Red Line riders may have seen red this morning with longer than usual waits on their morning commute. But the Blue Line riders are the ones who really ought to have the blues.
The Blue Line had the worst on-time performance record of any of Metro’s five lines in the 12-month span from April 2011 until March 2012, according to a new Metro report slated to be presented to board members Thursday.
In total, 88.2 percent of the Blue Line trains were considered on time, followed by the Red Line with 89.5 percent.
The Green and Yellow Line were nearly tied with 91.1 and 91.2 percent of trains considered on time.
Interestingly, the best performing line was the Blue Line’s partner, the Orange Line, with 92.6 percent of trains considered on time. The Orange Line shares 13 stops with the Blue Line.
On June 18, though, Blue Line service will be altered when the agency realigns some trains to run on the Yellow Line tracks in what Metro is calling Rush-plus service change.
And what does “on time” mean in a system in which few riders actually look at train schedules, choosing instead to wait for the next train? It has to do with how long the rider waits.
Trains are considered on time if they are two minutes later than scheduled during peak service — or up to 50 percent of the wait time during off-peak times. That means if riders are expecting a 15-minute wait on a weekend, Metro considers the train to be on time if it arrives in 22 minutes.
