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Yet, DC is nearly broken in another respect as well. Twenty years ago, its Metro Rail and Bus system was among the best in the country. For about $1.00-$1.85 (one way), a Metro rail rider could expect his or her train to arrive on time, to be relatively clean and to not be overcrowded with the exception of the morning and evening rush hours. This is most certainly not the case anymore. In fact, anyone who spends a significant amount of time in The District is likely to get the DC blues from spending countless hours trying to negotiate the transit system.
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Getting Railroaded on Metro Rail
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On 20 June 2009, one Metro train collided with another one on the Red Line. Nine people died, and approximately eighty people were injured. The tragedy marked the state of decline throughout the entire system. Three years later, the rail system is safer, but the service appears to be getting worse rather than better overall.
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In Japan, riding the subway could not be easier for an international visitor. Purchasing a ticket is simple. Most machines take $50 (if not $100) bill equivalents and make change for the customer quickly. For more complex transactions, non-Japanese readers can select an English button for assistance. It is extremely user-friendly.
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To buy a ticket to ride DC Metro Rail, the process is much more difficult. First, many machines have a LCD readout to display their status at the top. Some announce "No Bills." Others announce "Out Of Service". The machines only take small bills and make limited change.
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Riders of JR (Japan Railway) pay one price to travel at anytime. Not so in DC. Are you ready to take a walk into The Twilight Zone? Each machine has a list of prices from your station to the other stations in the system. Nothing unusual there. However, a closer inspection reveals evidence of sheer madness. There are actually three prices for each journey - one at the regular fare (good), a lower one for senior citizens (very good) and the highest price for something called "peak-of-the-peak." What?
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As it turns out, the peak-of-the-peak fare is in effect during morning and evening rush hours. Prices increase by about .25 cents or more. If it is 7:35AM, for example, you will be paying the peak-of the-peak price. If JR East in Tokyo - which handles far more people per day - does not need to charge special rush hour prices, why does Metro? Yet, there is another fundamental question involved here? Who came up with peak-of-the-peak? Why not just Peak Time or Rush Hour Price. We have all heard of the expression "the best of the best." For example, "Oh Susie, she's great. She has character, intelligence and drive. She is the best of the best." This makes sense. There are a lot of good people and top performers, but Susie is the best of an elite group. But peak-of-the-peak? This is linguistically challenged phrase. How could this expression be used elsewhere? Let's try. Here is an example:
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Bob: So, I hear you are headed to Nepal to climb to the top of Mount Everest. That's great!
Jennifer: Actually, my goal is larger. I plan on making it to the peak-of-the-peak!!
Bob: Heyyyyy! That is really something!
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As you can see, this does not work. Of course, the concept peak-of-the-peak was likely invented by a DC bureaucrat - probably a French-speaking one who uses the phrase creme-de-la-creme all the time. Well, that is one French idiom DC does not need on the Metro.
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Visiting riders on DC Metro Rail can buy an all-day Metro Rail pass for $9.00. It indeed does save money for those who plan to travel around the system quite a bit. There is a catch, however. If you try to use the pass at 9:15AM, for example, the gate will return your ticket and tell you to see the station attendant. Why? The all-day pass is only good after 9:30AM - after peak-of-the-peak time. Hence, a purchaser of an all-day pass at 8:30AM will either have to wait an hour to travel or buy another ticket. As this important information is found on the back of the all-day pass, many of its purchasers at rush hour have experienced bewilderment and disappointment. An all-day pass should be good all-day. No exceptions.
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On top of everything else (or should one say "At the peak-of-the-peak"?), Metro Rail is now almost always overcrowded, and many of the escalators and elevators in its stations do not work.
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So, what is Metro going to do? They are going to raise prices yet again this summer. Many one-way trips will cost more than $2.00 - a not inexpensive fee. Since the 2009 crash, prices have been raised a few times, yet the additional funds have not resulted in more efficient service.
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No Change, No Circulation: Metro Bus and The Circulator
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There are other options. One can take a Metro bus. There are many buses, and Metro Bus covers an extensive area. Similar to Metro Rail, however, the bus system also has significant flaws. Currently, the price for a one-way ticket is $1.70. Be aware of the following scenario, however. You get on the bus. You look for the money to insert into the slot. Due to having only .30 cents, you put in two single-dollar bills into the fare collection machine. No need to wait for your change. There is none on Metro Bus. Is that not incredible? What other kind of business could get away with simply declining to make change? Imagine you give a sales clerk two $100 bills to purchase a $125 coffeemaker. The clerk then replies, "Thank you, but we don't make change" and puts your $200 into the register. Would you not have legitimate grounds for a lawsuit? Essentially, the clerk is stealing. On Metro Bus, however, the irrational has become rational and quite amazingly - the public seems to have passively accepted it.
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One of the great open secrets in DC is the Circulator bus. This one-dollar priced bus for a one-way ride, which theoretically arrives every ten minutes (although traffic wreaks havoc with their schedules), is the best way to get around the interior of the city. It is clean and affordable. Yet, there is one large caveat. During the-peak-of-the peak (rush hour), it can be impossible to get on due to overcrowding. Even if one can somehow get onto an Circulator or Metro bus at 8:15AM or 7:30PM, the buses do not actually circulate. They crawl from block-to-block. Patience is more than a virtue. It is a necessity.
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The Prognosis
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Considering the transportation barriers, is DC still worth visiting? Absolutely. DC is one of the most vibrant cities in the world. It has history. The museums are free, and one can enjoy a multitude of restaurants catering to cuisines from Beirut to Buenos Aires. The city is cosmopolitan, and there are large numbers of international students studying at one of the many famous universities in the area - Georgetown, George Washington University, The University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University and American University etc.
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To ward off getting the DC blues, buy a SmarTrip card from Metro. It is easier and cheaper to use than buying three or more individual tickets. Otherwise, take the Circulator for a dollar between rush hour times.
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In a sense, the transit system in DC and the US government are in the same situation. Both are in need of significant reform. Yet, pointless petty politics have hampered attempts to bring about meaningful, positive change. In all, President Obama and the residents of DC have no other alternative than to continue trying to build consensus by promoting commonsensical plans that address the needs of citizens - rather than bureaucratic or corporate interests.
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This point is usually the end of the article. For today, however, let's call it - the end-of-the-end.
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(Photo: The Navy Yard Station during a Washington Nationals baseball game. The entire Metro system is overwhelmed and needs a new game plan - including lowering fares. Click on to enlarge)
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Key Links
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1. The DC Metro: http://www.wmata.com/
2. The DC Circulator Bus: http://www.dccirculator.com/
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J Roquen