC Circulator will be phased out as Metro buses take over some of the most popular routes. But not all of the routes are being replaced.
The city announced earlier this year that the Circulator’s current ridership was not enough to sustain its $40 million operating budget. The ride service was created in 2005 to help supplement the Metro bus by offering six routes.
The loop between Union Station and Georgetown — the only route to see ridership on par with pre-pandemic levels — will now be taken over by the Metro bus. Meanwhile, the National Mall route, the Woodley Park and 14th Street NW, and the Eastern Market to L’Enfant Plaza route won’t be replaced.
These additions to Metro bus routes are calculated to cost $8.7 million a year. This comes as Metro prepares to make some routes 24-hour, which will cost the city an additional $11 million a year.
These changes to accommodate the phasing out of the Circulator include extending the 31 and 33 bus service all the way to Union Station, creating quicker loops for buses along 14th Street NW, and also having a shuttle bus take riders from Stanton and Pomeroy roads SE to the Anacostia Metro stop.
Metro is reportedly buying some of the 15 battery-powered electric buses in the Circulator fleet and also helping employees find work with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
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