The bus trip began with just three people on board in Silver Spring. The S9 Metrobus worked its way down 16th Street around 8 a.m., letting on a passenger or two every few minutes.
As the bus approached 16th and Sheridan streets in the District, a crowd of riders-to-be pushed toward the curb. En masse, they boarded the bus, filling up every seat. Two stops later, the aisle was packed with commuters bumping and jostling in an attempt to find a small bit of space.
“Sometimes you can’t even get on,” said S9 rider Tricia Steadman of the District. “It’s still bad and has gotten worse.”
Metrobus riders have packed themselves into the buses every weekday rush hour since a June 22 Red Line crash that killed nine and injured more than 70. Immediately after the crash, Metro encouraged riders to take buses instead of trains to avoid delays in the Takoma-Fort Totten section.
Metro is still urging riders to use buses to avoid delays as work begins on fixing the track equipment. And former rail riders are finding the bus less expensive and more consistent than the train.
The S9, which started in March, is an express bus that travels 16th Street from East-West Highway in Silver Spring to downtown D.C. When she gets tired of crowded buses, Steadman and a co-worker discuss driving to work together and splitting the cost of gas.
“They need another way,” she said. “They should at least double the number of S9s.”
For several days after the crash, more buses were on the road to help control the influx of passengers, but then returned to a normal schedule. Metro doesn’t plan to add any S9s until officials receive ridership reports, spokeswoman Cathy Asato said.
A few more stops down, Steadman’s co-worker Shaina Aber hopped on.
“Two buses passed me,” Aber said. The two compared stories about being late to work because of buses that didn’t stop because no more passengers could fit.
Some riders go to work later: “9:15 is perfect,” said Eileen Escudero Wisor of Mount Pleasant.
She makes her own hours, which allows her to ride when rush hour is dying down.
Steadman has found that there’s no real alternative to the bus for getting down 16th Street.
Metro’s expansion of bus service was helpful, Steadman said, but she was frustrated that there weren’t enough buses now to handle the crowds.
“We’ve gone back to the status quo.”
