The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is planning on improving Metrobus routes, expanding routes, and even eliminating routes in the DMV area. There are a total 27 bus routes that could be affected in D.C. proper specifically. The proposed changes were first announced on July 23, 2015, and the next public hearing will be held on September 17. To create the proposed changes, WMATA gathered data on ridership numbers, changes to routes, new developments, and costs. If these proposals are approved, they will go into effect some time between December 2015 to August 2016.
Below, you'll find the bullet points when it comes to the changes proposed for WMATA's bus lines in Washington, D.C., listed in alphabetical order. These changes are expected to help reduce crowding, improve timeliness of buses, and cut down on costs. When Curbed DC reached out to WMATA's Media Relations Department about the estimated funds that will be saved with these changes, there was no number given due to the uncertainty of which proposed changes will be approved. To see more information on the reasoning for the proposed changes, alternative transportation options, and visuals of the routes, check out the full document here.
If you want to tell WMATA your opinions on these changes, head to an information session at the Metro Headquarters Building at 6 p.m. and public hearing at 6:30 p.m. on September 17. The headquarters is located at 600 5th Street NW. Call 202-962-2511 or email speak@wmata.com with the name and organization affiliation of those who wish to speak at the public hearing to be able to make comments. Each member and organization is only given three minutes each to speak. To learn more about how you can register to speak, take a look at the docket here. You can also simply fill out a survey here.
5A DC-Dulles Line · 34 Pennsylvania Avenue Line · 54 14th Street Line · 63 Takoma-Petworth Line · 64 Fort Totten-Petworth Line · 79 Georgia Avenue MetroExtra Line · 80 North Capitol Street Line · 82 College Park Line · 93 U Street-Garfield Line · 97 East Capitol St-Cardozo Line · A8 Anacostia-Congress Heights Line · A42,46,48 Anacostia-Congress Heights Line · B8,9 Fort Lincoln Shuttle Line · D1 Glover Park-Federal Triangle Line · D3 Ivy City-Dupont Circle Line · D4 Ivy City-Franklin Square Line · E2 Fort Totten-Ivy City Line & E4 Military Road-Crosstown Line · G8 Rhode Island Avenue Line · H6 Brookland-Fort Totten Line · N3 Massachusetts Avenue Line · S9 16th Street MetroExtra Line · U8 Benning Heights Line · W4 Deanwood-Alabama Avenue Line · X1, X3 Benning Road Line · X3 Benning Road Line · X8 Maryland Avenue Line · X9 Benning Road-H Street Limited Line
5A DC-Dulles Line
Proposed Change: Eliminate the entire line
Reason: Not as many people ride the 5A bus since the Silver Line opened
34 Pennsylvania Avenue Line
Proposed Change: Eliminate route 34 on evenings and weekends
Reason: Most people ride the 32 or 36 bus
54 14th Street Line
Proposed Change: Shorten route by eliminating section between McPherson Square and L'Enfant Plaza; increase how often buses arrive between Takoma and McPherson Square
Reason: Too few riders south of McPherson Square and too many between Takoma Station and McPherson Square
63 Takoma-Petworth Line
Proposed Change: Add one AM peak trip
Reason: Reduce crowding
64 Fort Totten-Petworth Line
Proposed Change: Add one AM peak trip and one PM peak trip; add more time for buses to get from one end to the other
Reason: Reduce crowding; help buses be more on time
79 Georgia Avenue MetroExtra Line
Proposed Change: Add four AM peak and four PM peak trips
Reason: Reduce crowding
80 North Capitol Street Line
Proposed Change: Shorten route by eliminating service between McPherson Square and the Kennedy Center
Reason: Help buses be more on time
82 College Park Line
Proposed Change: Eliminate two AM peak and three PM peak trips
Reason: Too few riders
93 U Street-Garfield Line
Proposed Change: Eliminate the entire line
Reason: Too few riders
97 East Capitol St-Cardozo Line
Proposed Change: Add one AM peak trip
Reason: Reduce crowding
A8 Anacostia-Congress Heights Line
Proposed Change: Add one PM peak trip
Reason: Reduce crowding
A42,46,48 Anacostia-Congress Heights Line
Proposed Change: Eliminate section between Anacostia Metro station and Archives Metro station
Reason: Too few riders
B8,9 Fort Lincoln Shuttle Line
Proposed Change: Eliminate the entire line
Reason: Too few riders
D1 Glover Park-Federal Triangle Line
Proposed Change: Shorten route by eliminating section between Franklin Square and Federal Triangle; remove last PM trip
Reason: Too few riders
D3 Ivy City-Dupont Circle Line
Proposed Change: Eliminate the entire line
Reason: Too few riders
D4 Ivy City-Franklin Square Line
Proposed Change: Extend route from Franklin Square to the Kennedy Center
Reason: Help route 80 buses be more on time
E2 Fort Totten-Ivy City Line & E4 Military Road-Crosstown Line
Proposed Change: Add more time for buses to get from one end to the other
Reason: Help buses be more on time
G8 Rhode Island Avenue Line
Proposed Change: Add more time for buses to get from one end to the other; add extra three AM peak trips; shorten some AM peak trips to start at Brookland Station; add some PM peak trips between Brookland Station and Avondale
Reason: Help buses be more on time; reduce crowding
H6 Brookland-Fort Totten Line
Proposed Change: Reroute line in Fort Lincoln to go by the Costco and the new residential developments on Commodore Joshua Barney Drive
Reason: Service new developments; gain new riders
N3 Massachusetts Avenue Line
Proposed Change: Eliminate the entire line
Reason: Too few riders
S9 16th Street MetroExtra Line
Proposed Change: Add two AM peak trips and one PM peak trip
Reason: Reduce crowding
U8 Benning Heights Line
Proposed Change: Extend some peak trips to Congress Heights Metro station; more buses between East Capitol Street and Benning Road to Congress Heights
Reason: Reduce crowding
W4 Deanwood-Alabama Avenue Line
Proposed Change: Add more time for buses to get from one end to the other
Reason: Help buses be more on time
X1, X3 Benning Road Line
Proposed Change: Add more time for buses to get from one end to the other
Reason: Help buses be more on time
X3 Benning Road Line
Proposed Change: Eliminate section between Duke Ellington Bridge and Tenleytown-AU Station
Reason: Too few riders
X8 Maryland Avenue Line
Proposed Change: Add extra early morning and late night trips
Reason: Allow customers to make earlier or later trips
X9 Benning Road-H Street Limited Line
Proposed Change: Add more time for buses to get from one end to the other; add two AM peak trips and two PM peak trips
Reason: Help buses be more on time; reduce crowding
· All WMATA coverage [Curbed DC]