Georgetown Circulator to Stop Going Up Wisconsin Ave.
The Georgetown/Union Station route of the popular Circulator bus is slated to cease traveling up Wisconsin Ave. to Whitehaven St. before it turns around, DDOT spokesperson John Lisle confirmed today.
The Georgetown Metropolitan first reported word of a possible change to the Circulator route on Monday, and later posted a follow-up piece reporting that City Manager Neil Albert had in fact already signed off on the plan. The second story also includes a form letter residents can send to urge D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty to change his mind about the plan. The letter cites decreased bus service up Wisconsin Ave. in the last year due to the reorganization of the 30 bus lines as the main reason to keep the existing service.
The Georgetown/Union Station Circulator did not originally go all the way to Whitehaven Street, but was extended on a trial basis in 2007. In 2008, DDOT decided to keep the extension, citing a continued need along the southern section of Wisconsin Avenue for the service.
DDOT provided a list of reasons why they've now decided to eliminate the Whitehaven extension, which we've posted after the jump. The change is slated to become effective on or about October 4.
- The Circulator Whitehaven extension carried 2 percent of the entire Georgetown-Union Station route’s ridership but was responsible for 15 percent of its cost.
- The elimination of the extension to Whitehaven will allow the Circulator to reduce the number of in-service buses, which will lower the overall cost of providing the service.
- These cuts are made necessary due to budgetary considerations. The Circulator was forced to make reductions to its budget just as many other programs were across the District government.
- DDOT and WMATA staffs have worked together to enhance and improve the 30’s lines to make them a viable public transportation alternative for residents and visitors to Georgetown. The revised 30’s lines provide scheduled headways of 10 minutes or better all day, every day between Friendship Heights and Foggy Bottom via Wisconsin Avenue and M Street with a span of service from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- The residents in this area/segment of Wisconsin Avenue have a choice of two cross-town services offered by the 32/36 lines that run from the Friendship Heights Metro, along Wisconsin Avenue, via Georgetown, to Downtown and then onto SE Washington. They also enjoy the 31 bus line service that travels from Friendship Heights Metro, along Wisconsin Avenue via Georgetown to Washington Circle.
- All these services are currently being evaluated as part of the 30s and 70s Bus Service Evaluation scheduled to conclude in November 2009. One of the current considerations is the extension of the 31 route to service the Downtown beyond Washington Circle.
- Georgetown residents who want to go downtown also have the option of the frequent rush hour service on the D series buses via Q Street and the G2 route which operates across P Street with free transfers to north-south bus routes.
- Congestion along Wisconsin Avenue continues to be an issue. Since implementing the extension up to Whitehaven, we have been challenged with maintaining the 10 minute headways that is the foundation of the Circulator brand. In addition, the increased service provided by the 30’s lines eliminates the need to layer additional Circulator service on top of a much improved Metrobus service.