Mayor Bowser proposes bus service cuts

Mayor Bowser wants to cut DC Circulator service in half to save money.

What’s happening: The plan is part of the mayor’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year, pending the D.C. Council’s approval.

State of play: The cuts would get rid of three of the Circulator’s six routes — Rosslyn to Dupont Circle, Eastern Market to L’Enfant Plaza, and Woodley Park to McPherson Square Metro.

• The remaining three routes would continue to take riders between Georgetown and Union Station, Congress Heights and Union Station, and around the National Mall.

Between the lines: City administrator Kevin Donahue told reporters that electrifying the buses is increasing costs.

• He said the routes on the chopping block have low ridership compared to WMATA bus routes and would save the city millions of dollars.

Zoom out: The mayor noted that the proposed service cut comes as the D.C. Council considers other transit investments, like making Metrobus free.