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You've been asking, so here's the answers so far. Yes, many Metrobus lines are being rerouted around the street closures announced over the weekend for the area surrounding the Hay-Adams Hotel, where the Obama family is living until January 15. Metro spokesperson Steven Taubenkibel pointed us to the Bus alert notice on WMATA's web site noting that the following routes are on detour around the street closures "until further notice": all of the 30 buses, plus routes 42, 11Y, G8, P17 and P19, L2, W13, S2 and S4, and X2 and X3.
Looking for more specific details, like turn-by-turn information on the detours? Taubenkibel said he's still waiting on those himself, so we'll update when we hear more. In the meantime, expect all of the above bus lines not to pick up passengers at stops along the affected blocks on 16th Street, Connecticut Ave. and H Street.
Photo of the Obama family's motorcade leaving the Hay-Adams Hotel on Sunday by quigley_brown
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Way to stay on top of things, Metro. I was looking for information on 16th St line detours this morning, but there was nothing to be found. I think most people on the bus didn't even know about the street closures - there were a whole lot of surprised people when the bus didn't stop at the usual bus stop at K Street b/c the bus was turning left. Metro couldn't have managed to print up some signs and put them on the buses, or at least have the driver announce the detour?
(tried to post this once, but i was mystically signed out of dcist the second i tried to post)
anyway, i second esmeralda. there was no sign of this information when i checked this morning. really, wmata, this is stuff that should have been up beforehand, not after the fact. if they can't handle the little things like this, how are we going to believe they can handle the bigger problems they're facing (infrastructure investments, etc.)
I too was looking for 16th street detours--yesterday. The McPherson Square metro station attendant was clueless, of course.
The whole country has known where the Obamas would be staying until inauguration for some time now. WMATA has no excuse for waiting until close of business on Friday to announce detours, and for not having detailed detour information posted after the plan is already in effect.
They must have some information they could put out. How do the bus drivers know where to drive?
In fairness to WMATA, it was DDOT that didn't announce the street closures until late on Friday -- WMATA doesn't close the streets, they just react to the closures. Also, I'm fairly sure if memory serves that the Obamas didn't announce their plans until Thursday.
Agreed - DDOT's accouncement was last-minute. If anything, this showes that DDOT should have better communications with WMATA.
I would like to add, the Hay Adams area is not the only place of confusion for WMATA users. Metro Center is quite a mess currently, as hundreds of riders realized this morning that yes, those signs that have been up since October mean you actually have to buy a smartrip card if you want to pay regular fare. Platforms are pretty crowded at the moment, although mostly orderly.
Can't wait to see which VIP had enough "juice" to bump Obama from Blair House this week.
Whoever that second-rate potentate is (the King of Nauru? Bush's great-aunt?), I'm guessing it would have been less disruptive if THEY had been put in the Hay-Adams instead.
I read that nobody is staying over night but there are a lot of farewell parties for various departments so the building would not be secure for the first fam.
amen, westender. honestly, there can't be anyone whose notoriety or security needs would have been higher than the president-elect's. they should have been told "tough titties" and forced (oh noes!) to stay at the hay-adams.
Boo to Steven Taubenkibel for not know where the buses are going -- go find out! People have been asking about this, and the buses are going somewhere. It's his job to tell people.
Don't forget, the M in WMATA stands for Moronic.
Thanks for posting this. There was a lot of general confusion on the 30's line this morning, and when I finally made it to work and tried to see where exactly the buses would be detouring for the next two weeks the wmata site had nothing. Nice work Metro. On the plus side, the little box on the bus that accepts fairs, smartcards, etc. was broken, so my ride was free. I guess I can't hate on Metro too much when their general mismanagement works in my favor.
As soon as DDOT made the announcement of the street closings, WMATA should have figured out the detour route/plan, tested it, and then put it on their web site. If this is how WMATA handles this relatively basic task, looks like we're in for total chaos on Jan 20.
The rule is pretty clear, Blair House is reserved for the incomming first family from Jan 15 to innauguration day. Until the 15th, the use of Blair House is at the discretion of the President.
Let's see in four years, or eight, if President Obama is so willing to give up Blair House when one of the Palins needs to start school.
i will do whatever embarrassing thing you can come up with if a palin is moving into the white house anytime in the next 8 years.
In four years, or eight, the Palin kids will still be in bumfuck nowhere, Alaska, doing experiments in their bedrooms, on how long children can sustain themselves by eating their own feces.
The Palins don't believe in conventional schooling. Plus, meth labs aren't allowed that close to the White House.