Spot a double-decker commuter bus in DC, this month only
OmniRide's double-decker bus. Image by the author.
OmniRide, which runs commuter buses on I-66 and I-95 from Prince William County into DC and other job centers, is testing out a double-decker bus. You may spot it this week, and maybe next, plying the region's highways and streets.
For now, there's only one double-decker bus. OmniRide is running it as a short term experiment, to gauge riders' reactions and to test whether the agency wants to buy double-deckers permanently. The double-decker began running Monday, April 8, and will run for “about eight days,” according to OmniRide Executive Director Bob Schneider.
The double-deckers have 81 seats, compared to 57 on a normal single-level OmniRide bus.
Although double-deckers are not otherwise used by any transit agency in the Washington region, double-decker tour buses are common in DC, and transit agencies in other cities do use them. For example, suburban Seattle's Community Transit runs more than 60 of them.
Keep your eyes peeled, and if you do see OmniRide's double-decker, leave a photo of it in the comments below, tag GGWash on Instagram, or upload it to the GGWash Flickr Group!