Arlington Transit Blog

Public Meeting January 28, 2010

Arlington Transit (ART) with the assistance of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) has initiated a study that will result in a Transit Development Plan (TDP), which ultimately will be adopted by the County Board. Please join ART and DRPT staff and the TDP consultant team for an initial briefing and worksession, which will be held on January 28, 2010 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Navy League Building - main floor conference room, 2300 Wilson Blvd.

The Transit Development Plan will be a comprehensive six-year plan that will guide the growth of transit and paratransit services provided by the County through ART and STAR and by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) through Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess. The TDP will build upon the policies, goals and objectives adopted by the County Board in the Master Transportation Plan and in the Transit Element.

We are now in the initial stage of the TDP study, collecting data and analyzing existing and programed services. At this initial meeting the consultant team will provide an overview of existing services and program plans, setting the stage for your opportunity to discuss with other stakeholders, staff and consultants, your interests for the future of the County’s transit and paratransit services.

ART 41 & ART 42 Changes on Sept. 28

Beginning Monday, September 28, ART 41 Columbia Pike-Ballston-Court House will have a new schedule.  The new schedule will start earlier at 6:00 am and run later until 11:17 pm. Schedules and route map can be found on the ART 41 web page.

Also starting on Monday September 28, ART 42 Ballston-Pentagon will take over the weekday Metrobus 24P route. ART currently operates this route on Saturdays. The weekday route and schedule will remain the same as the 24P. The only difference is that ART will provide service instead of Metrobus.

Downloadable schedules for your mobile device are available for each route at CommuterPage.com.

New Arlington Transit (ART) Operations and Maintenance Contractor

ART buses are operated by a private sector company under contract to Arlington County .

Oversight of the contract, policy, administration and marketing responsibilities reside with Arlington County Transportation Transit staff. A new company was selected for this work: Forsythe Transportation (Forsythe Press Release). Forsythe’s first day running ART is today, July 1. Forsythe’s proposal to run ART was unanimously selected for several reasons including their seasoned management team, oversight and supervision strategies, maintenance experience, and best overall value to the citizens of Arlington County   We expect to see a higher level of service as a result. Let us know how we’re doing. And welcome to Forsythe!

Steve Yaffe is the ART Operations Manager for Arlington County Transportation in the Department of Environmental Services.

New ART 87 Already Crowded, Help Is Here

As you know, Arlington Transit (ART) service on a new ART 87 Pentagon Metro-Army Navy Drive Shirlington route this past Monday absorbing the ART 82 and Metrobus 22b. You can see the route map and schedule at http://www.commuterpage.com/art/87main.htm .   Beginning with the first day ridership, especially in the Nauck neighborhood (former ART 82 route), has exceeded projections and caused overloads on selected morning peak period trips to the Pentagon. ART has responded by adding one additional bus to cover these trips to alleviate the over-crowding.

Peak period service frequencies are every 20 minutes – same as the Metrobus 22b. On Monday evening and a few trips in the mornings, ART 87 buses have run late due to oversight issues. These issues are being resolved. We expect that the ART 87 will be run as well and be more attractive than the Metrobus 22b.

The blog posts that I have read have been helpful in this effort.  Thanks. Please continue to let me know how you like the 87. Hopefully, Shirley Park, The Grove and Avalon Bay residents will also use the 87 to reach Shirlington’s restaurants, shops and movies (see link http://www.commuterpage.com/art/villages/Shirlington.htm ) as well as taking it to the Pentagon. Thank you for riding ART.

Steve Yaffe is the ART Operations Manager for Arlington County Transportation in the Department of Environmental Services.

New Bus Service Between Shirlington, Clarendon and Court House Begins June 8

At a time when other places are cutting back on transit service, Arlington is showing it's commitment to building a sustainable community by adding new bus service. Beginning Monday, June 8 the new ART 77 Shirlington-Lyon-Park-Court House line opens. Buses will run every 30 minutes, 6:00 am to 7:55 pm weekdays with key stops including the Shirlington Bus Station, Walter Reed Drive, Lyon Park, Clarendon and Court House. The service provides an important North-South or cross-County connection between the R-B Corridor and the emerging and exciting urban village of Shirlingtonand the neighborhoods in-between.

And on June 29, Shirlington will get enhanced service on the new ART87 Pentagon Metro-Army Navy Drive-Shirlingtonline. The ART 87 replaces ART 82 and Metrobus 22B with service six days a week.

