Pennsylvania Avenue Line (Washington, D.C.)

The Pennsylvania Avenue Line, designated Routes 32 and 36 (formerly served by Routes 30 and 35 as well), is a daily Metrobus route in Washington, D.C., Operating between the Southern Avenue station or Naylor Road station of the Green Line of the Washington Metro and Potomac Park. Until the 1960s, it was a streetcar line, opened in 1862 by the Washington and Georgetown Railroad as the first line in the city.

See also: Wisconsin Avenue Line

32, 36
Pennsylvania Avenue Line
Route 32 in Federal Triangle
Overview
SystemMetrobus
OperatorWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
GarageAndrews Federal Center, Shepherd Parkway
Began serviceJuly 29, 1862 (streetcar)[1]
1936 (bus)[2]
PredecessorsWashington and Georgetown Railroad, Naylor Road Line, Routes 30 and 35
Route
LocalePrince George's County, Southeast, Southwest, Northwest
Communities servedFoggy Bottom, Federal Triangle, Capitol Hill, Downtown, Barney Circle, Fairlawn, Good Hope, Naylor Gardens, Hillcrest
Landmarks servedPotomac Park, Foggy Bottom-GWU station, White House, Federal Triangle, Archives station, National Mall, U.S. Capitol, Eastern Market station, Potomac Avenue station, L’Enfant Square, Hillcrest (36), Naylor & Good Hope Roads SE (32), Southern Avenue station (32), Naylor Road station (36)
StartPotomac Park
Via23rd Street NW, H Street NW (to Southern Avenue/Naylor Road), I Street NW (to Potomac Park), Pennsylvania Avenue NW/SE, Naylor Road SE, Branch Avenue SE (36), Alabama Avenue SE (32)
EndSouthern Avenue station (32)
Naylor Road station (36)
Length32 (inbound): 9.5 miles (15.29 km)
36 (inbound): 9.2 miles (14.81 km)
Service
LevelDaily
Frequency10 - 24 minutes (7 AM - 9 PM)
30 - 60 minutes (After 9 PM)
Operates4:00 AM - 1:57 AM
TransfersSmarTrip only
TimetablePennsylvania Avenue Line
← 31  {{{system_nav}}}  38B →

The current routing also incorporates portions of the Naylor Road Line, formerly a standalone route.

Current route

Routes 32 and 36 begin at the Potomac Park apartments near the Foggy Bottom–GWU station and follow H and I Streets to Pennsylvania Avenue. Both buses routes travel across Southeast and over the Sousa Bridge. At L'Enfant Square, the routes separate. Route 32 takes Naylor Road and Alabama Avenue, while Route 36 continues along Pennsylvania to Branch Avenue. Route 32 terminates at the Southern Avenue station, just across the Maryland border, while Route 36 finishes at Naylor Road station, also in Maryland. Both stations are served by the Green Line.

Routes 32 and 36 operate seven days a week. Both routes are supplemented by the Wisconsin Avenue Line, operated by Routes 31 and 33, which traverse the same route as the 32 and 36, but continue north along Wisconsin Avenue to Friendship Heights station. As of November 2022, the 34 Route has been suspended and the 32 and 36 have increased service.

Both lines currently operates out of Andrews Federal Center division with some trips operated out of Shepherd Parkway division. Prior to being moved to Andrews, the line operated both out of Bladensburg and Western division at some points.

Route 32 stops

Route 36 stops

History

The Pennsylvania Avenue Line was the main line of the Capital Traction Company, connecting Georgetown to the Navy Yard. As authorized in the charter, it began at M Street North and Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown, and headed east and southeast across Rock Creek on the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge (shared with the Washington Aqueduct). Because the White House and Capitol lie directly in the line of Pennsylvania Avenue, diversions were made around the White House to the north and east via 15th Street Northwest and around the south edge of the Capitol Grounds. At the time, this meant that it turned south along the current western boundary (First Street West) between the two traffic circles, but continued to curve southeast and east to the intersection of A Street South and First Street East, where Pennsylvania Avenue restarted. The line continued along Pennsylvania Avenue to Eighth Street Southeast, turning south to end at the Navy Yard. A branch to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad station ran northeast from Pennsylvania Avenue and First Street West to New Jersey Avenue and B Street North, heading east on B Street and south just east of the Capitol to rejoin the main line.[3][4] Trains began running between the Capitol and White House on July 29, 1862, and the line was extended west to Washington Circle on August 12, Georgetown on August 18, and east to the Navy Yard on October 2.[1] Connections could also be made to the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station at Sixth Street once it opened in 1872.

