Transportation in Logan

A few things caused me to ponder transportation issues lately. The first is my own increasing frustration when trying to park my car. The second was a post at Greater Greater Washington advocating more infill stations on Metro rather than suburban train sprawl.

I could feel the cold, judgemental stares of some readers even as I typed that I find parking frustrating. Yes, I drive almost daily. Let me explain: I can drive to work in about 35 minutes, but commuting by bus and train would be a 90 minute ordeal, requiring that I leave home shortly after 6 a.m. As I am not a morning person and my chosen profession is teaching sixth graders, this commute scenario conjures up visions of a Lord-of-the-Flies-like scene in my classroom as my students and I become progressively more and more exhausted throughout the week. Even in my wildest fantasies of fitness, biking would be a similar time drain. Granted, though my morning commute by car is relatively fast, my evening commute is hairier. On truly ugly nights, it can take 75 minutes, if I include the time it takes for me to get parked at home in Logan.

Mr. 14th & You also has a commute conundrum. He works about a mile from home, which is great. The conundrum part is that there is no Metro or MetroBus that will get him to work. So Mr. 14th & You takes a Capital Bikeshare bike (when one is available) and gets to work in about 10 minutes. Absent an available bike to let, Mr. 14th & You walks to work. When attired in a suit on a hot or wet day, the commute that otherwise seems like a lovely opportunity for some light exercise becomes a 20 minute slog. Though cabs are certainly an option, the price of a round-trip fare and tips is comparable to the cost of using a parking garage for the day.

Despite these (minor) commuting challenges, both Mr. 14th & You and I love our jobs and love our apartment. Depending on the day, I mostly accept the trade-offs of life in a vital urban area. I offer these scenarios not as complaints. These are the daily journeys that our household makes for better or worse.

Now, let me get to the other reason why I have been thinking about transportation options. While reading the above-mentioned post on Greater Greater Washington, I noticed the following comment from Tom Coumaris: "I live at 14th and S and Metrorail is worthless to me except for DCA." Other GGW readers jumped on Tom for this statement. One retort was, "14th and S NW? 3 blocks from the U Street Station? How is that worthless?" This back-and-forth got me thinking. How often do Mr. 14th & You and I use Metro? How often could we use it.

As it would be for many Logan/U St. residents, the U Street stop on the Green Line is our closest Metro station. My opinion, informed by eight years of experience riding the Green Line from U Street is that it rarely offers a time benefit over other alternatives. The Circulator gets me to DC USA faster than walking to U Street, awaiting a train, and riding one stop. Even driving will get me to CoHi and parked within 15 minutes for very little money. Metro is a great way to get to Penn Quarter, but cycling is still faster. Where time really starts to drag, though, is when one attempts to transfer to the Red or Blue/Orange Lines from the Green Line. In such cases, I will typically begin my trip by walking to Dupont Circle or McPherson Square, respectively. Why do I walk to McPherson? Because, if I jaywalk judiciously, I can keep pace with a bus from 14th and R to 14th and L during rush hour. When one factors in waiting for the bus to arrive, walking almost always saves time.

Speaking of the bus, it's mostly off my radar. Though I can understand the utility of using Metrobus to commute north-south along 14th or 16 streets, it doesn't get me many places where I need to be. Two summers ago as a grad student at GW, I thought I'd finally make friends with the bus. Alas, the WMATA trip planner said it would take me either a bus to Metro tranfer or two bus lines to make that 1.8 mile trip. Total trip time was optimistically estimated at 31-33 minutes by WMATA and 25 to 27 minutes by Google Maps (assuming the bus was one time, heh). Mr. 14th & You, in a push to be an enlightened non-car-dependent urban dweller, once recommended that we take the bus to Georgetown. We spent 15 minutes sitting on G2 bus at 14th and P awaiting a driver shift change that day. Once the bus finally achieved forward momentum, we stopped on the 1500 block, the 1600 block, AND the 1700 block. All members of our party agreed that taking a cab home would be wise.

