Metro is testing a new system they say will help rail riders catch their connecting bus a little easier.
New strobing bus transfer lights at some bus stops located outside of Metrorail stations will alert operators when a train is approaching the station during off-peak hours so they can delay the bus by up to five minutes, giving people exiting the train a little more time to catch their bus connection.
Metro said in a news release that the bus transfer lights are going to be near bus stops that serve lower-frequency routes, “where missing a bus by a few minutes may delay an important trip by 30 minutes to an hour.”
The goal is to reduce bus waiting times, especially at night.
The daily off-peak hours are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to midnight.
The new bus signal testing began on Saturday at the Greenbelt station where the light signal alerts bus operators on the C2 route of trains approaching near the time their bus is scheduled to depart the station.
