By Ashleigh Fields
Special to the AFRO
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) ended the D.C. Circulator Bus service on Dec. 31, 2024 after 19 years of service, citing low ridership following the pandemic.
photo1: Courtesy photo
The Circulator service had stops at popular sites including Union Station, the National Mall and L’Enfant Plaza, and touted a ridership of 1.9 million. The bus system employed approximately 300 drivers, many of which were laid off due to the closure.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) now employs around 78 of the Circulator former drivers under a different system with lower pay rates.
“By consolidating more bus transit under the Metrobus brand, we can strengthen the District’s overall transit network, avoid duplicative services, and operate more efficiently,” Acting DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum said following the city’s announcement of the closure.
“These changes will allow our partners at WMATA to better serve thousands of bus riders while using resources more cost-effectively.”
However, residents have shared WMATA’s service amid freezing winter temperatures have been subpar. Washingtonians complained of inaccessibility to metro routes and other services as the first snow storm on Jan. 6 covered the District with sleet and ice.
The Rhode-Island Ave. Brentwood bridge to the Metro’s red line was filled with ice causing riders to stumble while trying to trek to the train’s platform due to the city’s failure to put down salt.
The second snow storm on Jan. 20 brought difficulties for the impaired working to travel to medical appointments amid inclement weather. Metro Access workers declined to pick up several riders in need of transportation to dialysis appointments.
One of those people was Mary Artis, an 80-year-old woman with dementia. Artis was left in the snow after her motorized wheelchair tipped over in bushes following a Metro Access driver’s decision not to pick her up claiming the wheelchair was too heavy.
“I just felt this time, enough was enough. I’ve made complaints over and over again,” Artis’s daughter, Consuelo Edwards told NBC 4. “My thing is, I think MetroAccess really needs to do better and be more accountable.”
Edwards said she put her mother in the care of the driver who didn’t communicate that he was leaving her on the curb. Artis was left there for an hour until a neighbor heard her calling for help.
“The incident is under investigation and the people involved will be held accountable for their actions if proper protocols were not followed,” WMATA said of the incident.
However, they did not immediately respond to the AFRO request for comment on other riders experiencing the same denial.
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