Bus Transformation Strategy and Action Plan

The Bus Transformation Strategy, created in partnership with stakeholders and the public from across the region, is a plan to transform the bus system in the National Capital Region. The Action Plan highlights the activities required to achieve the changes envisioned for the region’s bus system demanded by stakeholders and the public over the next decade. Transformation of bus in our region calls for a new approach to bus – one that:

Facilitates fast, frequent, desirable, affordable, and seamless travel connections for customers;
Aligns the high-frequency and high-capacity regional bus network with roadways where buses are given priority;
Clearly delineates and effectively coordinates regionally provided services and locally managed bus systems; and
Empowers organizations to coordinate functions, leverage transformative technologies, and transparently track progress.

Whereas the Bus Transformation Strategy document embodies the “what” for transforming bus, the Action Plan details the “how.” These actions focus on achieving results that benefit bus riders and the whole region by providing frequent and reliable bus service on a consistent basis across the region, with improved speed and efficiency for riders.

Learn more and see who we’ve spoke to throughout the development of the Bus Transformation Strategy!

Read the Summary of the Bus Transformation Strategy

Read the full Bus Transformation Strategy

Read the Summary of the Bus Transformation Action Plan

Read the full Bus Transformation Action Plan

See who we've spoken to and where we've been

Learn more about the work that led to this Strategy by reading the background documents

What’s next?

Prosperity in Peril

The National Capital Region is adding 40,000–60,000 jobs and households each year, but its transportation system is struggling to keep pace, leading to some of the longest commutes and worst traffic congestion in the nation.

There is a better way to get there.

Other regions nationally and globally have transformed their bus systems to solve congestion, promote inclusive mobility, generate ridership gains, and operate efficiently. It is past time for this region to do the same, as the alternative is not only unaffordable, but also harms regional competitiveness and livability.

Without transforming the bus system, the region’s economy, competitiveness and livability are at risk.

A better way to get there

The solutions for creating a sustainable future for surface transportation are owned equally by not only bus systems but also the cities, counties, and states that own the roads. This Strategy calls on these actors to work together to create a region where:

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 that will support a growing and sustainable economy.

By transforming the bus system, the most space and cost-efficient means to move large numbers of people, this Strategy leads to:

The ability to serve more customers at lower cost
Shorter waits and faster trips for customers, giving them the speed and convenience they deserve
More trips on the bus network and fewer trips contributing to congestion
Inclusive mobility and access to opportunity for our region’s most vulnerable populations
Intuitive information, maps, and fares that are easy to understand for visitors and locals alike

Goals

The bus network of tomorrow can achieve performance outcomes and transportation objectives that will make the region more competitive, sustainable, equitable, and livable.

The goals, developed by an inclusive group of participants, are meant to guide bus transformation:

Regional connectivity: Provide reliable on-street transit options that efficiently connect people to places and improve mobility
Rider experience: Ensure a convenient, easy-to-use, user-centered travel choice
Financial stewardship: Maintain a transit mode that is financially sustainable in the long-term
Sustainable Economic Health and Access to Opportunity: Encourage vibrant, economically thriving and sustainable communities
Equity: Create a bus system that is affordable and equitable

Strategy and Recommendations

Provide frequent and convenient bus service that connects communities and promotes housing affordability, regional equity, and economic growth.

A	Establish regional standards across bus systems to provide consistent bus service, tailored by location and time of day.
B	Collect and share standardized bus operations and performance data across agencies to improve transparency and better plan bus service.
C	Collaboratively restructure the region’s bus network to create the most efficient and customer-focused bus system.
D	Cooperatively assess Metrobus’ current service definitions and funding allocation formula using the WMATA Board’s Authority.
E	Leverage existing efforts by transit providers to operate flexible on-demand services to supplement the fixed route network where and when warranted.

Give buses priority on roadways to move people quickly and reliably.

A	Obtain commitments from state and local agencies (including roadway owners) to adopt consistent guidelines, bolster jurisdictional capital spending, and expedite coordinated implementation of bus priority.
B	Implement enforcement policies that establish bus priority and result in reliable and fast service.
C	Establish a capital program at WMATA that supports accelerated implementation of bus priority projects including BRT.
D	Support regional congestion mitigation efforts that bolsterbus priority and move more people more efficiently.

Create an excellent customer experience to retain and increase ridership.

A	Equip riders with high-quality, accurate, and easily accessible information to plan a trip. Ensure that accurate, real-time service information for all providers is available in one place Make bus service easy to understand with legible maps and customer-friendly route names across providers Expand marketing efforts to enhance visibility of bus options and benefits
B	Make paying bus fares easier. Provide free transfers between bus and rail Provide reduced fare options for low-income riders Create a mobile solution to plan and pay for trips in one place Develop new regional passes that work across all providers, and make bus fares clear and understandable Incentivize more employers to offer transit benefits
C	Make it safer and more pleasant to ride the bus. Make bus stops and shelters safe, comfortable, accessible, and technology-enabled Advance technology and programs that improve the safety of everyone on board by partnering with riders, bus operators, and unions Empower front-line staff to provide exceptional customer service Ensure that all buses meet the highest standards of comfort and cleanliness
D	Pursue innovation and bus improvement. Advance new vehicle technologies to improve bus' environmental footprint and efficiency, such as electric buses and automation Establish a Regional Mobility Innovation Lab to systematically share knowledge and accelerate improvements such as service provision, customer experience, and bus operator and passenger safety

Empower a publicly appointed task force to transform bus and lead the implementation of a truly integrated regional system.

A	Convene a Task Force to oversee implementation of the Strategy and provide long-term leadership for the regional bus system with membership as follows: The Governors of Virginia and Maryland and the Mayor of the District of Columbia each nominate one person (three members total) The six principal members from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia on the WMATA Board collectively nominate one person (one member total) Bus Transformation Executive Steering Committee nominates three people (three members total) The Task Force itself may nominate up to two additional people (up to two members total)
B	Facilitate an independently published annual progress report on Bus Transformation Strategy implementation and a bus performance scorecard to track the level of service delivered to customers.
C	Develop a platform for rider feedback, administered by the Task Force, and an ongoing mechanism for incorporating feedback into regular revisions of the Strategy recommendations.

Bus Transformation Strategy and Action Plan

Prosperity in Peril

A better way to get there

Goals

Strategy and Recommendations

Next Steps