Comments on: A Split Decision on Metro’s 30 Line http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2007/07/25/a-split-decision-on-metros-30-line/ D.C. News, Politics, Media, Arts, and More Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:52:14 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 By: Patrick Payne http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2007/07/25/a-split-decision-on-metros-30-line/comment-page-1/#comment-28263 Patrick Payne Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:17:36 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/index.php/2007/07/25/a-split-decision-on-metros-30-line/#comment-28263 I'VE LIVED IN WASHINGTON SINCE THE ENTIRE METRORAIL SYSTEM CONSISTED OF STOPS BETWEEN RHODE ISLAND AVENUE AND FARIGUT NORTH, PERIOD. I CAN SAY THAT WITH IT'S IMPROVEMENTS IT HAS HAD ITS FAILURES AND ALL IN ALL IT IS ONE OF THE BEST MAINTAINED SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY. IT'S CONSIDERABLY CLEANER THAN MOST AND THE ABILITY TO GET AROUND WITHIN THE SYSTEM IS EASIER. BUT, WITHOUT THE 30 LINE, THERE WOULD BE NO GEORGETOWN WHATSOEVER. THERE WOULD BE NONE OF THE LITTLE NOOKS AND CRANNIES THAT THE 30 LINE SNEAKS INTO THAT THE RAIL DOSE NOT AND THERE WOULD BE NONE OF THE SOCIALIZING THAT GOES ON DURING THE LONG RIDE. THE 30 LINES ARE A ROOT TO THE METROBUS SYSTEM. DON'T MESS WITH THIS LINE. I'VE LIVED IN WASHINGTON SINCE THE ENTIRE METRORAIL SYSTEM CONSISTED OF STOPS BETWEEN RHODE ISLAND AVENUE AND FARIGUT NORTH, PERIOD. I CAN SAY THAT WITH IT'S IMPROVEMENTS IT HAS HAD ITS FAILURES AND ALL IN ALL IT IS ONE OF THE BEST MAINTAINED SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY. IT'S CONSIDERABLY CLEANER THAN MOST AND THE ABILITY TO GET AROUND WITHIN THE SYSTEM IS EASIER. BUT, WITHOUT THE 30 LINE, THERE WOULD BE NO GEORGETOWN WHATSOEVER. THERE WOULD BE NONE OF THE LITTLE NOOKS AND CRANNIES THAT THE 30 LINE SNEAKS INTO THAT THE RAIL DOSE NOT AND THERE WOULD BE NONE OF THE SOCIALIZING THAT GOES ON DURING THE LONG RIDE. THE 30 LINES ARE A ROOT TO THE METROBUS SYSTEM. DON'T MESS WITH THIS LINE.

]]> By: Matt http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2007/07/25/a-split-decision-on-metros-30-line/comment-page-1/#comment-20631 Matt Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:21:24 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/index.php/2007/07/25/a-split-decision-on-metros-30-line/#comment-20631 I guess the 37 was before my time riding the 30s every day, which I've been doing for about the last three or four years. But I like the idea. And traffic is partially the cause of bus bunching, but far from the only cause. Another big one is buses leaving Friendship Heights at exactly the same time, which I've witnessed many times. This is done because the drivers don't want to deal with full buses, so they all leave together. Actual street supervision by WMATA would go a long way toward solving the 30-line's problems, but apparently they don't really want to solve the problem. I guess the 37 was before my time riding the 30s every day, which I've been doing for about the last three or four years. But I like the idea.

And traffic is partially the cause of bus bunching, but far from the only cause. Another big one is buses leaving Friendship Heights at exactly the same time, which I've witnessed many times. This is done because the drivers don't want to deal with full buses, so they all leave together. Actual street supervision by WMATA would go a long way toward solving the 30-line's problems, but apparently they don't really want to solve the problem.

]]> By: chris http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2007/07/25/a-split-decision-on-metros-30-line/comment-page-1/#comment-20592 chris Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:04:59 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/index.php/2007/07/25/a-split-decision-on-metros-30-line/#comment-20592 I'm a daily 30-line rider, and I've adjusted my work schedule to accommodate travel at the times the bus seems to run into the least snags. I try to catch the eastbound bus at Calvert Street in Glover Park around 7 a.m., and a westbound at I & 18th around 4:15 p.m. for relatively stress-free rides. Otherwise, it's a total clusterfuck. Either you get three buses leapfrogging each other or no buses at all for long stretches of time. Even better is when the empty bus passes by while the wall-to-wall one is inevitably the one that stops to pick you up. While I understand the effects of certain bottlenecks on metro's ability to keep to its published schedule, sometimes I don't even know why they bother to post one in the first place. I know, I know...time to buy a bike. I'm a daily 30-line rider, and I've adjusted my work schedule to accommodate travel at the times the bus seems to run into the least snags. I try to catch the eastbound bus at Calvert Street in Glover Park around 7 a.m., and a westbound at I & 18th around 4:15 p.m. for relatively stress-free rides. Otherwise, it's a total clusterfuck. Either you get three buses leapfrogging each other or no buses at all for long stretches of time. Even better is when the empty bus passes by while the wall-to-wall one is inevitably the one that stops to pick you up. While I understand the effects of certain bottlenecks on metro's ability to keep to its published schedule, sometimes I don't even know why they bother to post one in the first place. I know, I know...time to buy a bike.

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