D.C.'s Circulator Bus System: Metro Out, DDOT In

"The District will take over direct management of its troubled D.C. Circulator bus system, clearing the way for Metro to remove itself from responsibilities it assumed in 2005 when the bright red buses first appeared on city streets," reports Martin Di Caro.

The decision appears to be the final chapter of Metro's role with the beleaguered bus line. Here, Di Caro explains the current arrangement, which will no longer include Metro by July 1, 2018:

Metro’s pending exit promises to simplify a complicated management structure. Since the Circulator’s inception, DDOT has owned the fleet and set routes, schedules, and fares. Metro has been in charge of on-the-ground oversight of its contract with First Transit, frequently docking the company payments for failing to meet the daily quota of operational buses. First Transit operates the system, responsible for hiring and training drivers and mechanics.

Dan Malouf documented the shortcomings of the arrangement in a separate article published earlier in July, as did Di Caro in another article in May.

Despite the new arrangement, DDOT is not promising service improvements on the line just yet, reports Di Caro.