On March 3, 1875, the Washington and Georgetown and Metropolitan Railroad were "directed to take up such portions of their tracks as may come in way of the improvement of the Capitol Grounds".[3] This improvement gave the Capitol Grounds their present shape, bounded by First Street West and East and B Street North and South, and the Pennsylvania Avenue Line was moved to First Street West and B Street South.[5] The B&O station branch was moved to First Avenue West and C Street North, ending at New Jersey Avenue; this had been the route of the B&O before its tracks (actually those of the Alexandria and Washington Railroad) were ripped up in 1872.

Also on March 3, 1875, the Washington and Georgetown was required to move its line from the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge to the M Street Bridge via 26th Street West.[3] The old bridge was reconstructed in the mid-1910s, with Capital Traction paying one-third of the cost, and cars moved back to Pennsylvania on July 7, 1916 (eastbound), and July 15 (westbound).[6]

On August 23, 1894, the company was required to, within a year, build a union station at the Georgetown end of the Aqueduct Bridge and extend its line west to it, where passengers could transfer to lines into Virginia.[3]

The Pennsylvania Avenue Line was extended southeast to the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge over the Anacostia River in the late 1890s, with some cars running there and some continuing to serve the Navy Yard.

A loop off the line through the West End of Washington was authorized on June 4, 1900[6] and opened on March 24, 1901.[7] Westbound cars could turn south on 17th Street West, west on G Street North, and north on 25th Street West to return to Pennsylvania Avenue, while the eastbound track was laid in 26th Street West, F Street North, and 17th Street West. A track in G Street between 25th and 26th Streets allowed for a short-turn service, reversing direction at 26th Street.[5][8]

On May 23, 1908, Congress authorized extensions of several companies to serve the new Union Station. The Capital Traction's branch to the old B&O station was extended east on C Street and northeast on Delaware Avenue to the station, and a second route between this branch and the tracks towards the east ran via First Street East and B Street North to Delaware Avenue (over trackage owned by other companies).[6][8]

A second loop through the West End was approved on December 7, 1916, from Pennsylvania Avenue south to Virginia Avenue near West Potomac Park via 18th and 19th Streets.[9]

After consolidation

After Capital Traction and the Washington Railway and Electric Company were merged in 1933 to form the Capital Transit Company, some of the redundant lines were abandoned. This included the WR&E's Georgetown line between Connecticut and Wisconsin Avenues, resulting in Cabin John Line and Tenleytown Line cars, and cars of other lines that ran to Georgetown, being routed via Pennsylvania Avenue between Georgetown and the White House. When numbers were assigned to the car routes in 1936, the following regular routes used the Pennsylvania Avenue Line:

  • 10, Rosslyn to Kenilworth via the Pennsylvania Avenue Line and ex-WR&E Columbia Line (discontinued May 1, 1949)
  • 20, Cabin John to Union Station via the ex-WR&E Cabin John Line and Pennsylvania Avenue Line (discontinued January 3, 1960)
  • 30, Friendship Heights to Barney Circle via the ex-WR&E Tennallytown Line and Pennsylvania Avenue Line (discontinued January 3, 1960)
  • 54, Brightwood to the Navy Yard via the Fourteenth Street Line and Pennsylvania Avenue Line (discontinued January 28, 1962)
  • 80, Rosslyn to Brookland via the Pennsylvania Avenue Line and ex-WR&E Brookland Line (discontinued September 7, 1958)
  • 82, Potomac Park to Branchville via the Pennsylvania Avenue Line and ex-WR&E Maryland Line (discontinued September 7, 1958)
  • 90, Calvert Street Bridge to Barney Circle via the U Street Line, New Jersey Avenue Line, and Pennsylvania Avenue Line (discontinued January 28, 1962)

Thus Pennsylvania Avenue Line streetcars (Route 30) were discontinued on January 3, 1960, and the tracks east of 14th Street Northwest were last used on January 28, 1962. Route 54 buses still serve a small part of Pennsylvania Avenue, used by the 50 streetcar line.