So the answers to my own questions are that Mr. 14th & You and I might go weeks between using Metro and Metrobus even if we tried to use them more often. Fortunately, walking and driving are typically convenient for us. I might be better able to leave my car parked if I embraced Capital Bikeshare. I'm still overcoming my fears of urban cycling that stem from the close calls I witness between cars and cyclists every day. Also, though I can ride a bike competently on the tow path, I am easily overstimulated and have a significant lack of large motor coordination. If you ever see what appears to be a tangle of knees and elbows zig-zagging down the road, it likely means that Mrs. 14th & You is now using CaBi.

I do understand, though, that we are just one case study of travel habits among Logan Circle households. I'm curious how other residents feel about transportation options along 14th and U Streets. We have more choices in transportation than many of our DC neighbors, not to mention residents of other cities. Trends in parking space utilization at new condo developments certainly seem to show that many folks are giving up cars in the city. Do you feel like you have been able to get away from using a car? Have you tried to avoid using a car and been frustrated by the experience? If you were being 100 percent selfish, how would you re-align existing transportation options to better serve Logan residents?

P.S.: Yes, this post was penned by the Mrs. 14th & You, the very same woman who walked off of blog duty about two years ago to go back to school and change careers. You may see some more of my ramblings between now and the start of the school year.

Random Neighborhood Thoughts, Pt. 2

The latest in a continuing series of posts that are basically a series of disconnected thoughts. Best for those of us with ADD.

*****

OK, I get that people enjoy dining al fresco, particularly when the weather is nice. But is dining outside along 14th Street really that enjoyable of an experience? Between the noise and fumes emanating from the Metrobuses, the general cacophony of 14th Street traffic (particularly motorcycles and EMS vehicles) and random people approaching you for a "friendly chat", let's just say that I've dined outside in better places.

*****

It will be a nice day once Metro is able to update its fleet of buses and get everything running as quiet as, say, the G2 along P Street. The 50 line buses can sound like a jet engine taking off when they accelerate--which is amplified when the Metrobus driver stops and accelerates a dozen times in the space of a single block.

*****

Speaking of buses, I meant to write earlier about the story from a few weeks back noting that the District was stepping back from Circulator expansion out of concern that it was competing with the Metrobus system. My question: why is that a bad thing? If people gravitate towards a system that offers greater frequency and reliability, a simplified route and fewer stops (meaning you get to your destination faster), that should say something to the Metro powers-that-be. Your job should be to present District residents with the most dependable and reliable public transit possible; if Metrobus is failing in that regard, fix it. Don't cut back on Circulator expansion simply because it's perceived to be stealing riders from Metrobus.

*****

Switching gears a bit...I'm impressed with how the Room and Board building is coming along. I'll be the first to admit that the prospects of yet another furniture retailer along 14th Street didn't exactly send me rushing into the streets with giddyness. But they're doing a fantastic renovation on that building, and the customer traffic they will bring into the neighborhood can only serve to help the other local retailers. It's also nice to have a new business enter the neighborhood that doesn't provoke some kind of alcohol-fueled controversy.


*****

For all the talk about how DC's homicide rate continues to plummet (and that is a *good* thing), why no talk about how gun crimes are going up through the roof? It's good that the triggers aren't getting pulled as often, but for anyone on the wrong end of a gun robbery the experience can be traumatizing. Yeah, DC's something like a thousand times safer than it was 20 years ago, but let's maintain some perspective.

*****

OK, seriously, WTF is with all of the tagging going on in the neighborhood? We raised this back in February, with assurances that it would be addressed. Yet, near as I can tell, the volume of tags has only increased. The Verizon building next door to Cafe Salsa got hit sometime last week.

*****

I noticed that the 11th Street streetscape project is finally wrapping up. A mere 10 months over schedule. And people wonder why business owners get nervous whenever a streetscape project is announced? To see what a *really* messed up street looks like, head over to H Street NE. That one is a real mess.

