About

Find out more about what riders and stakeholders have told us about the bus system as part of the Bus Transformation Project.

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What is the Bus Transformation Project?

The Bus Transformation Project developed a regional Strategy and Action Plan that focus on improving customer experience, connecting the region through better bus service, and fostering collaboration across transit and roadway agencies.

Developed and shaped by a broad range of stakeholders and the public from across the region, the Strategy recommends concrete actions to transform existing bus services into a truly integrated, accessible regional bus network that is part of the larger regional mobility system. The Action Plan highlights the tactical activities required to achieve the changes envisioned for the region’s bus system.

1.

Provide better service and a better customer experience for all bus riders

2.

Identify the best role for bus service amidst rapidly changing technologies and travel preferences

3.

Increase efficiency to provide better results for customers despite limited resources

This study gathered input from people across the region which was used to recommend changes to the bus system. From this feedback, complemented by extensive research and analysis, a Strategy has been produced - with a bold, new vision and a series of recommendation to guide the future of bus in the region. These recommendations that are meant to make bus more reliable, frequent, affordable, and coordinated.

Vision, Goals, and Objectives

Vision

Bus will be the mode of choice on the region’s roads by 2030, serving as the backbone of a strong and inclusive regional mobility system.

Goals and Objectives

Regional connectivity

Goal: Provide reliable on-street transit options that efficiently connect people to places and improve mobility

Objectives:

Align routes and resources with travel demand
Mitigate congestion by increasing transit usage
Enhance integration of bus systems and integration of bus with other transportation modes
Invest in transit facilities and assets that support transit speed, frequency, reliability and efficiency

Rider Experience

Financial Stewardship

Goal: Maintain a transit mode that is financially sustainable in the long-term

Objectives:

Maximize the value delivered by the bus system to the public and taxpayers
Use available funding efficiently by lowering costs where possible
Align agency funding allocations with consensus role for bus
Provide transparent and understandable reporting on financial performance to the public
Optimize operating costs related to capital investments

Sustainable Economic Health and Access to Opportunity

Equity

FAQs

What will the outcome of the project be?

The Bus Transformation Project has resulted in a Strategy and Action Plan to transform bus in the region. Created through extensive public engagement, stakeholder collaboration, and based on extensive research and analysis, the Strategy sets out 26 forward-looking recommendations. The Action Plan identifies outcomes, timelines, and steps, along with the relevant responsible parties to ensure success over ten years.

Will this project recommend changes to my bus service?

The Bus Transformation Project was not a corridor study or a service plan. The project did not analyze individual lines, routes, or bus stops for specific recommendations or changes. No routing or frequency changes were explicitly recommended as part of the Strategy. However, the Strategy recommends that this type of analysis and service planning be done in the future in order to improve bus service. Additional stakeholder and public outreach along with detailed analysis would accompany any such changes in the future.

What is the timeline for the project?

Through analysis and conversations with transportation experts, technical staff, stakeholders, bus operators, labor groups, and the public, the project team developed the Bus Transformation Strategy to address improvements to both bus and customer service, financial challenges, adapting to the changing mobility landscape, and improving coordination to achieve the best outcomes for the public.

The Strategy was released in September 2019 and an Action Plan for implementing the recommendations was released in December 2019. Some actions are already under way, though the implementation of most recommendations will occur in steps over a ten-year period, beginning in 2020. See also the project timeline at the bottom of this page.

How was the public involved?

Bus riders and non-riders have provided us with feedback throughout the duration of this project. Much of what was provided was incorporated in the Strategy and recommendations. To read what your fellow riders said, here are links to the two surveys that were conducted during the project. The first survey covers current travel choices, why those choices were made, and priorities to bus improvements. The second survey covers public feedback to the project’s draft Strategy.

You can follow and like our project Facebook page to get any future updates.

Project Committees and Advisors

This project is a collaborative, region wide effort. Participation from all of the local agencies who provide bus service, transportation professionals, community-based organizations and agencies, workers, and the business community are all critical to the project’s success. All of their perspectives will be considered in developing the roadmap with recommendations to provide better local bus service.

In addition to engagement with the public, the project team will receive input and direction from four groups of stakeholders throughout the course of the project. Each group has a slightly different role.

Regional stakeholders will work together to identify ways to make local bus a better transportation choice, and to create a roadmap to get there.

Executive Steering Committee

The project’s Executive Steering Committee (ESC) provides leadership that informs the study’s approach and recommendations. The ESC includes prominent leaders from throughout the region, and plays an important role in ensuring transparency, independence, and consideration of the needs of all the region’s bus service providers.

Strategy Advisory Panel

The project’s Strategy Advisory Panel (SAP) is an important group of stakeholders representing a variety of regional perspectives whose role is to provide insights into issues related to bus service in the region. The SAP also provides guidance on project goals and draft strategies, based on their areas of expertise. SAP members hold leadership positions in a variety of local and state governments, community-based organizations, businesses and business groups, minority and disability groups, labor organizations, think tanks, the education community, and others critical areas.

Technical Team

The project’s Technical Team (TT) includes staff who deal directly with the provision of bus service throughout the region and have a deep understanding of the operational, financial, governance, workforce, and other components of bus service provision. The TT will include WMATA staff as well as staff from other agencies that provide bus service in the region. The TT members will review and provide input on technical plans and documents to ensure their feasibility and recommend adjustments if necessary.

WMATA Leadership Team

The Leadership Team includes the WMATA General Manager and other key executives and directors in the agency. LT members are responsible for gaining input from decision makers and implementers throughout WMATA to ensure that the project addresses all necessary areas of the organization and is vetted for feasibility based on knowledge of existing conditions and constraints.