Metrobuses Get a Makeover

Cosmetic Changes Are First Step in Raising Service's Profile

Metro rolled out a bold new red-and-silver color scheme yesterday for a sleeker-looking Metrobus, the first step in an overhaul of the region's largest bus system that is intended to improve service and attract more riders.

The new design is the most dramatic change in the exterior of Metrobuses in 35 years and comes as regional transit officials are calling for a renewed focus on buses to beat rising gas prices, ease congestion on traffic-clogged roads and, eventually, add capacity above ground as cash-strapped Metrorail nears capacity.

The first 22 buses, scheduled to go into service by the end of next month, are 60 feet long and have more curves than the older, boxy Metrobuses. They feature cushioned seats that are supposed to be vandal-resistant: Beneath the fabric upholstery is Kevlar, the material used in bulletproof vests. The new colors are similar to the popular cherry red D.C. Circulator.

No final decision has been made on which routes will get the buses, Metrobus chief Milo Victoria said, but the busiest lines will receive priority.

The buses, which run on compressed natural gas, cost nearly $800,000 each and are, overall, the most expensive in Metro's 1,510-bus fleet.

Most of the current fleet runs on diesel; over the next year, 203 hybrid electric buses will replace the older buses. When the natural-gas buses were ordered in 2001, they were considered to have the most environmentally friendly and proven technology, Metro spokeswoman Candace Smith said.

For years, the bus system has taken a back seat to the subway. Long considered by passengers and Metro managers as the poor stepchild to rail, which carries more professionals and tourists, Metrobus suffered years of cuts or flat budgets as the fleet aged. On an average weekday, passengers take about 445,000 trips on Metrobus and about 770,000 trips on Metrorail.

Rail ridership has been setting records every year, while Metrobus ridership has been relatively flat even as trips increased on other local bus services, including RideOn in Montgomery County and the Fairfax Connecter in Fairfax County. On July 11, the subway system posted the highest ridership in its 32-year history with 854,638 trips, almost 8 percent more than the comparable day last year. Metro officials attributed the high numbers to the Washington Nationals baseball game, tourism and an evangelical Christian women's conference.

In recent years, Metro officials have pledged repeatedly to improve bus service. More resources and technology were invested in the bus fleet in recent years, but progress has been slow. General Manager John B. Catoe Jr., who took over as chief executive 18 months ago, also promised to raise the status of Metrobus.

But until this month, several software systems bought and installed years ago were not working properly, so officials could not track how far buses deviated from their schedules. A much-touted system to let passengers know when the next bus is arriving at their stop has been delayed until June.

Street supervisors who are supposed to space out "bunched" buses -- several buses that arrive at a stop at the same time -- don't have authority to do their jobs because of multiple layers of management.

As a result, bus reliability and on-time performance remain the No. 1 complaint across the Metro system, according to monthly complaint summaries.