Bus Operator Lobbies Against SW Depot

As reported last month in the Examiner and DCist, the city is working on a plan to force intercity buses to do all their loading and unloading on 10th Street SW, just a short walk from the L’Enfant Metro stop. The move would inconvenience the burgeoning trade in yuppie bus rides between New York and the District, a service provided by BoltBus, Megabus, and DC2NY, among others.

DC2NY doesn’t like the idea and has started lobbying its own passengers to lobby the D.C. government to kill the plan. Please take a look at the company’s appeal after the jump, but we’ll abridge it for you anyhow.

DC2NY is essentially saying that ITS bus stops–at 20th and Massachusetts Avenues NW and at 14th and I Streets NW–don’t cause traffic blockage or other inconveniences. Also, it argues that a L’Enfant loading site is inconvenient for its passengers and dares to imply that such a site would be unsafe.

I can see where the bus company is coming from–nobody wants their business plan uprooted by a bunch of bureaucrats. But its arguments border on the offensive. Who could possibly argue that 10th Street SW isn’t a convenient location? It’s served by Metro and all kinds of bus lines. Whenever I’ve needed to get to Dulles for cheap, I’ve easily found my way down there to hop on the fabulous 5A bus.

The safety argument is worse: Since when is L’Enfant plaza a hive of murderers and stick-up artists? This is salaryman central, a place where NASA feddies work on their fiscal year plans, where people park to check out museums on the Mall. I mean, how much safer can you get than the federal Department of Transportation?

Go SW depot!

Greetings,

We are contacting you as a past passenger on a DC2NY bus on the Washington DC New York City corridor. We wanted you to be aware of a proposed change that the city of Washington is making. They are forcing all the intercity buses to move their pick-up and drop off locations to 10th Street SW, beneath the L’Enfant Promenade, this would not be a convenient location for any of our DC2NY guests. The city has cited that the bus companies have been blocking traffic, sidewalks and entrances to businesses, however none of these accusations apply to our locations. Additionally we carefully chose the Dupont Circle area as a safe location allowing most of you convenient access to your homes and destinations.

Naturally, we are urging the city to approve our current stop locations as “designated intercity bus zones”, but we need your support. We have already heard from some of you, but now is the time to let your opinions be known. Would you please consider sending a letter to support us in our quest to allow us to be able to serve you from our current locations. Please address your emails to Karina Ricks, the Associate Director, District Department of Transportation at karina.ricks@dc.gov. It would be helpful to copy Mr. Emeka Moneme, the Director at: Emeka.moneme@dc.gov.

Please also copy the following city council members as they are members of the committee on Public Works and the Environment:

Councilman Jack Evans: jackevans@dccouncil.us
Councilman Kwame Brown: kbrown@dccouncil.us
Councilman Jim Graham: jgraham@dccouncil.us
Councilwoman Mary Cheh: mcheh@dccouncil.us
Councilwoman Muriel Bowser: mbowser@dccouncil.us
Councilwoman Yvette Alexander: yalexander@dccouncil.us
Here is a sample e-mail:
Dear Ms. Ricks,
I understand that DDOT is forcing all Intercity Bus Companies to move their pick up and drop off locations to SW, specifically 10th St. As a frequent customer of DC2NY we urge you to reconsider. DC2NY’s location is convenient and safe, unlike other buses they don’t idle their engines and pollute, they park on an island and don’t block traffic, and because they are on an island we don’t block foot traffic when waiting for the bus. It is in fact a perfect stop that creates far less public nuisance than any of the other sites used by the newer bus companies. The walk to and from Union Station is dangerous, and I am equally concerned about a location in SW.

We urge you to designate the stop locations used by DC2NY as official stops, as their location knocks time off my trip, I can walk from my home and most important, it is safe.

Please be sure to copy us here at info@dc2ny.com and we want to thank you very much for your support and patronage. Hopefully with your support we will be able to remain in our current safe and convenient locations.