Opinion: Georgetown BID Letter to WMATA on Proposed Bus Route Changes
By • July 17, 2024 0 271
RE: Georgetown Comments on the Proposed 2025 Better Bus Network Redesign
To Board Chair Paul C. Smedberg and Members of the Board,
Georgetown is the region’s largest employment and commercial center without a metro station and the community relies solely on WMATA’s Metrobus and DDOT’s DC Circulator as our only two public transit options. We recognize that WMATA was unable to incorporate the District’s decision to eliminate the Circulator into their Proposed 2025 Better Bus Network. However, as currently proposed, Georgetown will lose 43% of its weekly bus service in the new network after Circulator service is ended. This is an unacceptable reduction in transit service to Georgetown and DDOT and WMATA must reevaluate the proposed network and incorporate new routes or modify proposed routes to replace the Circulator.
Georgetown and the District need sufficient transit service to serve the 12.5 million annual visitors and thousands of residents, students, and employees coming to the commercial district from across the region. Modifications to proposed routes or new routes are necessary to keep Georgetown connected to the regional economy. Changes should achieve the following goals: (1) retaining frequent direct east-west connections to both Union Station and Rosslyn; (2) creating a one-seat connection to the Yellow and Green Metrorail lines; (3) continuing to serve the dense Waterfront area on K Street; and (4) retaining frequent service between downtown and upper Wisconsin Avenue.
Retaining and modifying the original and highest ridership Circulator route between Union Station and Georgetown operated by WMATA and extending it to Rosslyn would accomplish goal (1) and not duplicate other east-west bus routes. It traverses five Business Improvement Districts and connects numerous retail, office, entertainment destinations and transportation options.
As currently proposed, residents, visitors, employees and others traveling to Georgetown from destinations served by the Green and Yellow lines are required to make at least two transfers – which is not an acceptable transit service. Extending the proposed D82 or A58 routes to Gallery Place will solve this problem and accomplish goal (2). The elimination of the DC Circulator system also creates large gaps in bus service to K Street and Wisconsin Avenue south of Whitehaven Street. There is no proposed bus service on K St NW which is the center of Georgetown’s 3 million square foot office market and Washington Harbour. It will also soon be home to two new hotels and large-scale office to mixed-use properties conversions. The elimination of bus service to this area will add to the challenges this office market faces. A new east-west route or changes to proposed routes should use K Street to address goal (3).
The Union Station-Georgetown Circulator route currently provides frequent Wisconsin Ave NW service that supplements the 31/33 Route. Without the Circulator, there will be less than 50% bus service traversing this long commercial corridor with more than a hundred small businesses. Wisconsin Ave is a steep uphill grade from K St towards Glover Park. Frequent bus service provides an important mobility and accessibility option as well as connects employees, residents, and visitors to Downtown DC. Increasing the frequency of the proposed D82 during peak and non-peak hours addresses this loss of service addressing goal (4). Lastly, WMATA should ensure the new east-west D92/D94/D96 routes will provide similar or better service than the current G2/D2/D6.
The undersigned businesses and community organizations share strong concerns with the Proposed 2025 Better Bus Network for the Georgetown commercial district and our requests for a new east-west route, modifications to proposed routes, and changes to service frequency. We are prepared to work with DDOT and WMATA to develop a solution that serves the entire Georgetown economy and community.
— Joe Sternlieb President & CEO, Georgetown Business Improvement District
CC:
DC Mayor Bowser
DC Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert
DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum
DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson
DC Councilmember Brooke Pinto (Ward 2)
DC Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6), Chair, Transportation & Environment Cmte
Editor’s note: This letter is co-signed by more than 119 businesses, organizations and residents.
Signing Organizations, Businesses and Individuals
Brittany Sawyer, Citizens Association of Georgetown (CAG)
Cory Peterson, Georgetown University
Gwendolyn Lohse, Chair, ANC 2E and ANC 2E06 Commissioner
Daniel Chao, AN 2E07 Commissioner
Topher Mathews, ANC 2E02 Commissioner
Paul Maysak, ANC 2E03 Commissioner
Joe Massaua, ANC 2E04 Commissioner / Georgetown University Student Association
Kishan Putta, ANC 2E01 Commissioner
Rachel Shank, Georgetown Main Street
Wayne Alleyne, 1025 Thomas Jefferson, Inc.
Danny Shackleton, 1025 Thomas Jefferson, Inc.
Anita Johnson, 1025 Thomas Jefferson, Inc.
