Such a sad day for the people of DC and the ones who use it daily to commute to the office from Union Station. Can't believe Baltimore City is doing more on the free/reduced circulator bus front than DC. It genuinely shocks me. I loved the alternatives you give after each route. Thanks for this!
Great video! It is very sad news, indeed. I've also made a video about it. Washington DC bus system needs a lot of improvements. Thank you for letting us experience DC circulator one last time!
Its extra sad because the routes for the circulator do one thing right: they connect people from where they are to where they're going. For whatever reason a lot of the other DC routes just don't connect the places people are actually trying to get to without a transfer.
Wow....... I was in Washington DC three weeks ago, it was my third time, I had no idea that when I did see them it would be the last time seeing them in operations, and I'm so glad that I took some pictures on that DC Curulator.
This is crazy. It is needed epically for DC but DC knows what it needs I guess. I have never been on it but I do support it. In Baltimore, they have the circulator service and just announced that they will be expanding service for two new service lines. What DC looses, Baltimore will gain. Cheers!
I was born in DC at Freedmans Hospital. Didnt like a thing about it and got the hell out as soon as I could. I guess it was the politics. Moved to flyover country and never been happier. Nothing in DC makes sense and all my family still lives there.
Honestly, I'm pissed to see this service discontinued. There just never was a clear and consistent vision of what it should be, and I think that mismanagement lead to its downfall. I always liked how this system kind of bucked the trend of a traditional bus service, with colorful interiors, unusual buses, a base frequency of every 10 minutes, and easy to understand routes. I never did get to ride the National Mall service though. I'm glad WMATA added some service to help accommodate displaced riders, and thanks for including them in this video! I'll miss the circulator as it was one of my favorite DMV systems to ride!
It was a great service when I used it. But the issue I always had especially with the Virginia route I waited over a hour for one to show up. That seemed to be its biggest issue for me personally
So frustrating and so poorly handled. I know WMATA is trying to pick up some of the slack, but if what they've done on the 33 & 38 are any indication, it won't be enough. My wife used to rely on that circulator to get her to Georgetown. Thankfully, we moved just after they shut it down, and now it's not an issue for her. But it was always crowded, so I know it's an issue for some. Nothing circling the Mall at all is crazy. They'd stretched the Circulator way, way, way beyond its original purpose, and of course never supported it with things like dedicated bus lanes (I mean, they have them; they just refuse to enforce people not parking in them), so it was pretty much always off schedule, and depending on the line, waiting 20 or 30 minutes, when it was supposed to run every 10, was not uncommon. Not to mention, the fare readers were broken probably 40% of the time. Instead of fixing some glaring issues, they just trashed the whole thing. Inexcusable. But with DC's current leadership, not surprising. They seem to be a bunch of suburbanites who've never been out of their car, and have no idea what being a working person in this city is like. If I had any money, I'd offer to pay someone $1000. to find me a picture of Bowser inside a Metro car. Hell, past the fare gates at a station. I doubt she's ever actually used it in her whole life. Pretty sure the only time she's even been to a station is for pressers, so she can get her face on TV, which seems to be her only actual job, or at least, the only thing she puts work into. The delays on the street car are infuriating. It's the usual thing, building half of it and then wondering why it doesn't get the ridership it was projected to have when fully built (something that's finally improving with cycling, now that many of the islands of cycling infrastructure are starting to be woven into an actually useful network). Now that I live in the city, and use the bus to get around a lot, I'd fight a nun to get more street car service out in the areas of town that don't have a Metro station. The North-South routes 70 & 79 have some of the best frequency I've experienced outside of NYC, and they're always full. That tells me they need more capacity, and there's plenty of room to put in a street car.
Its rough if you are a Bus Operator for them cause you have to start all over again. Imagine putting in 10 to 20 years, just to start all over again probably at WMATA or The Bus.
I forgot to talk about in the video but they ended after 19 years. Which means drivers who were with them from the start weren’t eligible for 20 year pensions.
Unfortunately I can’t confirm it since I don’t have any documentation proving it but this was from one of the drivers I spoke with, it’s unfortunately too because WMATA wasn’t honoring their years of service too, which meant anyone who switched was starting from scratch.
@intesaralam ohhh definitely WMATA is not honoring it. Ive worked there before to and have a few friends that still work there. There will be no bumping in. You gotta start all over again which means you'll be working late nights or Night Board.
@@LrdZanny My experience as both a professional and advocate is that robust ridership is the best defense against cuts. That's why I've never been a fan of demand response service for non disabled. It's usually the first to get axed no matter where when times get tough.
Yes they did have the option to go to WMATA but they would also loose the years of service they provided to the circulator, meaning they’re starting their pay and pension as a brand new employee again.
