August 16, 2005
Transit on Tuesday
Traffic in the Washington metropolitan area is a sensitive beast -- the slightest stir and it all goes to hell. Well, to hell it has gone. Breaking news finds that two separate incidents along I-95 by Springfield, Va. involving three tractor-trailers have left five injured and forced southbound traffic onto the HOV lanes, as of 2:00 p.m. No word yet on whether the lanes will re-open by rush hour, but for those who travel this route home, keep your eyes peeled for updates and detour information.
In today's installment, we have news and analysis on gas prices, bus shelters, and safe cycling. And to provoke discussion, we offer the following question based on recent observations: Why doesn't the civility of Metrorail carry over onto Metro buses? Discuss.
Gas Prices go up, and up, and up...
The 800-pound elephant in the world of transit-related news is the ever-rising prices of gas, which have consistently increased over the summer months and do not look to be slowing anytime soon. The average price of a gallon of gas currently stands at $2.55, a 55 percent increase over the same time last year, and with an unpredictable global oil market, looks to continue its upward climb. Area gas prices on the cheapest end come in just short of $2.50, while on the expensive are coming frighteningly close to the $3 mark. Local school districts are being saddled with increased gas costs for buses -- Montgomery County reportedly budgeted an extra $800,000 for fuel this year -- air fares recently jumped by $10, motorists are feeling their wallets become lighter, and inflation in the month of July jumped as a result of the increases.
But whose fault is it? Oil-producing countries? Gas-thirsty Americans? The oil corporations? And what can be done about it? More than pointing fingers or proposing solutions, the rise in gas prices and the consequent results bring into sharp relief an America highly dependent on cars, unwilling to overcome the automobile lobby's opposition to increased gas mileage standards, obsessed with suburban development, skeptical of public transportation, and too accustomed to low gas prices. These shortcomings are obvious in the Washington metropolitan area, where investments in roads are many and serious planning on public transportation all too often ignored.
When gas starts becoming prohibitively expensive for day-to-day commuters, how will public transportation in the region change? Will more motorists find their way into carpools and onto buses and trains? Will new housing developments further and further away from the city center become less desirable that those closer to public transit routes? Will Metro finally gain the area-wide constituency it needs to convince authorities in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of the need to hammer out a dedicated source of funding?
Only time will tell.
New Bus Shelters Coming
Thanks to the people over at Clear Channel Outdoor, an advertising firm owned by the entertainment conglomerate of the same name, the District will soon be getting 788 brand spanking new bus shelters, in exchange for the exclusive ad rights to the shelters for the next 20 years. The shelters -- set to be installed in 2009 if the deal is approved by the City Council and Congress -- will take after Metrorail stations and include up-to-the-minute information bus-arrival information. Hopefully by then the District will similarly have devised a way to make buses stick to their schedules and not arrive in convoys.
District to Teach Safe Cycling
The District Department of Transportation, Arlington County, and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association have partnered to offer three "Confident City Cycling Classes," where residents can learn the skills necessary to commuting or riding recreationally in the area. The first class occurred last Saturday, but there are two remaining -- August 27 in Mt. Pleasant and September 10 in Arlington. Not too long ago DCist offered its own tips on how cyclists and motorists -- not often the best of friends -- can safely co-exist. As a daily bike commuter, this DCist can attest to the fact that the District offers both challenges and benefits for cyclists. Wide boulevards such as Pennsylvania Avenue NW allow for comfortable distance between you and passing cars, and bike lanes and bike paths are expanding in number and accessibility. That being said, drivers have a tendency to see cyclists as on-road prey, and potholes, cracks, and undulating asphalt can make anyone's ride more jarring than joyful.
Picture of Metrorail station snapped by jamacdonald and posted to DCist photos.
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Because people on the bus are crazy.
Perhaps the reason for the lack of civility on the metrobus is due to the fact that many riders have been standing around for what seems like eternity, only to be confronted with the "convoy phenomena." By the time they get on the bus, they're in no mood to give up their seats or even display common courtesies to their fellow riders.
NBC4 published a disturbing story about a metro map being on an al-Qaida website. It gives us one more thing to worry about.
So, does this mean that ClearChannel is also footing the bill for upkeep and maintenance? If so, that's a tremendous deal for DC... if not, aren't they just going to need to tear them down again before the deal expires?
Lack of civility on Metrobus? How odd. I find bus riders to be much more civil than their rail counterparts. Rail riders frequently hog seats and sometimes give hostile glares if one has the nerve to ask for a seat. This behavior happens on buses as well, but in my experience it is much less frequent on the bus. I even wrote a bit about this:
http://cfs.smileystation.com/2005/08/12/riding-the-bus/
I guess everyone is entitled to her own opinion on this, though.
Yes, lack of civility on the Metrobus. Try riding the 52-53-54 north after rush hour when there's a 30-minute gap between busses.
Metrobus riders are as polite as any other commuters in the area. Of course, there's the occassional insane person ranting about whatever, but that's not so common at rush hour. The average rider is great.
I also think people on the Metro are pretty polite as well. I mean, a few glares are expected--I'm not asking for a "Good Day" from my fellow rider.
And I've always wondered where people give up seats on mass transit. I've been around a bit, and I've almost never seen it consistently occur on any system.
Bus drivers are another story. Some are great, but a few jerks have given me a bad taste.
I've yet to encounter a problem on the metrobuses. At least in my experience, the metro has been much less civil.
at least on the bus, people talk. you say hi and thanks to the drivers.
sure, the crazy people hit the bus more than trains, but still by and large the bus is way more civil.
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