*****

And finally...yes, the Caps loss to Montreal is beyond disappointing, yes Bruce Boudreau should be brought back, and no, Jaroslav Halak is not the second coming of Patrick Roy or Dominic Hasek. He just played like it.

Now I've been reduced to rooting for my other favorite team: whoever is playing Pittsburgh.

DC Seeks to Fast-Track Buses, Increase Bike-Sharing Program

The 14thandyous want to like Metrobuses. Trust us, we do. But all too often, we find ourselves having highly unsatisfying rides--herky-jerky (or downright maniacal) bus operators, poorly-timed buses that arrive in bunches, and too many stops that frequently lead to rides taking so long that one could practically have walked to one's destination in that time.

Still, given the rapid expansion of the District's population and that of the surrounding area, and the fact that the planning and construction of new Metro line can take decades, the best hope for improving public transportation throughout the region is by improving the bus system--which is precisely what Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is attempting to do.

According to a WaPo story this morning (registration required), the District is looking to grab some stimulus money--up to $300 million of it--in order to upgrade bus service throughout the region. Two lines that flow through the center of the city--the 16th Street S line, and the 70 line down Georgia Avenue--would be among the recipient lines of the improved service.

According to the story, streets with lines targeted for improvement under the new system would "have dedicated bus lanes, enabling buses to bypass intersection congestion, or electronic devices that would regulate traffic signals to favor approaching buses. At the heart of the system would be a radically restructured K Street between Ninth and 23rd streets NW...[Twelve] other roadways that currently carry 80,000 bus riders a day in the District, Virginia and Maryland would be modified with special lanes and priority signal controls to speed bus passage."

The system would be in place by 2012.

This makes so much sense it's almost inconceivable that it was proposed by the District government in the first place. A focus on the improvement of bus transit in this city is long overdue, and the implementation of a plan so broad in scope here would place the District squarely at the forefront of U.S. cities when it comes to robust rapid bus networks.

It is interesting that, particularly with the 14th Street streetscape project set to get underway within the next couple of years and the pace of development here, that 14th Street was excluded from those arteries that would benefit from this improved service. Although, the presence of the recently opened Circulator line does lessen the disappointment somewhat.

Interestingly, buried within the story was this nugget:

"The proposal also seeks federal funding to provide 1,600 bicycles to be made available for public use at 160 bike stations in the District, Alexandria, Arlington County, Silver Spring and Bethesda."

Whoah. That would be a reference to DC's bike sharing program, SmartBike, which seemed only recently to be destined for continued mediocrity for the foreseeable future. This proposal, should it come to pass, would increase the number of shared bikes thirteen fold, and would create 150 new bike kiosks throughout the region--most importantly, expanding the program from central DC to the entire District and close-in Maryland and Virginia regions.

No word on what role current SmartBike management company ClearChannel would play under this arrangement, but with the amount of federal dollars being proposed a third party management firm may not be required.

This move, too, would further the District's standing in the country as one of the few truly revolutionary transit-oriented cities (and still the only one with a public bike sharing program). Bravo, we say.

According to MWCOG's press release on the subject, the total cost of the project is nearly $700 million, although expectations are that the current figure will be decreased in order to ensure that all components of the project could be completed by 2012--a requirement for projects receiving federal ARRA funds.

Though the approval and completion of this project is by no means a certainty, the fact that so much effort and thought have gone into it--and that regional officials are even thinking at this level--is certainly cause for optimism.

So, How About That Circulator?

For anyone who has followed our rantings around here for any length of time knows, we've been advocates of more improved transportation options along the 14th Street corridor. And, godblessit if we didn't get just that recently with the debut of the new Circulator line.

In my previous post on this topic, I had advocated for some forward-thinking initiative as part of the 14th Street streetscape project (set to begin, oh, 2-10 years from now) with the installation of streetcar tracks along 14th Street to link McPherson Square with Columbia Heights and Adams-Morgan.