The East Washington Heights Traction Company's streetcars, which ran from Barney Circle to Randle Highlands via the Sousa Bridge, were replaced by buses on December 1, 1923, originally numbered Route C2 in 1936, before eventually being renamed as routes, "32 & 34". The 32 streetcar line operated between Shipley Terrace & Friendship Heights; while the 34 streetcar line operated between Hillcrest & Friendship Heights.

The Capital Traction Company began operating buses to Hillcrest and Good Hope on December 23, 1924,[2] originally numbered as Route C6 in 1936, before eventually being renamed as routes, "35 & 36". Both the 35 & 36 bus routes operated between Hillcrest & Friendship Heights, just like the 34 bus route, only with the exception that 35 & 36 would divert off of the intersection of Naylor Road SE onto the intersection of Branch Avenue SE, then operate on Branch Avenue SE, before operating on Pennsylvania Avenue SE, while 34 would remain straight on Naylor Road SE, then divert onto 23rd Street SE (to Friendship Heights), 25th Street SE (to Hillcrest), and Minnesota Avenue SE (to Hillcrest), before operating on Pennsylvania Avenue SE.

Later, routes 32, 34, 35, and 36 would operate under DC Transit after streetcars were phased out.[10] Routes 30, 32, 34, 35, and 36 eventually became Metrobus routes on February 4, 1973 when WMATA acquired DC Transit and three other transit agencies all operating their original routes.[11]

Service Changes
Route 36 in 2008

On July 15, 1977, when Potomac Avenue, Eastern Market, Federal Triangle, McPherson Square, Farragut West, and Foggy Bottom–GWU stations opened, the 32, 34, 35, and 36 began serving each of those Metro Stations in the middle of their routes. No route changes were made during this particular time.

On April 30, 1983, when Archives station opened, the 32, 34, 35, & 36 began serving Archives station in the middle of their routes. No route changes were made during this particular time. However, the 30 streetcar line, which had been discontinued, was reincarnated to operate as a new Metrobus Route between Archives station and Friendship Heights.

On August 25, 1984 when Friendship Heights station opened, the 30, 32, 34, 35, and 36 were all extended from their original Friendship Heights terminus at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue NW and Western Avenue NW, to instead terminate at the newly opened Friendship Heights station. During this same exact time, the 30, 32, 34, 35, and 36 also began serving the newly opened Tenleytown–AU station. The routes remained on Wisconsin Avenue instead of diverting onto Fort Drive Road and 40th Street to serve Tenleytown.

On January 13, 2001 when both Naylor Road & Southern Avenue stations opened, routes 34, 35, and 36 were extended south of their original Naylor Gardens (34 and 35) and Hillcrest (36) terminus, to instead terminate at the newly opened Naylor Road station while the 32 was extended south of its original Shipley Terrace terminus, to instead terminate at the newly opened Southern Avenue station. Route 30 was also extended to operate all the way between the Friendship Heights and Potomac Avenue station. The 35 was rerouted on 30th Street between Erie Street and Naylor Road and route. 36 was extended via 31st, Erie and 30th streets and Naylor Road. Route 30 was not affected by the changes.[12]

Route 32 in 2014 when it was still serving Friendship Heights.

