It may be the biggest change to the Metrobus system since buses started rolling on streets in the D.C. area: WMATA's Better Bus Network redesign is scheduled to take effect in late June. The transit agency is touting it as a huge effort to improve bus service, but some riders are also starting to notice that their closest bus stops will be eliminated.
Yvonne Williams, 82, doesn’t like what she’s hearing about Metrobus changes.
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WATCH HERE"I don’t know how we are going to get around. I really don't," said Williams, who lives in the Edgewood neighborhood of Northeast D.C. "We’ve got to keep the bus on Edgewood.”
Williams walks with a cane and says the closest stop to her on the D8 line, which she uses to get to medical appointments, is now on the chopping block, along with hundreds of others.
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SIGN UP "And they’re gonna take away all the stops. No longer the [bus to] Washington Hospital Center that comes through here. We have seniors, young adults. Adults and children that have doctors appointments," she said.
The idea behind Metro's major bus network redesign is to speed up trips, cut down on confusion and use bus routes more efficiently. Metro says all of that will happen, but yes, a number of bus stops will be eliminated.
Williams is not alone in her concerns. All over the region, signs are beginning to appear alerting riders about the day when a Metrobus will no longer stop at certain spots. And that has a lot of people really concerned.
Wendy Saunders, who also lives in Edgewood, worries about a longer walk to the nearest bus stop, especially with construction happening all around.
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"Ninety-nine percent of us have some kind of walking device," Saunders said. "Can you picture a senior in a motored wheelchair or a cane or a walker going through that?"
Metro says it will be monitoring the changes and will see if adjustments need to be made. But the transit agency also insists the overall bus experience will improve.
As for Williams, she isn’t giving up.
"With your help Adam, getting the story out there, we’ll get that bus back on Edgewood," she told this reporter.
Major Metrobus changes are scheduled to begin June 29.
Metro's online trip planner is currently showing both current and new Metrobus routes and stops. You can see the new bus route maps and frequencies for the District, Maryland and Virginia on Metro's website.
Metrobus fares will remain at $2.25.
