Metro News Release
For immediate release: September 22, 2011
Metro sets five public hearings on proposed bus service improvements
Service adjustments proposed to improve reliability and efficiency
Please note that the location of Thursday night’s hearing in Northwest has been relocated to the Washington Hilton (1919 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington). The hotel is approximately 450 feet from the previously announced location.
Metro will host a series of five public hearings to receive comment regarding plans to adjust bus service to provide customers with more reliable, efficient and cost-effective service and to provide additional capacity where it is needed most.
The ideas under consideration to improve and enhance bus service include:
- Updating schedules to reflect current road conditions and traffic patterns.
- Increasing the frequency of bus departures in high-demand corridors.
- Extending select routes to improve connectivity and access to local destinations.
- Realigning underperforming routes or equipment to maximize seats available to customers.
Specific bus service changes under consideration include:
- Extending limited stop 28X service to Mark Center (BRAC133)
- Extending the M8 and M9 routes to Stanton Road and Alabama Avenue SE
- Extending the 25A to Park Fairfax to give residents transit access to local shopping centers
- Creating new C8 service to the FDA offices at White Oak and to the National Archives facility in College Park
The Board approval on public hearings is merely the start of a planning progress. As it goes forward, community and public input into any proposed service adjustments will be considered as the Board reviews proposed changes. Changes would not be implemented earlier than mid-2012.
The public hearing portion of the sessions will provide an opportunity for comment on the docket of actions. To review the docket, visit www.wmata.com/hearings. These sessions provide an opportunity for members of the public to learn about Metro’s current work to improve service and comment on any topic, including subjects that are not on the docket.
Details and directions for transit travel to the public sessions are available on Metro’s website. Open houses will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the public hearings at 6:30 p.m. at the following locations:
Tuesday, October 11
Department of Housing and Community Development
1800 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., SE
Washington, DC
Tuesday, October 11
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School
7130 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA
Wednesday, October 12
First United Methodist Church
6201 Belcrest Road
Hyattsville, MD
Thursday, October 13 - NEW LOCATION
Washington Hilton
1919 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DC
Thursday, October 13
Fairlington Recreation Center – Room 134
3308 South Stafford St.
Arlington, VA
How to register to speak at the public hearing
To establish a witness list for the public hearings, individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to be heard at the hearings are asked to provide in writing their name, address, telephone number and organization affiliation, if any, to Office of the Secretary, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. Alternatively, requests to speak may be faxed to 202-962-1133 or e-mailed to speak@wmata.com. Please submit only one speaker’s name per letter and reference the hearing number. Lists of individual speakers will not be accepted. Others present at the hearing may be heard after people who have registered have spoken. Please note that this information may be releasable to the public under the WMATA Public Access to Records Policy (PARP). Public officials will be heard first and will be allowed five minutes each to make their presentations. All other speakers will be allowed three minutes each. Relinquishing of time by one speaker to another will not be permitted.
The locations of all public hearings are wheelchair accessible. Any individual who requires special assistance such as a sign language interpreter or additional accommodation to participate in the public hearings, or who requires materials in an alternate format, should contact Danise Peña at 202-962-2511 or TTY: 202-638-3780 so that Metro can make necessary arrangements.
How to submit written comments
Written statements and exhibits must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 by the Office of the Secretary and may be emailed to writtentestimony@wmata.com. They may also be mailed to the Office of the Secretary, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001. Alternatively, statements may be faxed to 202-962-1133. Please reference Hearing B11-03 in your submission. Please note that any personal information such as name, e-mail address, address, or telephone number you provide in the statement may be releasable to the public under the WMATA Public Access to Records Policy.
View the public hearing notice (English)
View the public hearing notice (Spanish) Notificación en Español
View the docket to review proposed service changes
News release issued at 3:28 pm, September 22, 2011.