Photo by Darwyn

Photo by Darwyn

After six years of study, the District Department of Transportation is recommending a bus lane to improve service along much of 16th Street during rush hour. DDOT presented the proposal last night at a Citizens Advisory Group meeting.

Despite representing less than 5 percent of vehicles along the corridor, the S-buses carry half the people traveling along the corridor each day. And each year, more and more people have been trying to get on them. Since 2008, ridership on the line has grown nearly 30 percent to more than 20,000 riders each day.

WMATA added the S9 express, put in extra buses, and expanded the use of longer vehicles over the years, which stanched the problem of multiple packed buses blowing past frustrated riders. But buses passing by, bus bunching, and crowding remain major issues—along with all that time lost to sitting in traffic. DDOT has commissioned three studies that date back to 2009 about how to fix the issues.

Finally, it all seems to be coming to a head. Last month, DDOT presented three alternatives and sought public feedback before refining the proposals. They came back to a Citizens Advisory Group yesterday with a plan that includes reversible peak-hour bus lanes.

The proposal also calls for the elimination of nine bus stops, all-door boarding, and off-board fare payment—all of which would need to go through WMATA’s public process. They estimate the changes will result in shaving 4-7 minutes off of travel time.

There will be a final public meeting to discuss the plan on January 21 from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

DDOT 16 Dec Presentation

Filed Under: 16th street bus, 1th street, bus, bus lane, dedicated bus, s bus, s buses,