I still think that a more robust streetcar system is a good solution as part of a comprehensive long-term transit plan for the central part of the District. But until that day gets here, we have been blessed with the next-best thing: a Circulator line that (and this is a first for the Circulator family) actually runs like the Circulator was intended to run. That is, a limited-stop streetcar-mimicking low-cost transit option.

Last week, when the line made its debut, I took it out for a test drive. I walked down to the stop at 14th and P streets, where I waited approximately 4 minutes for a bus to arrive. The Circulator then shot up 14th street, passing not one but two 50-line buses on its way to U Street ("bunching" seems to be a problem that Metrobuses will have, forever and ever). Within less than 6 minutes I was in Columbia Heights, and in about 12 I was in Adams-Morgan. In less than 20 minutes, I was exiting the Circulator in front of the Woodley Park Metro station, where I promptly rewarded myself with a trip to the Chipotle.

And all that for $1. That, I would posit, is PRECISELY how the Circulator was designed to--and should--function. And the route is smartly designed, too. It hits all the major central city neighborhoods--downtown, Logan, U Street, Columbia Heights, Mt. Pleasant, Adams-Morgan--but does so in only five stops. Bloody brilliant, I must say. As anyone who knows me knows, my single biggest gripe about riding the Metrobus system is the unfortunate tendency to make stops along every block--and thus miss every light. With a few exceptions, my typical Metrobus excursion was a frustrating and nausea-inducing ride. But the Circulator smartly takes care of that.

Alas, it's not a perfect system. Emboldened with what I deemed to be Circulator perfection, on the following evening I headed out again, this time with a plan to head up to Columbia Heights to do some errand running at Target. It took me a little longer to catch the bus this time, but still within the "every 10 minutes" window. The trouble arose when i attempted to head back home. I ended up waiting in front of the Columbia Heights metro stop for nearly 20 minutes before giving up and hoofing it back home (I could have taken Metro, but I have a "thing" about one-stop Metro rides). Of course, no sooner do I do this but a Circulator drives by me, followed in short succession by a second one. Oh well. Guess they aren't immune from the bunching issue either.

Still, I would imagine that over time they will work the kinks out of the line, and in time it will become one of the most important transit fixtures in our neighborhood. Hopefully, it will also serve as a model for existing and future Circulator lines in terms of route development (as anyone who has ever travelled along the K Street line can attest, it's frequently as frustrating a ride as a Metrobus).

So, what has your experience been? What positive/negative comments do you have regarding the new Circulator line, and transit options in the neighborhood in general? Please share them in comments.

Also, for those who are into this sort of thing, David Alpert from Greater Greater Washington has put together a really neat map (I call it "public transit map porn") showing the Metro system along with the existing Circulator lines--check it out below. As it shows, finally, we're starting to get some connectivity throughout all of the central DC neighborhoods.

Graham and Metro

I often disagree with Jim Graham, and he added fuel to my fire not long ago. Last week, he was invited to a live chat on Greater Greater Washington. I give him credit for community outreach and for giving respect to the blogging community. But here is the issue:

[Comment From Geoff Hatchard]
serious question—advertising on buses is dramatically underutilized. i see ads in the overhead spaces on buses that are 15 months old, advertising events that have long-since ended. is there a way you can have a heart-to-heart with the ad sales people at WMATA and tell them to step it up with regards to buses. i'm sure advertisers would love to have all those eyeballs...
Jim Graham: I am surprized to hear that. I will ask the GM about that whne we are done here. You can email me for follow up at jim@grahamwone.com

The problem here is that Jim Graham, who chairs the WMATA Board of Directors, hasn't noticed out-of-date advertising on Metro and Metrobus. I had occasion to ride the 50 buses on 14th Street about four times last week. Every one of them had out-of-date advertising. I also saw a charity ad on a Metro car last week for winter holiday fundraising. And for how long have U Street/Cardozo passengers stared at the Marshall's grand opening ad — the one that had the eyes scratched out almost immediately — at the 13th Street exit? Out-of-date advertising is not the crime of the century, to be sure. It's just that you don't have to try to find examples, but you do need to actually use Metro. Which, brings me to another good comment from the chat:

