Riding the DC Circulator
From Dr. Gridlock: Just got back from a test ride on the DC Circulator. I'm now a fan. It would be a bargain at the normal fare of a dollar, but you can't beat today's free ride, part of the celebration of the service's first anniversary.
There are three routes through the center of Washington. I took the east-west route, starting my trip at 16th and K streets NW, riding down to Union Station and then looping back to the service's westernmost point at Wisconsin Avenue and M Street in Georgetown.
Interior of the DC Circulator. (Robert Thomson)
Now I know my experience so far is limited, but I can tell you that buses came along very frequently -- definitely within the advertised range fo five to 10 minutes apart.
The only way I noticed you could tell that today's ride is free is to see the red cover on the fare box. I could not spot any notice at the bus stops or on the exterior of the bus. Many people seemed surprised about the free ride when they boarded.
Riders were a mix of tourists and locals. A driver I talked to confirmed my impression on that. He said many suburban rail commuters board the Circulator at Union Station in the morning.
I have one suggestion: If you're not real familiar with your destination, ask the driver for help. I sat in the back, and found that either the driver wasn't announcing stops or that I couldn't hear what he was saying. If I were a tourist on my way to the White House, I would have missed the stop at 16th and K.
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July 28, 2006; 1:39 PM ET
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Posted by: Jeff | July 29, 2006 9:17 AM
The buses have seemed cool to me when I have ridden on them (even - or especially? - in this 90-plus-degree heat). I was worried about the same thing, but so far, they have felt cool.
Posted by: PQ | July 29, 2006 3:51 PM
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Is the air conditioning working well on the DC Circulator buses? I rode a few of the buses last summer, and the air conditioning was not working very well. I asked Lindsey Layton about it. She said that several DC Circulator buses were originally designed without AC for Portland, Oregon. The buses were retrofitted with AC for Washington. However, the retrofitted buses' air conditioning seemed much weaker than most Metrobuses I have ridden. Poor air conditioning would discourage me from riding the DC Circulator regularly during the summer months.