@ well they gotta do what they gotta do. I’ve been a phoenix and Tucson Arizona city bus operator for years and I’m starting with WMATA real soon. I gotta start over. I gotta do what I gotta do.
Somehow I got a very bad feeling that the end of the DC Circulator is a bad sign and omen of what the trumpublicans are going to do to _all_ bus and rail transit in this country plus Amtrak.
Tell hobos to stop hopping metrorail turnstiles and maybe there will be more revenue to afford nice things. What you are seeing is a cumulative fallout from tax revenue loss due to telework. It will bounce back in a few years. Thank your mayor for shutting down the city for far too long under COVID.
@deepzone31 I have not heard of people jumping turnstyles in the DC area metrorail, only on the BART, the L.A. metrorail, and the New York City subway.
@@EdwardM-t8p How often do you ride? I have been using once a week and every third trip or so I see it happen. In about 7 of the cases they were black. In one circumstance they were latinos. I have yet to see a white or Asian person steal from his fellow riders.
The title of the video is deceptive. It appears to show that DC has lost WMATA, the authority that runs the Metro subway, Metro buses, when only the DC Circulator is ending. MASSIVE FAIL and CLICKBAIT. Lived in the DC area for a couple of years and hadn't even heard of the Circulator.
Why do we have to see a montage of every other bus? Or even video of you on a bus that is now gone? You should have just concentrated on what the alternatives to the former routes are now. This video could have been half the length.
I loved it for getting across the bridge, but now I just gotta use the 92 and ride the Tram from H street to Union station. Not a bad route, but still better with circulator before. It will be missed!
I would also look at a tracking app like Transit to see if there’s a bus coming down either Massachusetts Ave, C street, or Maryland Ave before going all the way to the Tram
Such a sad day for the people of DC and the ones who use it daily to commute to the office from Union Station. Can't believe Baltimore City is doing more on the free/reduced circulator bus front than DC. It genuinely shocks me.
I loved the alternatives you give after each route. Thanks for this!
Great video! It is very sad news, indeed. I've also made a video about it. Washington DC bus system needs a lot of improvements. Thank you for letting us experience DC circulator one last time!
I have came to the conclusion that this country’s politicians are on crack……
Indian ones are worse
Its extra sad because the routes for the circulator do one thing right: they connect people from where they are to where they're going. For whatever reason a lot of the other DC routes just don't connect the places people are actually trying to get to without a transfer.
Wow....... I was in Washington DC three weeks ago, it was my third time, I had no idea that when I did see them it would be the last time seeing them in operations, and I'm so glad that I took some pictures on that DC Curulator.
This is crazy. It is needed epically for DC but DC knows what it needs I guess. I have never been on it but I do support it. In Baltimore, they have the circulator service and just announced that they will be expanding service for two new service lines. What DC looses, Baltimore will gain. Cheers!
I was born in DC at Freedmans Hospital. Didnt like a thing about it and got the hell out as soon as I could. I guess it was the politics. Moved to flyover country and never been happier. Nothing in DC makes sense and all my family still lives there.
Honestly, I'm pissed to see this service discontinued. There just never was a clear and consistent vision of what it should be, and I think that mismanagement lead to its downfall.
I always liked how this system kind of bucked the trend of a traditional bus service, with colorful interiors, unusual buses, a base frequency of every 10 minutes, and easy to understand routes. I never did get to ride the National Mall service though.
I'm glad WMATA added some service to help accommodate displaced riders, and thanks for including them in this video! I'll miss the circulator as it was one of my favorite DMV systems to ride!
The mismanagement of transit in DC is just atrocious sometimes 😣.
It was a great service when I used it. But the issue I always had especially with the Virginia route I waited over a hour for one to show up. That seemed to be its biggest issue for me personally
Very sad to see the dc circulator service ended
wow thats sad to see...
greetings from Germany
Thank You!
So frustrating and so poorly handled. I know WMATA is trying to pick up some of the slack, but if what they've done on the 33 & 38 are any indication, it won't be enough. My wife used to rely on that circulator to get her to Georgetown. Thankfully, we moved just after they shut it down, and now it's not an issue for her. But it was always crowded, so I know it's an issue for some. Nothing circling the Mall at all is crazy.
They'd stretched the Circulator way, way, way beyond its original purpose, and of course never supported it with things like dedicated bus lanes (I mean, they have them; they just refuse to enforce people not parking in them), so it was pretty much always off schedule, and depending on the line, waiting 20 or 30 minutes, when it was supposed to run every 10, was not uncommon. Not to mention, the fare readers were broken probably 40% of the time. Instead of fixing some glaring issues, they just trashed the whole thing. Inexcusable. But with DC's current leadership, not surprising. They seem to be a bunch of suburbanites who've never been out of their car, and have no idea what being a working person in this city is like. If I had any money, I'd offer to pay someone $1000. to find me a picture of Bowser inside a Metro car. Hell, past the fare gates at a station. I doubt she's ever actually used it in her whole life. Pretty sure the only time she's even been to a station is for pressers, so she can get her face on TV, which seems to be her only actual job, or at least, the only thing she puts work into.
