Better Bus Network changes beginning, improving customer experience, and honoring our long-time team members | | |
Welcome to another issue of the Metro Express newsletter, an inside look at what’s happening at Metro! This semi-regular newsletter has customer information, a look behind the scenes, fun facts, historical tidbits, and more.
In this issue:
- An update on Better Bus changes coming June 29.
- Rail changes coming June 22.
- Honoring “Metro Giants” -- our dedicated employees who have been with Metro for more than 45 years!
- Celebrating the top 1% of Metro customers.
- Train on a truck? Train on a truck.
- A look back at old cherry blossom cards.
- And more!
But first, we have a big thank you to customers who helped Metro achieve a major milestone. Last Thursday, Metro celebrated our first 1 million rail and bus trip day since March 2020! Just days later, on Saturday, we hit another milestone -- 710,000 rail trips. It was our busiest Saturday ever!
| | Better Bus: New bus stop signs going up, and a look ahead to June 29 launch of the new network | | Workers install a new bus sign in Virginia. More than 7,000 signs will be replaced in the coming months. | | |
We are less than 100 days away from the launch of the new Better Bus Network!
Starting June 29, Metro is revamping its bus network. Every bus route is changing – yes, even yours!
From streamlining bus routes to adding more frequent service to renaming every route for easier navigation, the new Better Bus Network is the next step in the future of mass transit in the DMV.
To prepare for the change, Metro is putting up new bus stop signs with the new route names and a reminder of the changes coming June 29.
Each sign will have the current route name highlighted in blue and the route’s ending date, June 28. In red, the new route name and June 29th start date will be listed.
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More than 1,700 of the 7,000 signs have been installed so far. The work is beginning in Virginia and will move to other jurisdictions in the coming months.
The new route names will begin with a letter to indicate the area served:
- "A" for Arlington/Alexandria
- "C” (crosstown) or “D" (downtown) for DC
- "F" for Fairfax City, Fairfax County, and Falls Church
- "M" for Montgomery County
- "P" for Prince George's County
- Express Routes are indicated by an "X" at the end of their names
Later this spring, we’ll update our trip planner with the new bus routes and names, add the maps and route profiles, and continue to educate customers about the changes in person at bus stops and via on-bus announcements.
Learn more about the Better Bus Network Redesign at wmata.com/betterbus
| | Metro Board to vote on budget that would increase rail service in late June | | |
Next week, Metro’s Board of Directors will vote on whether to approve the annual budget, including several proposed service increases and enhancements.
Silver Line additional peak service: Run two additional Silver Line trains to provide
capacity in the weekday peak hour only.
Red Line additional peak service: Run Red Line trains up to every 4 minutes, (previously every 5 minutes), during the busiest portions of weekday rush periods to provide additional capacity in both directions of travel. Red Line trains would continue to operate every 5 minutes during the remainder of peak service.
Extend half of Yellow Line trains to Greenbelt: Operate the Yellow Line with half of trains operating between Huntington and Greenbelt and half operating between Huntington and Mt Vernon Sq. This proposal has been delayed until December as a cost-saving measure.
Split Silver Line service: Operate the Silver Line in two service patterns, with half of trains operating between Ashburn and Downtown Largo, and half operating between Ashburn and New Carrollton.
Extended weekend hours: Open the rail system one hour earlier on weekend mornings, opening at 6 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Close the rail system one hour later at 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
If approved, most of the changes would go into effect in late June.
Tune in on our Youtube page on April 10 for the vote.
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Metro celebrates its long-time employees with 45+ years of service | | Metro Giants were honored by the executive team during the Metro Awards on March 6. | | |
At the Metro Awards on March 6, we recognized a special group of employees who have served Metro for more than 45 years. These twelve employees have built, maintained, and operated the system, and served customers since day one.
They have moved customers during pivotal moments of United States history and are still serving you today on America’s Metro System. We call these employees Metro Giants and they include:
- Fredrick Beavers - Bus Operator
- Anthony Colbert - Bus Operator
- Wynona Dixon - Station Manager
- Johann Glannsdorp - Assistant Director Engineering
- John Graham - Bus Heavy Overhaul Maintenance
- Samuel King - Station Manager
- Michael Lee - Bus Operator
- Robert Miles - Bus Operator
- Richard Myers - Bus Operator
- John Stewart - Mechanic Electronic Bench Technician
- Gail Thomas - Senior Maintenance Planner
Take a look at what Metro means to them in the video below:
| | New digital info screens added outside a dozen stations | | |
Metro has installed new digital screens outside twelve stations in recent months.
The improvements benefit customers by giving them real-time arrival information, service interruption info, and more before they enter the station.
You can find them at Columbia Heights, Court House, Eastern Market, Farragut North, Foggy Bottom, Friendship Heights, Glenmont, Metro Center, Navy Yard, Pentagon City, Waterfront, and Wheaton.
Ballston, Clarendon, Takoma, and Forest Glen are coming soon!
| | Metro welcomes its "Top 1% customers" for a tour | | |
Last month, Metro invited its most passionate customers for a behind-the-scenes tour at the Metro Integrated Command and Communications Center.
The 25 participants were customers who ranked among Metro’s Top 1% of customers in this year’s Metro Rewind, a tool that lets you see stats about your 2024 ridership.
The group got a behind-the-scenes look at our Metro Integrated Command and Communications Center where all train, bus, and MetroAccess activity is monitored and controlled, the video unit, and got to pepper Metro General Manager Randy Clarke with questions.
The participants ranged from car-free people to commuters to even runners who instead of doing a circular route, run one way to a new Metro station and ride back home.
In addition to having the bragging rights of being in the top 1% of customers, they got an official mini-Metro pylon noting their achievement.
| | 2000-series trains head up I-95 to a recycling plan | | Metro retired its 1980s-era 2000-series trains last May, and now they’re making a journey to a metal recycling plant near Baltimore. Learn more about how we move these 30-ton train cars in the video above. | | Throwback: cherry blossom SmarTrip cards over the years | |
Metro hit a major milestone during peak bloom: more than 710,000 trips on a Saturday -- our largest crowd ever for a Saturday. Some of you may have tapped into the system using our commemorative cherry blossom SmarTrip card.
Take a look at the collection of current and past cherry blossom cards courtesy of our Fare team who manages SmarTrip cards.
First row from left to right: 2025, 2024, 2023.
Second row from left to right: 2022, 2019, 2018.
| | Have feedback? Let us know by emailing MetroExpress@wmata.com | | |
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
WMATA.com
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