METRO KEEPING NEW BUS ROUTES UNDER WRAPS UNTIL AUGUST 16 
Every route sign at every bus stop in Metro’s service area should now have a plastic bag over its head, the transit agency says. Printed on those bags: the same old bus route numbers that’ve always been there, along with a couple of helpful phone numbers. Info on how the route will be changed come late summer should appear on verticalĂ‚Â add-on signs lower on each pole. The great citywide bus-stop-sign unbagging (revealing the sign makeovers hidden underneath) is scheduled to take place just before August 16, the day Metro’s revamped route network debuts. [Metro; previously on Swamplot] Photo: Metro
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Perhaps they’ll have express buses that will take people downtown or the galleria from key residential areas both in and out of the loop, encouraging people not to drive there and boosting business in the tunnels and encouraging development of storefronts.
I fully expect the unveiling of the new bus routes to be poorly handled. About 2 months ago, several routes were re-routed without notice, leaving riders to figure out the location of new stops and times in real-time. Further, it took an additional 2 weeks to update the Metro website with the new information. Good times.
It would require some kind of effort to see what was under those bags.
I fully expect a (chaotic) transitional period. I’m so glad the park & ride service routes will not be impacted.
Actually, after thinking about that, it’s a pretty smart plan from Metro for once. Metro can update signage ahead of time so all that’s left at the 11th hour is quickie bag tear-down. And on the cheap. Now, consider: what confusion when the bag is taken down sooner than scheduled? They ought to put up the route-reconfiguration-signs today or soonly, too.
Really? I’ve yet to see one replaced and bagged, either in my neighborhood or downtown. If they think they’re done, they’ve got another think coming.