Metrobuses Get a Makeover
Cosmetic Changes Are First Step in Raising Service's Profile

By Lena H. Sun
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 22, 2008

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.

Victoria said the "state-of-the-art" bus has features to make the ride safer and more comfortable. The bus has nine onboard video cameras and a reverse camera to help the bus operator see behind the bus.

"In this region, everything is about rail," Victoria said. Buses are important, he said, because they feed the rail system and they "can go where rail can't."

Victoria said riders will see improvement in on-time performance within a year as a result of an ongoing management restructuring and software systems that are working properly. Metro also wants to add rapid-bus service to 18 crowded corridors across the region over the next six years. The aim is to improve travel times and increase reliability.

"Bus is no longer the little brother to rail," Victoria said.

In July, three software systems that help track bus locations were integrated "so now they are able to speak to each other," Victoria said. Before that, bus operators had to log on to three separate systems in order for that information to be sent to the Metrobus control center, he said. With better tracking ability, workers in the control center can see if buses are early, late or off their route and managers can call the bus, adjust service or dispatch a supervisor to the location, he said.

As part of a Metrobus reorganization, officials also plan to cut layers of management so supervisors on the street will be responsible for no more than 20 bus operators and will have direct authority and responsibility to deal with all issues associated with those operators and their runs, including schedules and customer complaints, he said. The reorganization will begin this fall and be phased in gradually, he said.

The most noticeable change will come next month, when the new buses start running. Each will have 61 seats -- a few seats less than the older long buses -- and room for 42 people to stand. The natural gas buses require special fueling facilities, and only two Metrobus garages are equipped. That limits where they can run.

Among the lines being considered to get the first new buses: the X line along Benning Road in Northeast Washington, the 70 line along Georgia Avenue, the 5A between downtown Washington and Dulles International Airport, and the S line along 16th Street in Northwest.