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Since metro now closes at midnight on weekends, one of its only perks over some other transit systems in the country, it's mediocre at best now. There is non stop track work, trains breakdown daily, and while coverage is decent, its not the best and there are gaps within the system that you can't fix with lousy, slow moving street cars. In Chicago the El runs longer hours, two of its lines are 24/7 and its bus system is too. In Philly trains run non stop weekend service and during the week train service is replaced with buses during the owl hours. Even Baltimore has a better 24/7 transit network with over two dozen bus routes running owl service. It is impossible to transverse around DC during late night/early morning hours and no, the 70 bus running doesn't help most of the population and no, not everyone can afford or want to take uber or taxi. Real cities at least have 24/7 buses and DC used to have more of them, but some bozo/s decided to discontinue that service and cut hours. The train system in DC is overpriced and unreliable. DC has to be held to a higher standard because A. It's the nation's capital and B. It is located in the Bos-Wash region. So until DC steps it game up I will rag on the system relentlessly. Even Atlanta's train system runs to like 1:30am...
Final analysis:
1. NYC
2. Chicago
3. Philly (DC has better heavy rail coverage but that's it)
4. Boston
I put Philly and Boston above DC because they have much better commuter networks and they are built different than DC. Their heavy rail systems may not be as extensive but the Philly and Boston metros don't sprawl like DC's do, plus they are more multi-modal.
5. DC, although again there are other systems in the country that have a wider span of service
Let me be direct it is pretty clear you don't live inside DC because your analysis is off, it seems like that of a suburbanite or somebody who doesn't live here.
Many of the major bus lines in the city actually run late night. It is only when you get outside of the city that this is lost. While most suburbanites do not get the benefit of the inner city buses like the S buses and the 70, and other late night buses who run outside of the city, guess, what, it covers many people who are staying in the city. The biggest complainers of late night metro service seem to be suburbanites. I will be honest, when I lived in the burbs this frustrated me. I had a simple solution, I moved to the city and did not ever consider moving back to the burbs. It worked, I have been both much happier and much less frustrated with transit in DC. It is pretty great if you are living in the city.
FYI This is a map of DC's late night bus service. As you notice, the city itself is fine. West of rock creek is less covered, but if you can afford west of rock creek park, you can afford to take a cab. Where are the problems...the suburbs. http://planitmetro.com/wp-content/up...Bus-Svc-01.png
Secondly if you cannot afford Uber or Lyft to traverse the city late at night recreational purposes, let me be direct you should not be living in or visiting DC. It is not that expensive to use either of these services, it is cheaper than DC cabs.
You seem to be hung up about the loss of late night metro service in the city which happened too be two days a week, and was gradually dropping in ridership late at night on weekends because people have been using other ways to get around. Many of the rest of us, who actually live in DC, kind of shrugged. The largest complainers seemed to be suburbanites. Which it seems like you are with your comments on the bus service not covering most people. Inside DC it does cover most people, including east of the river.
In terms of Boston...DC and Boston are pretty comparable. Again these cities are not 98% of cities in the US. SF, DC, Boston, NYC, Chicago, Portland, and Philly are really the only cities with decent transit service in the US. They are exceptions, not the rule. It should be noted, I lived in Chicago, they went through this same shut down cycle to repair lines on the L that DC is going through now with the metro. Likewise Boston's T and SF BART system is having many of the same issues as metro right now. The difference is metro is the one who actually pulled the trigger in prioritizing repairs the way it did. Also do you know what other system shuts down at midnight every day of the week...London. The point being is even great systems are not always open late. Hours of operation is not a good way to judge a system.
In terms of Baltimore being better than DC in transit, even this being mentioned destroys your credibility. Baltimore is truly terrible from everything from buses to rail. It is not even close in this regard.
Last edited by DistrictSonic; 06-26-2016 at 08:50 AM..
Philly still uses tokens in their system like its 1930 and there is no direct transfer point for some of its lines. Signage is terrible too. Pales in comparison to Metro.