Michael Perkins: Recently in the Washington post it was reported that not many Metro Board members and management ride the system. Do you think it's important for board members and members of WMATA management to regularly ride transit?
Jim Graham: Yes I think so. ALthough--for example-- I have no kids in DC schools, but I particpate in school decsions. There are countless more examples. All the same, there is both a susbtantive and symbolic purpose in riding. Lilke many others, I will be attracted away from the auto by attractive transit service...Like the upcoming bus imporvemtns impacting Ward 1.

I take this comment to mean that Graham finds Metro and Metrobus currently unattractive and, therefore, doesn't use it much. Sigh.

14th Street Circulator Line To Commence Next Month

According to a transportation report provided at the March CSNA meeting, a new Circulator bus line linking McPherson Square with Logan, U Street, Columbia Heights, Mount Pleasant, Adams-Morgan and Woodley Park will debut beginning next month.

The new line will begin at McPherson Square (14th and I streets) and run north along 14th Street to Irving Street. From there, it will run west along Irving, south on Mount Pleasant, southwest along Columbia Rd., then west on Calvert across the Ellington Bridge to Woodley Park. The line will run every 10 minutes from 7 AM - Midnight Sunday through Thursday, and until 3 AM on Fridays and Saturdays.

EDIT: Courtesy of the Washington Business Journal, a map showing the new route can be found here.

We feel that this expansion of the Circulator service is both welcome and long overdue. 14th Street has long needed an expansion of transportation options, and linking a neighborhood such as Logan and U Street with Adams-Morgan and Woodley will provide a much-needed transportation option between those popular areas, and will also provide a quick link between Logan and the Orange/Blue lines at McPherson.

The Circulator presents an enticing option over bus transit for a number of reasons, not the least of which is its dependable frequency and the fact that the number of stops is limited. It's also cheaper than a MetroBus ride ($1) and accepts SmartTrip cards. In other words, we look at this as a win for all involved.

The Circulator's website can be found here; unfortunately you won't find any news about this expansion in service. The most recent news item is a press release from 2007, so perhaps their website isn't the best place to find information about their service.

Metro Floats Proposal to Increase Fares

This morning the Post reported that Metro is considering a significant fare increase. On a positive note, no decision will be made until December after the Metro board holds public hearings. After all is said and done, I think that it's unlikely that rates will increase as much as proposed. Unfortunately, if the proposal does pass, it will only cover $89 million of the current $109 million budget shortfall leaving us with some continuing safety and service issues as well as higher fares.

Rush hour train
Current rate: $1.35 to $3.90
Proposed rate: $1.65 to $4.70

Bus fares
Current rate: $1.25
Proposed rate: $1.25 for SmarTrip users, $1.35 for those paying with cash
It has also been suggested that paper transfers be eliminated. There are plans to distribute free SmartTrip cards to low income residents.

Parking fees
Current rate: $3.75-$4
Proposed rate: $3.90-$4.15
Reserved space: $45/month + daily fees

The Post reported that board representatives from the 'burbs tried to keep maximum fares and parking fees low while Council member Jim Graham, the DC rep to the Metro board, was most concerned with keeping bus fares down because of the lower income of DC riders.

I like the idea of increased Metro funding, and I can afford the extra $0.60 a day to get from U Street or Dupont to downtown destinations. Some city residents will also be more than happy to pass the burden of the fare increases on to suburbanites — after all, they use DC's resources without paying taxes. Nevertheless I have two big issues with this proposal.

1) Would it be so bad if all Metrobus users had to pay a $0.10 or more fare increase? If bus riders made a round trip every day the total increased cost would be $6 per month, assuming that no transfers are used. Metro also has in place a number of discounts that help some low income riders; I assume that similar policies would remain in place

* Students who are DC residents pay a reduced fare.
* Children under 4 ride free.
* Seniors and the disabled pay half the regular bus fare when using a special fare cards, senior SmartTrip cards, or a Metro issued ID.
* Some Anacostia routes cost only $0.75.
* Riders in Fairfax County pay $1 for regular buses and $2 for an express bus.

