Mayor Offers a Month of Free Rides on DC Circulator
The DC Circulator provides public transportation to many of the district's main attractions, with six distinct routes across Washington and into Rosslyn, Va. It provides close to 5 million trips per year.
As part of her#FairShotFebruary campaign, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that all rides on the DC Circulator bus service will be free from Jan. 28 until Feb. 28.
"We're kicking off Fair Shot February by making it easier for Washingtonians to get where they need to go and connect to opportunities across DC," said Bowser. "A free Circulator is one way we can use our resources to break down barriers to opportunity—but it's certainly not the only way. Throughout February and before I send my budget to the [City] Council, I hope Washingtonians from across all eight wards will join us at our Budget Engagement Forums to build on this initiative by sharing their priorities and ideas for making our city's prosperity more inclusive."
The DC Circulator provides public transportation to many of the district's main attractions and connects residents and visitors to business, culture, and entertainment corridors. The system operates six distinct routes across Washington and into Rosslyn, Va., and provides close to 5 million trips per year. The Circulator services each stop every 10 minutes.
For the fifth year in a row, Bowser will be hosting Budget Engagement Forums across the city. They include a Senior Telephone Townhall on Feb. 11, a forum at the Arthur Capper Community Center on Feb. 21, a forum at the Deanwood Recreation Center on Feb. 23, and a forum at Roosevelt High School on Feb. 25.
The American Public Transportation Association reported this month that Americans took 2.5 billion trips on public transportation in the third quarter of 2018. Commuter rail ridership increased during the quarter, with more than half of commuter rail systems showing ridership growth. Bus ridership in communities with populations below 100,000 increased by 1.7 percent and demand response increased by 4.6 percent. "Public transit systems are committed to providing safe and reliable service to the millions of people who depend on public transportation," said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. "In order to increase mobility options, public transit systems are increasing frequency, improving routing, experimenting with fare changes, and engaging in partnerships to offer the best service possible to meet customers’ needs."