IADCAflyer

WMATA. The agency that believes firmly in circular firing squads....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...les-bus-route/

silverthief2

It's the problem with regional governance illustrated perfectly.

That said, I can see the 5A surviving this round of cuts. There are a host of other routes proposed for truncated service or a complete cut, which I don't expect to have many vocal opponents (truncating the G8 and 80, cutting D3, N3, probably others). Those will save $ and possibly allow WMATA to save face and keep the 5A in the face of the complaints from its riders. And the direct access for IAD employees is also a compelling argument.

And OT, my neighborhood would benefit greatly if the proposal to add more 63 and 64 service goes through. ^

JacobVB27

I believe I have mentioned my thoughts on the 5A before. I will be very happy if/when they get rid off it. Some points made me laugh in the article:
1. Prices she uses for the Silver Line. I believe those are during rush hour only. I believe the metro prices would be under 4 dollars in other times. Also for Employees the Silver Line Express is 3 dollars. The Fairfax Connector is 1.75 or 1.25 per person like she said coming from the metro. While I get why she is using the whole "poor students/ employees/ travelers" point but sorry I don't see it. So those people can spend the 7 dollars + metro card/Smart Trip but can't spend the money for the Silver Line out to Wiehle and then one of the buses to Dulles Airport?
2. The 5A bus being reliable, convenient etc. Outside of maybe during late at night or early before rush hour, it is not really reliable. Once they get stuck in traffic, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it which is scary. Yes if you are traveling to the areas around Rosslyn or L'Enfant Plaza it is convenient. You still need to pray that there is no traffic or bus doesn't get too crowded. I have passed them where they were crowded.
3. You can easily get to any station on the metro from the Silver Line. I have hopped on the Wiehle Station even during rush hour and have never had an issue getting an seat. Plus the seats are a lot more comfortable than the seats on the 5A bus.
4. Unless one is going to the Rosslyn or L'Enfant Plaza area isn't every trip making multiple transfers( bus to metro/changing lines)?

Should be interesting to see what happens but I think they should get rid off it.

CMK10

I'm torn on it. I've been using it for years and overall I haven't had any real issues with it. It's priced fairly reasonably and I like the options of having different places to get on/off in D.C. However, the Silver Line now does make it somewhat more redundant.

Still, as a consumer I tend to err on the side of having more rather than fewer options.

Rus925

I'm pretty sure the 5A is still faster than the Silver line. I'm more surprised they run the route from L'Enfant; I wonder how many people originate their trips there. Why not run the route DCA-Rosslyn-IAD? That'd be a boon to all the inter-terminal transfer passengers who didn't know better/couldn't resist the savings, and the L'Enfant passengers could just ride the Yellow line south to DCA.

They also generally have a marketing issue; an express bus from Dulles airport stopping near Georgetown and in downtown DC should have a more distinctive name than "5A" to attract non-resident passengers. And while they're at it, they should install a MetroCard dispenser at Dulles.

DCA writer

All good ideas in principle. I'd add:

•.have signs inside the terminal clearly indicating that such a bus as the 5A (preferably renamed "IAD") exists.

•.have the bus stop at the Wiehle-Reston East Metro in addition to or instead of Herndon-Monroe.

But that second item should have been an obvious change last year, and yet nobody at WMATA could be bothered to make it. I am just about out of evidence that this organization cares about this route or the people who use it.

(If only Fairfax Connector's management didn't show the same kind of apathy about the 981/983 buses, which I have never not seen wait 5+ minutes at Herndon or Reston to stay on their padded schedules.)

Annandaler

Why? If you're trying to go between Wiehle and Rosslyn or L'Enfant, that would duplicate the Silver Line Metro. If you're trying to go between Wiehle and IAD, take the airport's Silver Line Express bus for $2 less than the 5A (only $5 and it runs more frequently) - or take the Fairfax Connector 981/983 for only $1.75.

DCA writer

If you use Google Maps--like, say, somebody coming to D.C. from out of town--then the 5A is the only transit route to/from IAD that you'll see. And WMATA seems fine with overlapping routes elsewhere (how many different 30s buses go up and down Wisconsin?).

The $7 fare is a legitimate issue. I'd like to think that Metro would address that as part of optimizing the 5A route to work with a couple of billion dollars in new rail infrastructure, but who am I kidding?

JacobVB27

Part one is exactly one of the main reasons so many take the 5A bus instead of the Fairfax Connector or Silver Line Express from Dulles. I tell them all three options and let them choose what they want. A good amount of people are adamant about taking the 5A bus for whatever reason so I don't fight it and just tell them where to go. I get weird looks when I tell them there are other options to get to DC. Yes, they overlap places that are in the middle of areas with no metro or areas that are too far from the metro. I also think they have several 30s and N buses to try to relieve some of the packed buses. They still are packed.