On June 29, 2008, there were several major changes made to the Pennsylvania Avenue Line as part of a restructuring effort after proposals from riders.[13]

The 30, 34 and 35 routes were completely discontinued and replaced by new routes 31, 37, and 39, plus the existing routes 32, 36. The 34 was replaced by a new route M5 under the Naylor Road Line, which would operate between the Naylor Road station & Eastern Market station. Route 30 which only operated during weekday peak-hours only, was replaced by the brand new route 37 under the Wisconsin Avenue Limited Line, which was designed to operate as a limited-stop MetroExtra Route, that would provide express service between Friendship Heights station & Archives station which was route 30's routing from 1984 to 2001.[14]

WMATA also created a new route 39 under the Pennsylvania Avenue Limited Line to provide new limited stop Metrobus service between the Naylor Road station and Foggy Bottom during weekday peak-hours only like the 37.[14] WMATA also created a new route 31 under the Wisconsin Avenue Line to provide extra service between Foggy Bottom–GWU station & Friendship Heights, to ease up crowding on the 32 and 36.[14]

On December 28, 2008, the M5 was renamed as Route 34 which was also extended to Archives station. The new 34 would operate between Naylor Road station and Archives station operating on portions of routes 32 and 36. Additionally, 34 operated as part of the Naylor Road Line, instead of operating as part of the Pennsylvania Avenue Line instead.[15]

In 2013, WMATA announced proposals to simplify the busy Pennsylvania Avenue Line and Naylor Road Line.[16] Under the proposals, Routes 32 and 36 will terminate at Foggy Bottom with a new 30s line to replace portions of the 32, and 36, and discontinue the 34 with four options to replace the 32 and 36. According to WMATA, it proposes the following:[17]

  • Option 1: Same as Route 32 between Southern Avenue and Potomac Avenue Station SE, then west to Georgetown via Lincoln Park, Union Station, and Thomas Circle, and then follow Route 31 between Georgetown and Friendship Heights.
  • Option 2: Same as Route 32 between Southern Avenue and Eastern Market, then west to Georgetown via 8th Street, Massachusetts Avenue, Union Station, and Thomas Circle, and then follow Route 31 between Georgetown and Friendship Heights.
  • Option 3: Same as Route 32 between Southern Avenue and Independence Ave & 7th St SW, then west to Foggy Bottom via Independence Ave, 17th St SW, Virginia Ave, and Washington Circle, and then follow Route 31 to Friendship Heights.
  • Option 4: Same as Route 32 between Southern Avenue and Anacostia Freeway SE, then west to Foggy Bottom via Anacostia Freeway, Southeast/Southwest Freeway, Maine Avenue, 17th St SW, Virginia Ave, and Washington Circle, and then follow Route 31 to Friendship Heights.

This was in order to improve service frequency, reliability and efficiency of 30s Line routes and provide transfer-free bus service between Southeast DC and Upper Northwest that bypasses downtown traffic congestion.[17]

On August 24, 2014, changes were made to the Pennsylvania Avenue Line as part of another reconstructing effort.[18]

Route 32 & 36 were both rerouted to operate to Foggy Bottom–GWU station, instead of operating to Friendship Heights station being replacing 30N and 30S which covers the same routes as route 32 and 36.[19] Both the 30N and 30S would operate 24 hours a day with each trips every hour from each other.

A new route 33 was also introduced to operate alongside the 31. The 33 provides service along Wisconsin Avenue NW to provide discontinued service from the 32 and 36 lines running from Friendship Heights station and Federal Triangle.[20]

The 32 and 36 will operate alongside the 34 with the Naylor Road Line name being discontinued and replaced by the current Pennsylvania Avenue Line name.

In 2015, WMATA proposed to eliminate all evening and weekend service for route 34 due to riders mostly riding routes 30N, 30S, 32, and 36.[21]

On March 27, 2016, route 34 discontinued all late-night service after 9:19 PM and all weekend service, with alternative service provided by the 30N and 36.[22]

