Riders’ Take: Best Tips for DCTA Travel in the Winter

December 13, 2018

The winter holiday is filled with snowy adventures, Christmas lights and a lot of joy and cheer! It can also bring about inclement weather which can affect your experience when you ride DCTA. Each year, we like to provide riders with our top tips on how to safely use our system in the winter. However, we’ve flipped the script this year and sought out advice from those who navigate our system daily – our riders!

 

Check out some of the best tips we received from our very own passengers on how to best prep for and travel via any DCTA during the winter season:

 

Tip #1: Don’t Wait – Buy Your Ticket Via Mobile

This tip comes from Alyson Lozada. She advised other passengers to buy their fare on the GoPass℠ mobile app beforehand in the app so when attendants ask for their ticket you don’t have to dig around in your winter coat pockets for a stub. This is extremely helpful and one we agree with as you don’t want to stand around in the cold searching for fare when you can have it ready on hand and walk right in to our cozy vehicles to get to your destination.

 

Tip #2: Wear the “Right” Shoes

Our second tip comes from Sharon Wilson. She encourages other riders to wear good shoes, so their feet stay warm and they don’t trip while on DCTA vehicles or platform. We know some of you love your fashionable and hipster shoes, but we encourage you to take Sharon’s advice so that your toes stay warm during the winter season.

 

Tip #3: Be in the Know Before You Go

Another great tip comes from Kevin Burns. He thinks it’s important for riders to follow DCTA on their social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for Rider Alerts for all the latest news and updates so they know before they go. This pearl of wisdom is very significant during the winter as we can sometimes experience service delays, route updates, etc. because of winter weather. Knowing these updates is vital so that you know when to catch your ride and not being stuck in the cold.

 

Tip #4: Give Yourself Ample Time

This great tip comes from Stacey Archip. She mentioned that passengers should give themselves plenty of time, so they’re not rushed. This is great info to keep in mind and is one of our top “how to ride” tips we mention constantly so you don’t have the stress of missing your ride.

 

Tip #5: Stay Alert and Pay Attention

Our final tip comes from Marsha Halpain. She said to pay attention to your surroundings because it will

probably be dark depending on the hours you travel. “Falling back” is great because it does give you that extra hour of sleep, but you also must be mindful that it does get dark earlier and you want to make sure you stay alert. Remember – if you see something, say something!

Thanks to our riders for providing us with their great winter weather travel tips! Did you have a tip you’d like to share? Drop us a comment below.

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