Georgetown can still be a difficult place to get to via transit, though once there, you’ll find a local bus service. The D.C. Circulator service was established in part to get visitors and even locals from the downtown business district into Georgetown. Even so, I get occasional e-mails like this one from Zack: “I wanted to ask you about a certain high-profile Metrobus route that is notable only in its nonexistence. I recently moved to Adams Morgan and work in Georgetown. My home andoffice are less than three miles apart and yet it takes me nearly 40 minutes to commute to work one-way, and that’s during rush hour when the busses run most frequently. Surprisingly, there is no direct connection between these two neighborhoods. I recently submitted a comment to Metro via its Web site.
“Please! I know this would be a well-used route. I’d be happy even if it were on a 30-minute schedule or similar. As an added benefit, it would take some of the traffic away from the overtaxed 42 route. What are the chances that this might ever happen? How can I effectively lobby Metro? Thanks again for your valuable contribution to the D.C. community.”
Zack, I’d say you’ve pretty well covered the bases. The only problem is that this isn’t a direct route and would seem, because of the fact that it involved both north/south and east/west alignments, to be a two-route trip at best. I suppose that you could take the Red Line from Woodley Park/Adams Morgan down to Farragut North and then catch a D3 bus. You could also walk to M Street at 17th and grab the G2 bus in the direction of Georgetown University.
Redskins training camp
Just a heads-up for those of you who travel the Dulles Toll Road, the Greenway and the Loudoun County Parkway: There will be more traffic during the next few weeks because of Redskins training camp.
The team has scheduled camps that are open to the public at 4 p.m., which means that they will let out in the heart of the western rush hour. Some officers from the County Sheriff’s department will assist in a few intersections on the parkway, but they may be overwhelmed.
I’m hearing reports after the first day of camp of 15 to 20-minute delays trying to get through the intersection at Waxpool Road.
FTA news
Thank you to the Federal Transit Administration for committing $104 million over the next three years to help Metro buy some new 6000 series railcars.
This money is badly needed in order for Metro to get to the 20 percent level of eight-car trains by the end of this year. The first of those new rail cars, which will include the new interior layout, are expected to be put into service in the next month or two — just in time for the big crush as everyone comes back from vacation and heads back to work.
Questions, comments, random musings? Write to [email protected].
