Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)

Metrobus is a bus service operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Its fleet consists of 1,595 buses covering an area of 1,500 square miles (3,900 km2) in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.[2] There are 269 bus routes serving 11,129 stops, including 2,554 bus shelters.[2] In 2022, the system had a ridership of 90,123,200, or about 350,700 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2023.

WMATA Metrobus
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority BRT buses that are painted in the newer Local and Express paint schemes.
ParentWMATA
FoundedFebruary 4, 1973 (1973-02-04)[1]
HeadquartersWashington, D.C.
LocaleWashington Metropolitan Area
Service areaWashington Metropolitan Area
Service typeLocal, express, limited-stop, bus rapid transit
Routes269[2]
Stops11,129[2]
Fleet1,595[2]
Daily ridership350,700 (weekdays, Q2 2023)[3]
Annual ridership90,123,200 (2022)[4]
Fuel typeDiesel, Diesel-electric Hybrid, CNG, Electric
OperatorWMATA
General managerRandy Clarke
Websitewmata.com/bus

History

Metrobus was founded on February 4, 1973, after acquiring DC Transit, Washington, Virginia and Maryland Coach Company (WV&M), Alexandria, Barcroft and Washington Transit Company (AB&W) and the Washington Marlboro and Annapolis Motor Lines (WM&A) to combine into Metrobus.[1][5] During its founding, WMATA dropped transfer charges, extended senior citizen discounts region-wide and began fare reductions on routes formerly served by the different carriers at different rates. WMATA also unified a new bus livery with red, white and blue paint scheme and purchased 620 buses from AM General with the last buses being delivered in 1974.[6] Today, Metrobus serves the nation's capital 24/7, with over 1,500 buses.

Fares
See also: SmarTrip
Metrobus farebox and SmarTrip reader.

As of June 25, 2017, the Metrobus fare structure is as follows for cash and SmarTrip:[7]

  • Local bus routes within the District of Columbia, Central Maryland and Northern Virginia: $2.00
  • Express bus routes (17B, 17G, 17K, 17L, 17M, 18G, and 18P): $4.25
  • Express Airport bus routes (5A and B30): $7.50

Discounts are available for senior citizens, people with disabilities and D.C. students.

Up to two children, per paying adult, under 5 years of age ride for free. Children at least 5 years of age pay adult fare.

All Metrobuses have SmarTrip card readers which automatically deduct the correct fare from a rider's SmarTrip card (including transfer credit).

Metrobus issued paper transfers until January 4, 2009. Transfers are now currently attainable only through SmarTrip cards.

On June 27, 2010, the transfer window was reduced from 3 hours to 2 hours.[8]

All fares were free from mid-March 2020 to January 3, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] On December 6, 2022, the Council of the District of Columbia voted to abolish fares within city limits from July 1, 2023.[10]

Fleet
Main article: Metrobus fleet (Washington, D.C.)
The interior of a New Flyer D40LFR Suburban

On July 4, 2018, WMATA awarded a 5-year contract to New Flyer for up to 694 buses, order consist of forty-foot CNG, forty-foot clean diesel, sixty-foot CNG, and sixty-foot diesel heavy-duty transit buses.[11] These new buses will replace Metro's older New Flyer Low Floor buses, which were delivered between 2005 and 2007. Red/Silver painted buses will be used on local routes and Blue/Silver buses will be used on limited stop routes. These buses will have either Local or MetroExtra on the top of each side of the bus for easy identification.[12]

In 2020, WMATA received $4.1 million in funding from the Federal Transit Administration for the purchase of electric buses and charging infrastructure. A Sierra Club report indicated that a pilot study with 14 electric buses was planned, and estimated that 50% electrification would reduce the WMATA fleet's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 58,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.[13]

Divisions
Metrobus's original bus stop sign used from 1973 to June 2012
Metrobus's new bus stop sign, used as of June 2012

There are 9 divisions (a.k.a. depots) in the Metrobus system.[14]

