7 Transformational Ideas for D.C. Bus Service

WMATA is launching a holistic study aimed at broadly rethinking the agency's approach to bus service. Led by AECOM, Boston Consulting Group, and Foursquare ITP, the "Bus Transformation Project" marks a reorientation within the agency from rehabilitating a troubled rail system to improving and expanding its bus network, say Greater Greater Washington's David Alpert and DW Rowlands.

In the first post of a new series on the subject, Alpert and Rowlands offer seven priorities to guide the year-long study—including system integration, fare restructuring, and adoption of new technology. They also urge WMATA not to cut services, but to find cost-savings and revenue generation opportunities elsewhere.

"Buses represent the biggest opportunity to improve transit for more people, cost-effectively," they write. "Plus …  [m]aking bus service much more than an afterthought can help close the gap in mobility options available to lower-income residents."