Metrobus Looks Down Road on Service
Express commuter buses, new routes in areas hungry for transit, and high-tech devices to allow buses to zip past cars were among the initial recommendations offered yesterday by consultants working on a $2 million bus study for Metro.</br></br>The study, the first comprehensive analysis of the region's bus system in 30 years, began two years ago and is focused on Metrobus as well as more local bus service, such as Ride On and Fairfax Connector.</br></br>"One of our goals is to improve the bus image, to make people want to ride it," said Rick Stevens, Metro's director of business planning and development. "That means improving reliability, enhancing amenities so you're not standing in the rain waiting for your bus. . . . This is about making it a premium service, like rail."</br></br>The study analyzed existing service, relying on a raft of data, including a customer survey of 40,000 riders and a telephone survey of 1,000 riders. It found good service and coverage on weekdays but crowding on many District routes and poor productivity -- meaning few riders -- on some suburban routes, said Larry Englisher, of MultiSystems Inc., a consultant to Metro.</br></br>Increasing frequency, extending evening and weekend service, improving feeder service to subway stations and reducing crowding on District buses were among the ideas Englisher presented to Metro directors yesterday.