Romy Silverstein, Addison/Ripley Fine Art
Kelly Kimball, Agape Family Chiropractic
Jamal Bouzid, Angolo Ristorante
Tony Velazquez, Baked & Wired
Anthony Barnes, Barnes Vanze Architects
Adrienne Shostak, Bespoke Aesthetics and Wellness
David Pozezynski, Biograph Associates
Jackelyn Gemenden, Bitty & Beau’s Coffee
Andrew Blair, Blair Advisory LLC
Tim Machenaud, BoConcept
Jose Gutierrez, Calligaris
Susan Calloway, Calloway Fine Art & Consulting
Suzanne Simon, Chaia Tacos
Bettina Stern, Chaia Tacos
Julie Chase, ChasePR
Will Beale, Club Pilates Georgetown DC
Guy Williams, DCA Landscape Architects, Inc.
Marianne Michalakis, designMind
Hillary Richonne, Dog Tag Bakery
Jordan Raynor, Dog Tag Bakery
Maureen Devine-Ahl, Dog Tag Bakery
Autumn Woodward, Dog Tag Bakery
Sarah Abu-Sheikha, Dog Tag Bakery
Bernadette Languy, Dog Tag Bakery
Meghan Ogilvie, Dog Tag Bakery
DeAngelo Gamble, Dog Tag Bakery
Mekhayla Stewart, Dog Tag Bakery
Jennie Buehler, DTR Modern Gallery
Brian Whitener, EastBanc
Mary Catherine Dunn, EastBanc Property Management
Souheil Ben Mansour, George’s King of Falafel
Lonnie Kelley, Georgetown Aveda Salon
Sara Kate Besanceney, Georgetown University Student
Max Rivers, Georgetown University Student
Karen Snyder, Germar Properties and Snyder Properties
MaryKatherine Lanzillotta, Hartman-Cox Architects
Debra Schiff, J Street Group, LLC
Renee Finnerty, Jamestown Urban Management
Micheline Klagsbrun, Klagsbrun Studios
Perla Wrights, Kwik Kopy Printing
Nikeria Williams, Levain Bakery
Margaret Heimbold, Long and Foster
Mark Andre, LSM
Ciara Bucci, LSM
Terese Wilson, LSM
Meghana Yelagandula, LSM
Yiting Duan, LSM
Garrett Krueger, LSM
Shwetanc Bothra, LSM
Aishwarya Mahadevan, LSM
Anthony Rodriguez, LSM
Sejla Garza, LSM
Dhvani Doshi, LSM
Elizabeth Parker, Lutece
Chris Martin, Martin-Diamond Properties
Luis Valle, Martin’s Tavern
Eldin Salvador, Martin’s Tavern
Kim Keleher, MRP Realty
Hannah Dunn, New Balance (Georgetown)
Ana Claudia Lopez, Olivia Macaron
Ruth Gresser, Pizzeria Paradiso
Yoshiko Monterio, Poltrona Frau
Oksana Thornton, Prospect Optika
Stuart Exrailson, Reddz Trading
Ruth Abrahams, Ruth Abrahams Design
Ashton McRae, SCOUT Bags
Nicole Zasa, SCOUT Bags
Stephanie Singh, SCOUT Bags
Susan Shields, SCOUT Bags
Lindsay Cecchi, SCOUT Bags
Meg Elwood, SCOUT Bags
Edward Reardon, Resident
Andrei Brooks, Sonder Inc
Rani Soudagar, Spicez
Brenna Kingsbury, Sprinkles
Susan Jeffery, Sterling & Burke LTD
Mariesa Barros, Susan Grimes Associates, Inc.
Jayne Sandman, The Brand Guild
Hannah Correll, The Brand Guild
Deanna Fleming, The Brand Guild
Jessica Davis, The Brand Guild
Alex Murphy, The Brand Guild
Nina Fomufod, The Brand Guild
Katie Smith, The Brand Guild
Amy Clark, The Brand Guild
Rose Harris, The Brand Guild
Lance Hayden, The Brand Guild
Abigail Colby, The Brand Guild
Carmen OConnor, The Brand Guild
Leonard Helding, The Escape Game Georgetown
John Hays, The Phoenix
Bryce Weaver, W.T. Weaver & Sons Hardware
Marie-B Cilia De Amicis, Washington Printmakers Gallery – Georgetown Art Studio at WPG
Terry Vistine, Westbridge Condo Association
Scott Altman, Resident
Christa Argueta, Resident
Erika Winter, Resident
Ashley Binkowski, Resident
Beth Merricks, Resident
Thomas Crocker, Resident
Erynn Hall, Resident
Christine Straw, Resident
Diane Salisbury, Resident
Charlotte Henderson, Resident
Ryan Clark, Resident
Eric Shirvani, Resident
