The District Department of Transportation has worked with other transit partners — including Metrobus, Metrorail and Capital Bikeshare — to ensure riders have options.
What about the options for the bus drivers? WTOP spoke to some of them at Union Station, who have worked for the D.C. Circulator for close to two decades.
Jerry Benjamin has 30 years as a bus driver under his belt. Before he spent 17 years working for the Circulator, he drove for Greyhound.
“I love to drive. I think I was born to drive,” said Benjamin.
Benjamin told WTOP that he loved meeting people from all walks of life.
While losing a job is always tough, it’s not the hardest thing his family has been dealing with.
“My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she just had both her breasts removed. So I’m going through a lot,” Benjamin said. “I’m just trying to maintain and trying to get in front of my bills.”
At 61, Benjamin laughed as he sat in the driver’s seat talking about how hard it is to start from the bottom at a new job.
One of the skills Benjamin said he has may help him at his possible new job as a school bus driver for Prince George’s County.
“I know how to diffuse situations. It’s like, if a passenger is having a bad day, and gets on here and I talk to him or something like that, by the time I finish with them, they’re like, ‘All right, thank you. Have a good day,’” Benjamin said.
Another driver that has spent 15 years driving for the Circulator is 66-year-old John Hawkins.
“It’s been a great job,” Hawkins said. “So this has been a blessing to me.”
Hawkins told WTOP he has no plans for the next two months career-wise other than taking a couple of classes in security.
“I’m going to rest and relax in between the classes,” laughed Hawkins.
According to Hawkins, most of his coworkers have transitioned to Metro, Dash, The Ride On and Prince George’s County Public Schools.
When asked what he will miss most about driving for the D.C. Circulator, Hawkins smiled and replied: “My passengers, believe it or not. The quietness of the Circulator.”
“We get them there safely and have a good time.”
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