Division Location Areas served Capacity Notes
Andrews Federal Center[15] 38.829570°N 76.882310°W / 38.829570; -76.882310 Southwest DC, Prince George's County 175 Opened June 23, 2019[16]
Bladensburg 38.922930°N 76.970020°W / 38.922930; -76.970020 Northeast and Southeast DC 257 Plans to be rebuilt.[17]
Cinder Bed Road[18] 38.743190°N 77.183030°W / 38.743190; -77.183030 Fairfax County 160
  • Opened December 30, 2018
  • Was contracted by TransDev from opening[19] until December 26, 2021.[20]
Four Mile Run 38.843040°N 77.053700°W / 38.843040; -77.053700 Arlington County, Fairfax County, City of Alexandria 218
Landover 38.936230°N 76.875320°W / 38.936230; -76.875320 Prince George's County 210
Montgomery 39.047630°N 77.109230°W / 39.047630; -77.109230 Montgomery County 240
Southern Avenue Annex 38.872710°N 76.931990°W / 38.872710; -76.931990 Southeast DC, Prince George's County 103 Operates Weekdays only, formerly known as "Prince George's" Division up until 1989
Shepherd Parkway 38.815040°N 77.017170°W / 38.815040; -77.017170 Southeast and Southwest DC, Prince George's County 250 Opened in 2012, to be converted into a CNG garage.[21] Currently undergoing modifications to hold electric buses.
Western 38.958530°N 77.085510°W / 38.958530; -77.085510 Northwest DC 138

Closed depots
Division Location Areas served Capacity Notes
Arlington 38.878120°N 77.108963°W / 38.878120; -77.108963 Arlington County, Fairfax County Closed in 2009, replaced by West Ox Division
Northern 38.946860°N 77.032380°W / 38.946860; -77.032380 Northwest DC 175 Former trolley barn for the Capital Traction Company; closed June 23, 2019 due to structural issues, planned to be rebuilt[22]
Southeastern 38.876080°N 77.007870°W / 38.876080; -77.007870 Southeast and Southwest DC Closed in 2008; operations moved to Southern Avenue until the Shepherd Parkway Division opened in 2012
Royal Street 38.810950°N 77.042800°W / 38.810950; -77.042800 Fairfax County, City of Alexandria 83 Closed in 2014, Replaced by the Cinder Bed Division; Demolished in January 2020.[23]
West Ox 38.852840°N 77.372760°W / 38.852840; -77.372760 Arlington County, Fairfax County 100 Operated Weekdays only, shared with Fairfax Connector. Temporarily closed on March 14, 2021; All operations were moved to Four Mile Run Division.[24]

Routes
Main article: List of Metrobus routes (Washington, D.C.)

Numbering

Most Metrobus routes follow the rules below:[25]

  • Metrobus routes in Washington, D.C. have either a two digit number (31, 42, 64, etc.) or a letter followed by a number (A2, S2, X8, etc.)
  • Metrobus routes in Montgomery County, MD have a letter followed by a number (C4, Q4, Z6, etc.)
  • Metrobus routes in Prince George's County, MD have a letter followed by two numbers (F12, J12, P12, etc.)
  • Metrobus routes in Northern Virginia have one or two numbers followed by a letter (1A, 16C, 29N, etc.)

Odd-numbered routes are typically part-time variants of even-numbered routes.

Richmond Highway Express
Main article: Richmond Highway Express
A 2011 New Flyer XDE40 Metrobus at King Street–Old Town station displaying the 'RICHMOND HIGHWAY EXPRESS' destination sign.

Richmond Highway Express, a.k.a. "REX", is a Limited-Stop bus line that operates between King Street–Old Town station and Fort Belvoir along the Richmond Highway corridor in Fairfax County, Virginia. All REX runs take place on board on any local bus from Cinder Bed Division. REX began service on September 26, 2004, replacing parts of the now-former route 9A (which operated between Huntington and Pentagon stations until it was eliminated on June 26, 2016).[26] The original REX bus fleet consisted of 12 now-retired 2000 Orion 06.501 (VI) buses wrapped (but not painted) in the blue-and-gold color scheme (2073–2084) before the aforementioned Orion 07.501 CNG buses arrived in 2006. The second REX fleet consisted of 12 now-retired 2006 Orion 07.501 (VII) CNG buses (2674–2685) painted in the blue-and-gold color scheme until they were all repainted between June and August 2014. The third REX fleet were consisted of 12 2010 New Flyer DE40LFA diesel-electric hybrid buses (6550–6561) painted in the blue-and-gold color scheme before being repainted from June 2018 back into the Red Local Scheme due to the units being rehabilitated. The fourth and most recent REX fleet consisted of 12 2008 New Flyer DE40LFA buses painted in the blue-and-gold color scheme. The entire REX fleet has been retired as of December 26, 2021; from that date onward, the REX route has been operated entirely with regular Metrobuses.

