The fare-paying app is necessary because the Red Line will be run like a trolley, and you'll pay either at the station or via app. The buses aren't going to stop long enough for people to queue up at the door and fish through their pockets for change; riders will be kept honest by random fare checks on the moving buses.
Wednesday I rolled downtown to the central bus terminal to get lunch at the City Market. After a pulled pork sandwich from Gomez BBQ, I walked back to the depot to catch a northbound Red Line bus to the Statehouse station so I could walk over to the State Museum a few blocks west.
Arriving at the depot, I discovered an unintended consequence of the way the Red Line is structured. The drivers have strict instructions to only let passengers on and off at the stations. The northbound bus was just pulling away as I arrived at the terminal...and got caught at a red light right there at Washington Street. This resulted in the bus having pulled maybe a dozen feet forward, but the driver wasn't allowed to let me board while we shrugged at each other over the awkward minute or so until he got his green light.
No real biggie, because the next bus was only ten minutes behind.
I spent an enjoyable hour roaming the State Museum and then hopped the Red Line home at about three, before traffic started up.
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| Giant sloth |
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| Short-faced bear |