What do you suggest: lower the price? How exactly do you suggest improving the 5A bus when most of the issues is traffic related? The only thing I can see doing is moving the stop out to West Falls Church. That would relieve majority of the issues the 5A has. As for the suggestions you made above:

1. People who need the 5A bus have already taken it and know exactly where to pick it up or will ask the desk closest to their baggage claim. How confusing would it be if they changed the name to IAD? "I need the IAD bus". You mean the Silver Line Bus?

2. Like another poster mentioned above, why would you do that? As it is right now, there are too many stops on the 5A bus. If you are trying to get on any of the Silver Line Stops, why not use the cheaper, more reliable and more convenient Silver Line Bus? If someone wants to use their Smart Trip Card, they can easily take the Fairfax Connector 981/983 from/to Dulles. Again it is cheaper, convenient and more reliable. I have taken it at least 10 times and had not had a problem with it. Also while it takes a while to get to Dulles, it is more relaxing than the 5A bus. If they were to keep it, I would move it out to West Falls Church Metro. I loved the Washington Flyer Bus( reliable, convenient, relaxing etc). While people would need to get change for it, it would improve the Bus a good amount.

I can understand if the Silver Line wasn't open yet but given you can go anywhere in the system and easily mind you from Wiehle, I see no point in keeping the 5A bus.

JacobVB27

While they sounds good in theory, don't you think the same issues will happen with the current 5A bus? While people coming from Reagan can get a Smart Trip Card, I doubt the reliability would improve. You would still have 66, 267, city traffic and GW Parkway. If I was trying to catch a flight to Dulles from Reagan and had time, I would take my chances with the metro. Once the bus is stuck in traffic, there is nothing you can do about it. How about people take the Silver Line out to Wiehle- Reston and take either the Silver Line Express, Fairfax Connector or cab out to Dulles Airport? And DCA Writer, maybe I am just lucky but have not had any issues with any of the Fairfax Connector buses over the years.

The Foggy Bottom Metro Station is walking distance to a good part of Georgetown without walking over a high bridge. Plus you have buses at Foggy Bottom or Rosslyn to take to all of Georgetown. So you would want to change every bus number since majority if not all are going to attractive areas? We have suggested putting in a Smart Trip Machine or having the Stores sell them but Metro doesn't want to do it.

blockski

It's worth remembering the history of the 5A bus. It was never started with the primary focus on serving IAD. It was initially funded by a grant that DC (not WMATA) applied for and won for reverse commute job access. The 5A was paired with the 5B that served Tysons. The idea was to both serve airport travelers but also provide access to jobs at IAD for DC residents.

After the grant funding ran out, they didn't have an organizational way to fund it within WMATA. All WMATA bus routes are either classified as 'regional' routes with the costs divided between WMATA members according to a formula, or as 'local' routes where the local jurisdiction reimburses WMATA for the full cost. The 5A, as designed was inherently regional, but also hit a few sore spots with the Maryland delegation (since Maryland pays the full cost of the B30 bus to BWI - a bus that only goes to the end of the line at Greenbelt, not into DC).

Ergo, a lot of the dysfunction here is regional Board bickering.

In the meantime, the 5A developed a constituency - not for airport access, but for commuters. The stop at Herndon-Monroe was meant to be a link to other bus routes, but it really started to attract commuters into DC. Most other buses there would only run to West Falls Church, and then force a transfer to Metro.

So, the Silver Line will address most of these issues when completed, but the question is what to do until then?

Rus925

Great to have the background on this; thanks, blockski!

The problem with Metrorail is that it stops everywhere and, so, is pretty slow. Once the Silver Line is fully built, it looks like there'll be 22(!!!!) stops between L'Enfant and IAD. That's at least twice as many stops as there are between DC and NYC on Amtrak…

I guess MWAA didn't think they could run the Silver Line profitably without 10 stops between EFC and IAD, but, in light of the Dulles Access Road to IAD along 267, I'm surprised they didn't build—or, at least, aren't talking about—express tracks for an express Silver line train to IAD. Sure, I-66 gets busy, but once you're on the Dulles Access Road, you're set; there's basically no traffic because there are no exits and few entrances.

As an aside, I'm curious to see if WMATA/MWAA stick with the maximum Metrorail pricing of $5.90/$3.60 (peak/off-peak), which undercuts the 5A, with the 11 miles of phase 2 of the Silver line. Without the maximum fare, it looks like it would be about another $3.30/$2.45 on top of the fare to Wiehle to get to IAD.

blockski

Happy to help.

When finished, despite the stops, the Silver Line will be just as fast, if not faster than the 5A bus. Such are the advantages of dedicated right of way.

The EIS for the project has the travel time of 43 minutes from Rosslyn to IAD; the 5A's scheduled travel times vary from 44 to 51 minutes from Rosslyn, depending on the time of day.

I certainly think the 5A as we know it today will go away once the Silver Line is finished, if not before. I think there's a role for it to hang around for early morning-late night travel.

MWAA was brought in to manage construction for the Silver Line; they didn't do the initial concept planning. The line wouldn't have met the federal cost-effectiveness criteria (phase 2 already did not and thus did not earn any federal funding) without the stations in Tysons.