Boston uses train cars from like the 1930s too and some of their lines run at street level so they have to stop at red lights. Definitely inferior to Metro.
Since metro now closes at midnight on weekends, one of its only perks over some other transit systems in the country, it's mediocre at best now. There is non stop track work, trains breakdown daily, and while coverage is decent, its not the best and there are gaps within the system that you can't fix with lousy, slow moving street cars. In Chicago the El runs longer hours, two of its lines are 24/7 and its bus system is too. In Philly trains run non stop weekend service and during the week train service is replaced with buses during the owl hours. Even Baltimore has a better 24/7 transit network with over two dozen bus routes running owl service. It is impossible to transverse around DC during late night/early morning hours and no, the 70 bus running doesn't help most of the population and no, not everyone can afford or want to take uber or taxi. Real cities at least have 24/7 buses and DC used to have more of them, but some bozo/s decided to discontinue that service and cut hours. The train system in DC is overpriced and unreliable. DC has to be held to a higher standard because A. It's the nation's capital and B. It is located in the Bos-Wash region. So until DC steps it game up I will rag on the system relentlessly. Even Atlanta's train system runs to like 1:30am...
Final analysis:
1. NYC
2. Chicago
3. Philly (DC has better heavy rail coverage but that's it)
4. Boston
I put Philly and Boston above DC because they have much better commuter networks and they are built different than DC. Their heavy rail systems may not be as extensive but the Philly and Boston metros don't sprawl like DC's do, plus they are more multi-modal.
5. DC, although again there are other systems in the country that have a wider span of service
False.
Philly and Boston are garbage compared to DC and its not really debatable for anyone who has used all three systems. On top of that, Boston's Subway is having just as many issues as Metro if not more. I would rank DC has 2nd or 3rd in the country even with the current temporary issues. Do you realize Metro has over 300 bus routes? Plus, we have the Circulator as an alternative bus service.
Once Metro resolves a lot of its problems in the next year it will be phenomenal. We are getting 748 new railcars and trains that will go to two different Airports. More late night service will come as well once the current issues are resolved.
I lived in philly for years and caught the metro daily at one time... no way in hell is it better than DC metro, which I have also ride daily (weekdays).
I can't comment on NYC, Chicago, and Boston... but based on where you put philly, I'd have to throw out your list.
You don't ride the DC metro, so it does not matter. The OP did not ask for a comparison anyway... lol
Hmmm I'm a DC native, rode it from birth up until late 2015. I know DC and WMATA better than you do and I get updates from family down there as well as the news. I hasn't gotten any better since I've left.
Philly is a great system when you combine the heavy rail (BSL, MFL, and PATCO), the streetcar lines, the uses, and the commuter rail network. It functions better than DC but maybe its because of the higher population there.
Philly and Boston are garbage compared to DC and its not really debatable for anyone who has used all three systems. On top of that, Boston's Subway is having just as many issues as Metro if not more. I would rank DC has 2nd or 3rd in the country even with the current temporary issues. Do you realize Metro has over 300 bus routes? Plus, we have the Circulator as an alternative bus service.
Once Metro resolves a lot of its problems in the next year it will be phenomenal. We are getting 748 new railcars and trains that will go to two different Airports. More late night service will come as well once the current issues are resolved.
Stop lying and stop exaggerating.
Philly and Boston have systems much older than DC's so its understandable why things are the way they are. DC has a system the same age as BART in SF and MARTA in ATL but they are more reliable. WMATA is in a downward spiral just admit it.
Let me be direct it is pretty clear you don't live inside DC because your analysis is off, it seems like that of a suburbanite or somebody who doesn't live here.
Many of the major bus lines in the city actually run late night. It is only when you get outside of the city that this is lost. While most suburbanites do not get the benefit of the inner city buses like the S buses and the 70, and other late night buses who run outside of the city, guess, what, it covers many people who are staying in the city. The biggest complainers of late night metro service seem to be suburbanites. I will be honest, when I lived in the burbs this frustrated me. I had a simple solution, I moved to the city and did not ever consider moving back to the burbs. It worked, I have been both much happier and much less frustrated with transit in DC. It is pretty great if you are living in the city.
