Road, Utility Work Delays Introduction of Long Metrobuses

Road construction and utility work have pushed back Metro's plans to roll out new accordion-style buses along the heavily used X2 line in the District, leaving the older buses overcrowded and frustrating many riders.

Metro had planned to move the ultra-long, red-and-silver buses to the east-west X2 line between Lafayette Square and the Minnesota Avenue Metro station by spring. But Metro officials say they are wary of using the 60-foot buses yet because the road conditions between Benning Road and H Street could potentially damage them.

The delay has prompted Metro to launch a study with the District Department of Transportation into ways to improve bus service along the corridor and temporarily ease concerns.

Rider Diane Hoover catches the X2 during rush hour, when the service gets the most complaints.

Sometimes it can be pleasant, she said. But those times are rare.

"It's a zoo. The air conditioning doesn't work. The windows aren't working sometimes," said Hoover, 62, an advanced-degree program coordinator at George Washington University who takes the bus from downtown to her Capitol Hill neighborhood. "Yet you're nose to nose with somebody you don't know."

Metro found in a recent survey that buses on the X2 line, which averages a weekday ridership of more than 14,000, are continually late because of obstacles along the route, including vehicles blocking bus stops and long traffic signals. The survey also found that buses are often full when they arrive. The problems are compounded by road conditions.

Some riders complain that the buses are so crowded they avoid them and take different routes. Riders also complain of trash being left and rowdy riders, an issue difficult to resolve with so many crowded buses.

At two recent meetings, Metro consultants told residents that they were looking at several short-term options to alleviate the problems associated with the delays. Possible remedies could include using express buses similar to those used along the Georgia Avenue route, increasing the bus frequency and encouraging riders to use their SmarTrip cards to reduce boarding delays.

Metro uses its longer buses on days when buses get extremely crowded. But they are old and falling apart, forcing Metro to revert to the smaller 40-foot buses.

The accordion-style buses are traveling the U8 line, which runs between the Capitol Heights Metro station and Benning Heights in Southeast Washington. They also run on the R line routes along Riggs Road.

Meanwhile, DDOT continues its work on Benning Road and H Street. Two lanes remain open on both corridors, but utility work on H Street is behind schedule, DDOT spokesman John Lisle said. Lisle added that the Benning Road construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year and that the repairs on H Street aren't expected to be done until 2011.

"We're asking people to bear with us until it's complete," Lisle said.

Metro will hold another meeting in September to bring back some possible solutions and get more feedback. For more about the Benning Road/H Street line study, go to http://www.metrobus-benning-h-dc.com.