Eliminating the critical 29W bus service will significantly/ negatively impact the wellbeing of Braddock residents. 29W is an irreplaceable and in-eliminable part of our professional life. It is the sole public transportation we take to/from work every day and 5 days a week. Additionally, the elimination of the 29W bus will negative impact property values in the area. Access to the basic public transportation is our basic rights as residents/citizens living in the Metropolitan area of the capital of the country and contributes to environmental sustainability as riding the 29W bus reduces our carbon footprint.

Metro cites “low ridership” as the reason for its proposed 29W elimination, which is false.  The 29W buses are usually packed often with passengers standing between 6:00-8a.m. and 4:00-6:30 p.m. on daily basis.

Metro cites revenue shortage as a reason for bus-route eliminations.  As Metro bus riders, we want top Metro managers to evaluate the functionality of Metro’s bus-fare machinery if they truly care about revenue loss.  Countless times since the summer of 2019, 29W bus-fare machines broke down, gathering 0 dollar and recording 0 ridership, though the buses were packed. The 29W GPS tracking system is also inconsistent and unreliable. The GPS tracker on the bus is often malfunctioning or the drivers fail to turn on the GPS. Thus, there is “no signal” on the WMATA app installed on passengers’ cell phones, indicating that the bus is not coming.  Riders have to change their morning commute plan, taking a more costly and inefficient transportation method to get to work. For the top Metro managers who care about revenue increase, the mal-functioning bus-fare machinery may be worthy of their attention.  Instead of unilaterally eliminating bus routes such as the critical express bus 29W in disrespect of Metropolitan residents’ deep concerns, it would be more constructive and productive for the top Metro management to spend their time, energy, and resources on identifying the true causes of Metro’s various problems.

In brief, 29W is a high-ridership bus and the 29W bus route is essential to the wellbeing of the Braddock District.  Any claim that 29W is a “low-ridership” route is false/groundless. 29W is irreplaceable and in-eliminable.  We appreciate your support in our fight to keep 29W!

**The use of a personal cellphone as the tool to sign the petition reflects the location where the petition is signed, not the permanent location of one’s residence and where one rides the 29W