If the fares are truly not affordable for some, could we not implement a discount SmartTrip fare system similar to the one used for seniors?

2) I think that unlike gasoline demand that demand for Metrorail will be more elastic; there are alternatives to training into the city — driving and the express bus chief among them. The express buses currently cost $3 each way, and I haven't read of any proposals to increase the fare. If a suburban rail rider defects to the bus, he would contribute up to $3.40 less per day to Metro. A park and rider could save up to $7.55 per day by taking the Express bus.

Here's the really scary scenario: more people drive into the city. If it costs a park and ride customer $317 a month to have a reserved parking space and pay for his Metro fares, doesn't a monthly parking contract downtown look appealing? If nothing else, the occasional downtown drive with early bird special parking rates may be enticing. Of course lengthy car commute times will continue to encourage some to use public transportation.

Granted, I have no idea if the Metro board has considered the above issues in their discussions. They also may have access to commuter data that I don't have. But I want to be assured that we have some realistic estimates on demand elasticity and revenues before this proposal moves forward.

Am I overly paranoid? What do you think about the fare increase?

----
I'm working on an entry about the history of U Street and Logan. I hope to post it later today or tomorrow. The thesis that I've developed is that it's not just traditionally defined gentrification that has changed our neighborhood.

There may also be zoning trouble for the proposed O Street market/Giant/hotel mega complex. I'm so bummed. More to come on this soon.

Metro NextBus to Go Offline

The Post Metro section ran a story on Metro NextBus technology today. I have never used this service, but I can understand how much it helps daily bus commuters to have arrival time information available by mobile phone. Unfortunately this system has been accurate only 80 percent of the time, which, for regular riders on the pilot routes, amounts to not having reliable information for one to two days per month. The good news is that after a software upgrade scheduled to take 18 months to complete the system will be back. For now you can use NextBus until the end of October.

P.S. I really dislike made up compound words for the sake of branding. NextBus, ReadyMop, and GlaxosmithKline are a few that come to mind. Grrr.

Why I'm Married to My Car

Last weekend we had occassion to go to Rhino Bar & Pumphouse on M Street in the middle of Saturday afternoon. (Buckeye football is very important in our household, and the local OSU alumni association holds game watches at Rhino.) Facing a $28 round trip cab fare and tip (three people, two zones) we elected to take the Metro bus. Mistake.

We jumped on at 14th and P right on time. Then we sat and sat some more. Apparently it was time for a driver shift change, and the new driver could not be bothered to show up on time. Once he did arrive, he spent a good five minutes chatting with the driver going off duty. During this time passengers in the back of the bus heckled him. Loudly. Our fellow passengers then requested every stop between 14th Street and Dupont Circle; no passengers disembarked during our wait in order to walk the one to five blocks to their destinations. Our average speed for the first half of the trip was two miles an hour, and the total duration of our 17 block ride was a half hour.

Now, Mr. 14th and You is a better citizen than I. He will not contribute to pollution and congestion by driving when it's not strictly necessary. He also happens to hate driving in the city. I, on the other hand, love my car. Driving a five speed with the sun roof open makes me happy. I have my limits; tight parking in certain neighborhoods and rush hour traffic quickly diminish my happy driving experience. However, both my husband and I agree that we would have been far better off parking on Wisconsin north of R Street on Saturday than taking the bus. We came to a similar conclusion when a southbound 14th Street bus between R Street and McPherson Square took over twenty minutes to get us to our destination.

Granted we could have opted for the Dupont to Georgetown mini bus on Saturday. But is it too much to ask that something be done to improve Metro bus travel in the city? Do we have to have stops on every block? Could we add a certain number of express buses with fewer stops on their routes?