Both of these routes will be served by brand new 35-ft. low-floor clean CNG vehicles (pictured here). Arlington Transit just took delivery of 12 of these beautiful buses and they'll also be used to replace some older buses on other routes.

If you live or work in Shirlington or just want to access some of the great restaurants, shops, theaters or new library, this is a good day. Now you can leave that car at home and go green with ART.

Chris Hamilton is the Commuter ServicesChief for Arlington County in the Transportation Division of the Department of Environmental Services, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.

Free SmarTrip® Card Exchange for Seniors, Disabled

If you are a person with a disability or a senior citizen using a regular SmarTrip® card, you could save 50% on your bus and rail fares. Exchange your regular SmarTrip card for a Senior SmarTrip card or a Reduced Fare SmarTrip card for FREE at Metro Headquarters, 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001

10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Wednesday, April 8
Wednesday, April 15
Wednesday, April 22

Please bring photo identification (valid Metro Disability ID Card, completed application for the Reduced Fare Program for People with Disabilities, proof of age 65 or older). These events are being held for the sole purpose of exchanging an undamaged, regular SmarTrip card for a Senior SmarTrip card or a Reduced Fare SmarTrip card. For any other concerns or questions about SmarTrip(r), please call 1-888-SMARTRIP (TTY 703-620-8782) or visit MetroOpensDoors.com.

No Paper Transfers, Ever!

When I learned that Metro was eliminating paper transfers, I was reminded of the famous line from "Mommie Dearest" where Faye Dunaway portraying Joan Crawford storms into her daughter's room after discovering a dress hanging on a wire hanger and yells "No wire hangers, ever!" Metro isn't being that dramatic, but "No paper transfers, ever!" pretty much sums up Metro eliminating paper transfers starting January 4, 2009. In an effort to save money and eliminate abuse, Metro is ending paper transfers and trying to get everyone to use a SmarTrip card. Arlington Transit (ART) is also eliminating paper transfers in conjunction with Metro's move.

Using a SmarTrip card has its advantages -- no fumbling for change, speedier boarding, automatic fare deduction for transfers, a 10-cent discount on regular fares and if you register the card, you can get it replaced with your value on it if you lose it. One disadvantage, however, is that bus only riders have limited options when it comes to adding money to their cards. You can add money at the bus farebox, but that can slow down the boarding process and there is a learning curve to figuring out how it works.

ART will have buses parked at various locations in Arlington on January 5, 6, 7 and 8 to demonstrate how to use the farebox to add value. Riders can also go to any Metrorail station and add value at the vending machines; or in Arlington, riders can buy a SmarTrip card and add value at any Commuter Store. Metro just announced that they are partnering with CVS to sell SmarTrip cards for $10 ($5 for the card preloaded with $5 value). However, you can't add value to a SmarTrip card at CVS. 

On January 4, bus riders using a SmarTrip card for a trip with a transfer to a bus will pay $1.25; paying cash will cost $2.70. Bus riders can also use the $11 Weekly Metrobus pass. As part of paper transfers ending, the transfer time period has been extended from 2 hours to 3 hours. There will also be a 50-cent discount on bus to rail transfers and rail to bus transfers using a SmarTrip card.

Change is never easy. Let's hope for everyone's sake that this change goes smoothly and "no paper transfers, ever" will not be a big deal.

Bobbi Greenberg is Marketing Director for Arlington County Commuter Services in Arlington County's Department of Environmental Services

Record Numbers Board Arlington Transit in 10th Year of Service

Arlington Transit ridership increased 33 percent in July over the same month last year – a record jump in ridership for the service.

During the 2008 fiscal year (July 2007 to June 2008), ART ridership rose to over 1.2 million with a significant increase in passengers that began in April and continued through July despite the typically slower summer months. The County attributes the growth to higher gas prices and the addition of larger, more rider-friendly buses introduced to the fleet in 2007.

“The demand for ART service reinforces the County’s efforts to provide multiple transit choices that are affordable, reliable and convenient for everyone,” said J. Walter Tejada, Arlington County Board Chairman.  “We will continue to explore those options that best meet the community’s transit needs and support our nationally-recognized Smart Growth strategy.”

