WASHINGTON — Hundreds of D.C. bus drivers are worried about providing for their families now that they are out of a job.
On Monday, employees of the DC Circulator received notices of permanent layoffs. This comes after the city cut the bus lines from its budget this year.
The layoffs are a devastating blow to so many families, but the termination of the DC Circulator also has an impact on the community, especially for people in Ward 8 who ride the Circulator to get to the Ward's only grocery store, Giant, on Alabama Avenue, SE. In a part of town lacking in amenities and resources, the DC Circulator bus provided a direct and accessible route to the Giant. And while you can catch WMATA’s W8, you would have to get off the bus and switch lines to get to the Congress Heights Metro station.
“I think it’s a bad time to be laying off a lot of people and shutting down the Circulator,” added Annette Goode. "It’s convenient for people, gets them to work on time and back home on time. I hope and pray they come up with some other decision.”
The FY25 budget eliminated the DC Circulator. The buses werw established in 2005 to offer rides to tourist attractions for $1. According to Sharon Kershbaum, acting director of the District’s Department of Transportation, ridership is down 65% and the bus line would need more than $100 million to survive. The loss of the service means jobs are on the chopping block too.
“How am I going to support my family and my everyday living knowing the job I love to do is coming to an end?” DC Circulator driver Thomas Davis asked. "Finding a new job is not that easy.”
“I’m a single father of three so that’s a lot of pressure on me especially since the turnover is right around the corner,” added fellow driver, Jeffery Covington.
Covington and Davis said they and more than 200 other drivers, mechanics and supervisors received a letter Monday informing them of the permanent layoffs starting Sept. 30.
“There are a lot of ADA (American with Disabilities Act) passengers who depend on Circulator, folks who need a ride up the street to go to grocery store,” Covington said.
“We are the only bus that runs the route on the National Mall, and we have a lot of people who come to town and expect to use that,” Davis added.
DDOT said they will continue the National Mall route for now, but will begin phasing out the service starting Oct. 1.
“It’s stressful -- I shed my tears," Covington admitted. "I’m OK now, but it’s definitely hard on drivers to continue on working with the pressures because they really do know what’s next."
The layoff letter indicates there will be series of layoffs that will occur until December. According to union rules, employees are to get at least 60 days notice before getting a pink slip.
WUSA9 reached out to RATP DEV USA, the company which owned the Circulator and received a statement that said, in part, "Employees have not been given pink slips at this time, rather WARN notices that Circulator will no longer operate after December 31, 2024. All DC Circulator employees are encouraged to apply for positions within the Metro System through the standard application process."
Beginning Oct. 1, the following route adjustments will be implemented:
- Termination of the Rosslyn-Dupont Circle route
- Elimination of late-night service on the Woodley Park-Adams Morgan and Georgetown-Union Station routes
- Remaining routes will operate on 20-minute headways, a 10-minute increase from current arrival times.
- The Woodley Park-Adams Morgan, Georgetown-Union Station, Congress Heights-Union Station, and Eastern Market-L’Enfant Plaza routes will end service at 9 p.m. daily instead of midnight.
- The National Mall route will continue to operate until 7 p.m. daily.