FYI This is a map of DC's late night bus service. As you notice, the city itself is fine. West of rock creek is less covered, but if you can afford west of rock creek park, you can afford to take a cab. Where are the problems...the suburbs. http://planitmetro.com/wp-content/up...Bus-Svc-01.png
Secondly if you cannot afford Uber or Lyft to traverse the city late at night recreational purposes, let me be direct you should not be living in or visiting DC. It is not that expensive to use either of these services, it is cheaper than DC cabs.
You seem to be hung up about the loss of late night metro service in the city which happened too be two days a week, and was gradually dropping in ridership late at night on weekends because people have been using other ways to get around. Many of the rest of us, who actually live in DC, kind of shrugged. The largest complainers seemed to be suburbanites. Which it seems like you are with your comments on the bus service not covering most people. Inside DC it does cover most people, including east of the river.
In terms of Boston...DC and Boston are pretty comparable. Again these cities are not 98% of cities in the US. SF, DC, Boston, NYC, Chicago, Portland, and Philly are really the only cities with decent transit service in the US. They are exceptions, not the rule. It should be noted, I lived in Chicago, they went through this same shut down cycle to repair lines on the L that DC is going through now with the metro. Likewise Boston's T and SF BART system is having many of the same issues as metro right now. The difference is metro is the one who actually pulled the trigger in prioritizing repairs the way it did. Also do you know what other system shuts down at midnight every day of the week...London. The point being is even great systems are not always open late. Hours of operation is not a good way to judge a system.
In terms of Baltimore being better than DC in transit, even this being mentioned destroys your credibility. Baltimore is truly terrible from everything from buses to rail. It is not even close in this regard.
First of all I'm a DC native that live in NYC, the Bronx in particular. You send very condescending and conceited in this post. It's people like you that makes me dislike DC so much, New York is way better.
Second come to NYC or go to Chicago or Philly to see how a transit is supposed to be ran. You'll never be stranded in these cities, Baltimore too. Baltimore literally has dozens of buses that run true 24/7 service and don't stop for 2-3 hours like the ones in DC. If it's 3:45am on a Tuesday morning and I want to get to the morgan (Adams Morgan) how can I do that without a ride or uber? I can't because DC isn't about that life forreal.
Hmmm I'm a DC native, rode it from birth up until late 2015. I know DC and WMATA better than you do and I get updates from family down there as well as the news. I hasn't gotten any better since I've left.
Philly is a great system when you combine the heavy rail (BSL, MFL, and PATCO), the streetcar lines, the uses, and the commuter rail network. It functions better than DC but maybe its because of the higher population there.
No, I don't think you did ride the DC metro. Not with the comments you made.
And you definitely have not ridden philly metro. DC metro is a much better system... it reaches two states and DC. It reaches more neighborhoods in those areas than philly metro EVER dreamed possible. Hell, if you INCLUDE heavy rail, bus, etc.... metro blows philly straight away (although, I did like your slight backpedal there). DC metro has never "left me stranded". End of the day, you can't even compare the two systems... it is silly really. (edit: and now I see you brought in ATL in the picture. Really? Keep googling transit systems and see what sticks! Why not explain how you rode the Hong Kong system daily and it is better than DC metro!)
Sorry, but I don't buy your story... not for one bit. You can sell that to your friends in NYC.
Philly and Boston have systems much older than DC's so its understandable why things are the way they are. DC has a system the same age as BART in SF and MARTA in ATL but they are more reliable. WMATA is in a downward spiral just admit it.
The downward spiral has already ended. By next year most of the issues will be resolved. The majority of maintenance will be done March 2017 and the majority of the older problematic railcars will be scrapped by the same time.
You clearly have no clue what is going on here in DC. Stop talking and stick to what you know before you embarrass yourself further.
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