County adding higher capacity buses and new route

The County is taking steps to maximize existing resources and expand service to accommodate the ever-growing number of riders. Twelve new, higher capacity buses have been ordered to replace aging vehicles in the fleet. Scheduled to be deployed in spring 2009, these heavy-duty vehicles are powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), which produces fewer harmful greenhouse gas emissions. They will have low floors for easier access and more seats to increase capacity. Once the new buses arrive they will work existing routes and a new route - the ART 77 - which will serve the Courthouse, Clarendon and Shirlington villages.

“The ART 77 route will provide a much-needed connection between North and South Arlington, linking major County service and employment centers,” said Chris Zimmerman, Arlington County Board Member. “The addition of this route, along with the new ART buses, promises to make the commute easier for our riders, and will help attract new ones.”

Background

Now celebrating its 10^th year of service, ART continues to grow. Since its inception in 1998, annual ridership has grown from 100,000 to over one million riders annually. ART weekday service includes 12 routes that supplement the regional Metrobus and Metrorail transit system.

Visit www.ArlingtonTransit.com to learn more about ART; receive up to-the-minute information on fares and schedules; or to find out more about the County’s innovative transit solutions.

How can we make Metrorail-to-bus connections easier?

We received this email from a transit user who was attempting to transfer from Metrorail to ART, but upon leaving the Metrorail station found that there was no way to tell where the correct ART stop was.  Have you ever had a similar experience with ART? Please tell us about it. Have you seen solutions to this problem elsewhere, or do you have any ideas for solutions? (The email is reprinted with permission of the author.)

To Arlington Transit and Metro officials:

I write today to complain about the lack of signage for travelers seeking to make a Metro to bus transfer at the Court House Metro Station and to encourage you to take steps to improve signage in and around the station.

On Wednesday, June 4th, I was making a trip from Metro Center in D.C. to the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Four Mile Run Drive in Arlington. Metro's online trip planner conveniently produced travel options, and I decided to make a connection from Metro's Orange Line at Courthouse Station to the Arlington Transit bus #41.

Unfortunately, when I got off the Metro at Court House Station, I was immediately in trouble. Coming out of the Metro station, there is absolutely NO signage indicating which of the three exits from the station patrons should take in order to find connecting buses. After stopping several other travelers for information, someone directed me to the exit that took me up to the street level at the intersection of Clarendon Boulevard and N. Uhle Street.

Up on the street, I still found NO signs indicating the direction in which I should walk to catch bus #41. However, directly in front of the exit from the Metro station was a bus stop with a sign indicating bus #61 as well as bus "#41 Sat and Sun Only." The bus stop sign was confusing to me, as the Metro trip planner had clearly shown #41 bus service on Wednesday, but it never occurred to me (and there was no sign indicating) that there was another bus stop in a different location for bus #41 on weekdays.

Only after waiting 15 minutes did someone walking on the street tell me that the stop for weekday service on bus #41 was on the other side of the street, on 15th St N. next to the courthouse. At that point I had missed the 12:25 p.m. bus, and decided to wait at the designated bus stop for the 12:40 p.m. bus. It never arrived, and at 1:00 p.m.--having been trying for 40 minutes to connect to the bus and with neither the scheduled 12:40 p.m. nor the 12:55 p.m. bus anywhere in sight--I gave up and, in total frustration, took a taxi (at a cost of $15) to my destination.

How can you possibly hope to encourage people to rely upon public transit, particularly when traveling to unfamiliar locations, under these kinds of situations??

I strongly encourage you to work together to put up appropriate signage in the Court House Metro Station and to post directional signage at the street level so that patrons can find their way to their destinations.

Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Clifford M. Johnson

May 15 Community Meeting About Changes to ART 61 Service in Rosslyn

Do you ride ART? Live in or around Rosslyn?

Then join Arlington Transit (ART) staff for a discussion about ART service in the Rosslyn area. Come and share your thoughts on how we can better serve your neighborhood. We'll talk about:

ART 61A Saturday Service Discontinued?
ART 61B Potential Weekday Service Reroute

We'll also have an update on the impact of the contraction in and around the Rosslyn Metrorail Station and how it may impact ART and Metrobus service.

When:   Thursday, May 15
             6:30 - 8:30 pm

Where: Dawson Terrace Community Center
            2133 N. Taft Street (back room)
            Arlington, VA 22201

Light refreshments will be served. The event is accessible via the ART 61A route. For more information contact Andrea Dawood at 703.228.7502 or adawood@arlingtonva.us.