MetroExtra
MetroExtra
The MetroExtra logo
A 2007 New Flyer C40LFR bus painted in WMATA's MetroExtra current color scheme running on Route 39

MetroExtra is a limited-stop Metrobus service, which operates on Metrobus lines that need extra service with faster trips. MetroExtra started service on March 19, 2007, with the 79 that operates between the Silver Spring and Archives stations on the 7th Street/Georgia Avenue corridor.[27]

Metroway
Main article: Metroway
Metroway
The Metroway logo
Bus 2986, one of the 13 2016 New Flyer XN40s which replaced the 2014 NABI 42 BRTs (8002–8014) that originally ran the route

Metroway is a bus rapid transit (BRT) service that began on August 24, 2014. The first phase is the Crystal City/Potomac Yard Transitway, which operates on Route 1 in Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia.[28] It is a 5-mile (8.0 km) corridor with 33 platforms and 20 stations located between Pentagon City and Braddock Road.[29] The first 0.8 mile segment in Alexandria runs on a transit lane only. The Arlington County segment began construction in the summer of 2014 and opened April 17, 2016. Metroway originally operated between the Braddock Road and Crystal City stations and was expanded to Pentagon City in April 2016.[30] Thirteen 2016 New Flyer Xcelsior XN40 CNG buses (2981–2993) operate with the blue-and-white Metroway livery. The original Metroway fleet consisted of thirteen 2014 NABI 42 BRT diesel-electric hybrid buses (8002–8014) until they were all repainted in December 2016. The Metroway service, which is operated by Metrobus' Four Mile Run bus division, features dedicated bus lanes, transit signal priority, real-time information, custom designed shelters and stations, as well as near-level boarding at station platforms. A Metroway fare costs the same as Metrobus, which is $2.00 (using cash & SmarTrip).

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Metrobus (Washington, D.C.).

References
  1. "Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Compact" (PDF). www.wmata.com. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  2. "Metro Facts 2017" (PDF). www.wmata.com. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. 2017. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 2, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  3. "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  4. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2022" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  5. "History". Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  6. "Metro History" (PDF). WMATA. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2008. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  7. "June 25, 2017 Fare and Service Changes Brochure" (PDF). www.wmata.com. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  8. "Fare adjustments take effect Sunday" (Press release). WMATA. June 25, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  9. "Metrobus riders return to boarding through front door, paying fares on Sunday, January 3 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  10. "Free ride: DC unveils bold plan to boost public transit". December 12, 2022.
  11. "WMATA upgrades fleet with up to 694 new buses from New Flyer/". www.newflyer.com. New Flyer. July 4, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  12. "Metro begins express bus service and other improvements to 16th Street Line" (Press release). WMATA. March 30, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  13. "A Vision for Climate Leadership in Washington, D.C. - Seizing the Economic, Climate, and Public Health Benefits of Electrifying WMATA's Public Bus Fleet" (PDF). Sierra Club. 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  14. "2017 Metrobus Fleet Management Plan" (PDF). Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  15. "Hensel Phelps Awarded WMATA Andrews Federal Bus Garage". Hensel Phelps. June 19, 2014.
  16. "Metro opens new Andrews Bus Garage, ends cash-free pilot effective with bus service changes June 23". Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  17. "Proposed Reconstruction of the Bladensburg Bus Garage". Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  18. "WMATA Cinder Bed Road Division". Wendel Companies. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
  19. "Metro awards contract for new bus facility in Virginia". www.wmata.com. WMATA. August 2, 2018.
  20. "Metrobus to implement service changes, improve reliability effective Sunday, December 26 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  21. "FY2021 Budget Strengthening Metro to Better Serve the Region" (PDF). Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  22. Dodds, Alex. "WMATA plans to rebuild its 14th Street bus garage with retail, and keep its diesel fleet for now". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  23. Guerguerian, Rosemary (December 11, 2019). "Bye, Bye Bus Barn". The Zebra. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  24. "Metrobus to expand service on weekdays, restore additional routes on weekends effective March 14 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  25. Rowlands, DW; Alpert, David (September 20, 2018). "8W? 30N? U7? How Metrobus numbers came to be". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  26. Fehr, Stephen (August 19, 2004). "Bus Service to Expand, Shift". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  27. "New MetroExtra provides faster Metrobus service along Georgia Avenue" (Press release). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. March 19, 2007. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  28. Lazo, Luz (August 23, 2014). "Metroway, the region's first bus rapid transit, to debut in Northern Virginia". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  29. "Route". Metroway. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  30. Smith, Max (April 17, 2016). "New bus-only lanes open along Jefferson Davis Highway". WTOP. WTOP. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
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