If you’d like there to be a 14th Street express bus, like the ones on 16th and Georgia, here’s your chance to advocate for it. WMATA is holding a community meeting on Feb. 18th, and it would be a great place to advocate for it
Longtime readers of this blog know that I’m a big proponent of adding an express bus on 14th Street: it’s not unusual for it to take 45 minutes to get downtown from our area due to stops on every block, congestion and the like.
And maybe there are other issues you have too!
The meeting is at 10am Thursday, Feb. 18 at the Wilson Building (14th and Pennsylvania NW) at 10am.
Here’s an email from ANC4C commissioner Zach Teutsch about the 14th Street express bus. He make some great points.
Neighbors,
If you’ve ever taken the 14th Street buses very far, I am sure you’ve noticed that they stop…a lot. Perhaps you’ve wondered why there isn’t an express option, like there is on 16th. If you get on the 54 at Buchanan street and get off at I Street, it takes 26 stops. The S9 covers the same distance with 9 stops. Many people in Petworth, 16th Street Heights, Columbia Heights, and other neighborhoods around here need to travel downtown and it’s time we had a faster public transit way to do it.
If you think we should have express bus service on 14th Street, tell the City Council! There will be two great opportunities to testify on this topic:
- [WMATA] Performance Oversight Committee Hearing – February 18, 2016
- Budget Committee – April 25, 2016
Please let me know if you can attend and advocate for our community!
Several months ago, ANC 4C passed a resolution in support of funding express bus service on 14th Street. WMATA has studied and endorsed express service, in their 2012 analysis of the line, but it hasn’t been funded.
The study recommending this express service (link: http://www.metrobus-studies.com/52-53-54/14th%20Street%20Line%20Study_Final%20Summary%20Report_10192012.pdf) was conducted in 2011 and 2012. The key recommendation for express service, is discussed in detail, beginning on page 33. Additional related materials are available here (http://www.metrobus-studies.com/52-53-54/52-53-54.htm).
Though it was already a good idea in 2012, the need for improved bus service along 14th street has become much more urgent since the study was conducted as unprecedented development has occurred along the 14th street corridor.
Residents and businesses would benefit tremendously from faster service, more service, and better service. The city as a whole would benefit from this investment, better employment opportunities for people seeking jobs, less traffic congestion on important north-south streets, and a broadening tax base which can support better services for all District residents. Adding this service would be relatively inexpensive (about $1.3M). It may even generate more revenue in increased commerce than it costs to fund.
These buses are needed for longtime residents and new residents as well. This would be a huge (and cheap) win for DC.
Please let me know if you’d like to help make this a reality!
Best,
Zach