Beginning on December 15, 2019, routes 32, 34, and 36 along with routes 30N, 30S, and 39 were rerouted to travel across the National Mall along 4th Street between Pennsylvania Avenue NW and Independence Avenue SW towards Archives, Friendship Heights and Potomac Park instead of 7th Street to provide a more direct service to the route.[23]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all route 34 service was suspended and all route 32 and 36 service was reduced to operate on its Saturday supplemental schedule beginning on March 16, 2020.[24] However beginning on March 18, 2020, route 32 and 36 was further reduced to operate on its Sunday schedule.[25] Service on weekends were also suspended being replaced by the 30N and 30S that operated every 30 minutes.[26] On August 23, 2020, route 32 and 36 service had their normal weekday schedule restored with an increased weekend service to replace weekend route 30N and 30S service which was suspended. However, route 34 remained suspended.[27]

During WMATA's 2021 fiscal year budget, it was proposed for the 34 to be fully eliminated as it overlaps both routes 32 and 36 in order to simplify the 30s line.[28] However WMATA later backed out the elimination of the 34 on April 2, 2020.[29] The 34 elimination was brought back on February 20, 2021 during WMATA's FY2022 budget.[30]

On September 5, 2021, the line was increased to operate every 12 minutes daily between both the 32 and 36.[31] This also essentially eliminated the 34 due to its overlap with the 32 and 36.

References
  1. Report of the president ond directors of the Washington and Georgetown Railroad to the stockholders, July 1863, printed in The Miscellaneous Documents of the Senate of the United States for the First Session Thirty-Eighth Congress, Government Printing Office, 1864, document 11
  2. Washington Post, Good Hope Bus Service Begun, December 24, 1924
  3. Laws Relating to Street-Railway Franchises in the District of Columbia, published by the Government Printing Office, 1896, pp. 11-15, 47-66
  4. Samuel Augustus Mitchell, Plan of the City of Washington, 1870, accessed via the David Rumsey Map Collection
  5. C. S. Hammond & Co., Map of Washington Archived 2007-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, 1908
  6. Dr. William Tindall, Beginnings of Street Railways in the National Capital, printed in Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Volume 21, published by the Columbia Historical Society, 1918, pp. 24–86
  7. Washington Post, Cars on F and G Streets, March 24, 1901
  8. Greeters of America, Greeters' Guide to Washington, 1922, pp. 61–63
  9. Washington Post, Track Extension Approved, December 10, 1916
  10. "WASHINGTON DC TRANSIT ROUTES". www.chicagorailfan.com. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  11. "History". Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  12. "Metrobus service changes effective January 13, 2001 District of Columbia". February 10, 2001. Archived from the original on February 10, 2001. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  13. "Metro hosts public hearings on proposed restructuring Metrobus 30s line". Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  14. "Metro launches major overhaul of 30s Metrobus line". Archived from the original on January 29, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  15. "New Metrobus service changes in the District of Columbia begin December 28". Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  16. "Improving bus service on the 30s line (Routes 31, 32, 34, and 36)". Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  17. "DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROPOSED BUS SERVICE CHANGES FISCAL YEAR 2014" (PDF). Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  18. "PlanItMetro » New routes, more service, and other changes coming to bus routes in Southeast DC". planitmetro.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  19. "Metrobus service changes effective August 24 include more trips to improve reliability, reduce crowding". Archived from the original on February 24, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  20. "Metrobus service changes effective August 24". WUSA. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  21. "34 Pennsylvania Ave Line" (PDF). Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  22. "Metro News Release - WMATA". www.wmata.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  23. "Metrobus Service Changes Beginning Sunday, December 15, 2019". Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  24. "Metro announces additional COVID-19 changes, including reduced service beginning Monday | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  25. "METRO SERVICE LEVELS & HOURS FURTHER REDUCED TO SUPPORT ESSENTIAL TRIPS ONLY, STARTING WEDNESDAY | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  26. "Weekend: Metro service limited to 26 bus routes, reduced rail service; expect wait times of 30 minutes; customers urged to travel only if essential | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  27. "Metrobus Service Changes beginning August 23 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  28. "DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Proposed Metrobus Service Changes" (PDF). Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  29. Barthel, Margaret. "Metro Backs Away From Significant Bus Service Cuts". WAMU. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  30. "FY22 Proposed Metrobus Service Changes District of Columbia" (PDF).
  31. "Improved frequency and changes to Metrobus service begin Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved August 24, 2021.

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