One year after its opening in April 2016, the Crystal City Potomac Yard Transitway, a dedicated bus lane that connects southern Arlington and Alexandria, is paying off for bus riders. The separate lanes mean riders don’t have to worry about being stuck in Route 1 traffic, and as such are more willing to hop onto the bus. The Metroway bus, which runs on the entire length of the transitway, has seen a particular jump in growth. Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services has the breakdown by the numbers:
- +45 percent = Increase in Metroway’s average weekday ridership
- +59 percent = Increase in Metroway average weekday ridership during Metro’s SafeTrack Surges 3 and 4
- 3,085 = Average weekday boardings/alightings at all Transitway stations in Arlington
- 474 = Average weekday boardings/alightings at South Glebe, Arlington’s highest ridership Transitway station
- 2-1/2 minutes = Average time savings for Metroway riders starting at South Glebe, compared to previous Metrobus 9S service