The delays on the street car are infuriating. It's the usual thing, building half of it and then wondering why it doesn't get the ridership it was projected to have when fully built (something that's finally improving with cycling, now that many of the islands of cycling infrastructure are starting to be woven into an actually useful network). Now that I live in the city, and use the bus to get around a lot, I'd fight a nun to get more street car service out in the areas of town that don't have a Metro station. The North-South routes 70 & 79 have some of the best frequency I've experienced outside of NYC, and they're always full. That tells me they need more capacity, and there's plenty of room to put in a street car.
Streetcars are a waste
Its rough if you are a Bus Operator for them cause you have to start all over again. Imagine putting in 10 to 20 years, just to start all over again probably at WMATA or The Bus.
I forgot to talk about in the video but they ended after 19 years. Which means drivers who were with them from the start weren’t eligible for 20 year pensions.
@@intesaralam If true that is ridiculous.
@intesaralam that is so messed up...DC government is some crooks. Im glad i had left them years ago !! SMH......
Unfortunately I can’t confirm it since I don’t have any documentation proving it but this was from one of the drivers I spoke with, it’s unfortunately too because WMATA wasn’t honoring their years of service too, which meant anyone who switched was starting from scratch.
@intesaralam ohhh definitely WMATA is not honoring it. Ive worked there before to and have a few friends that still work there. There will be no bumping in. You gotta start all over again which means you'll be working late nights or Night Board.
You should do Baltimore
Why, is it also threatened with elimination?
@@Worldly876city keeps trying to cut its budget and we (Baltimoreans) keep needing to pitch a fit about it
@@LrdZanny My experience as both a professional and advocate is that robust ridership is the best defense against cuts. That's why I've never been a fan of demand response service for non disabled. It's usually the first to get axed no matter where when times get tough.
So what’s happening to the fleet of buses?
They are being sold.
Who is buying them?
@@chrisdobrowolski2783 good question. It wasn't known at the time of closure.
DC circular operators jobs are saved by moving over to WMATA from what I heard
Yes they did have the option to go to WMATA but they would also loose the years of service they provided to the circulator, meaning they’re starting their pay and pension as a brand new employee again.
@ well they gotta do what they gotta do. I’ve been a phoenix and Tucson Arizona city bus operator for years and I’m starting with WMATA real soon. I gotta start over. I gotta do what I gotta do.
Honestly, it was only a matter of time. Ridership was on the decline for years
Just before the Trump administration orders federal government workers in DC back to the office. Sigh.
Don't pay you fare 😮 soon you won't have service 😮
Somehow I got a very bad feeling that the end of the DC Circulator is a bad sign and omen of what the trumpublicans are going to do to _all_ bus and rail transit in this country plus Amtrak.
Tell hobos to stop hopping metrorail turnstiles and maybe there will be more revenue to afford nice things. What you are seeing is a cumulative fallout from tax revenue loss due to telework. It will bounce back in a few years. Thank your mayor for shutting down the city for far too long under COVID.
Amtrak outside of California and NEC is so infrequent it may as well not exist
@@qjtvaddict That's why it needs upgrading, not defunding.
@deepzone31 I have not heard of people jumping turnstyles in the DC area metrorail, only on the BART, the L.A. metrorail, and the New York City subway.
@@EdwardM-t8p How often do you ride? I have been using once a week and every third trip or so I see it happen. In about 7 of the cases they were black. In one circumstance they were latinos. I have yet to see a white or Asian person steal from his fellow riders.
The title of the video is deceptive. It appears to show that DC has lost WMATA, the authority that runs the Metro subway, Metro buses, when only the DC Circulator is ending. MASSIVE FAIL and CLICKBAIT. Lived in the DC area for a couple of years and hadn't even heard of the Circulator.
You claim to live in the DMV, but you ""hadn't even heard of the Circulator.""...wtf?
Why do we have to see a montage of every other bus? Or even video of you on a bus that is now gone? You should have just concentrated on what the alternatives to the former routes are now. This video could have been half the length.
I loved it for getting across the bridge, but now I just gotta use the 92 and ride the Tram from H street to Union station. Not a bad route, but still better with circulator before. It will be missed!
I would also look at a tracking app like Transit to see if there’s a bus coming down either Massachusetts Ave, C street, or Maryland Ave before going all the way to the Tram