Tale of Two Cities: Bus Cuts?

One of the things we emphasize at the Washington Journalism Center is the degree to which Washington, D.C. is two cities. There's Washington -- the home of government pomp and power that rides the metrorail from power center to power center; and there's DC -- the home of crime and generational poverty that rides the metrobuses from neighborhood to neighborhood.

And is there a cultural-racial divide? You'd better believe it:

» More than half of Metrobus riders are black, Latino or Asian/Pacific
Islander. But only a quarter of Metrorail riders are such racial or
ethnic minorities.

» Education levels vary, with 80 percent of rail riders having at least
a college degree compared with 59 percent of Metrobus riders.
Similarly, the median income of Metrorail riders is $102,110, while
Metrobus riders earn a median $69,620 annually.

And do the two mix? Sometimes. And it's grand when it happens. But this divide is in the background of the brilliant story by the Washington Examiner last week. There's a budget shortfall in Metro and where were the suggested cuts? The bus system. Here's a breakdown on the proposed changes:

Fare Increases: Riders on the J7, J9 I-270 express buses in
Montgomery County and the W19 Indian Head express in Prince George's
County would pay the express fare, $3.10 cash or $3 with a SmarTrip
card, rather than the regular fare.

Eliminated Routes: L7 (Connecticut Avenue-Maryland Line); C7 and C9 (Greenbelt-Glenmont), some off-peak service on Z2 (Colesville-Ashton).

Modifications: Buses would be added to the L8 route (Connecticut
Avenue-Maryland Line). The 21 A, B, C, D and F (Landmark-Pentagon)
routes would be consolidated into a single route.

Notice the cuts all hit the bus system. That's an angle all but ignored by the Washington Post (although at the mention of the name Obama in conjunction, they're glad to write something). Now as it turns out, the board overseeing the funds ultimately avoided any cuts by plowing through the remains of their reserve accounts. But the Washington Examiner did a marvelous job of highlighting what the differences between metrorail and metrobus riders in regards to the effect of such a change.

Those differences were highlighted earlier in the spring when Metro officials were eyeing $13.6 million in cuts to bus service amid a budget shortfall, while opting to spare the rail system.

Thousands of riders decried the plan, arguing that it unfairly hit minority communities, with the poorest and most transit-dependent riders. The bus service already provides less consistent service, with one of every four buses arriving late. Many of the routes have truncated schedules, they said, running only during rush hours on weekdays.

I'm glad no cuts had to occur. But what happens next year? Dare we ask if the Post will cover this one?