WMATA Implementing Complete Bus System Overhaul and Changes to Some Train Services

Image Courtesy of Mass Transit Magazine

By Anthony Curioso

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will launch a complete overhaul of its bus network on Sunday, June 29, as part of its Better Bus Project. WMATA will also make smaller adjustments to rail service, including on the Red Line.

The Better Bus Project launched in 2022 as the first significant redesign in the WMATA bus network’s history. WMATA collaborated with numerous community members from across its service area to gather feedback at each stage of the development process for the new network.

All WMATA bus routes will receive new names and numbers as part of the redesign. Some routes from the previous network will be consolidated into new ones, and others will be redirected to new areas or have their service times adjusted to serve commuters better. 

The new route numbers will start with a letter that indicates the areas served by each route: “A” for Arlington and Alexandria, “C” for crosstown routes or “D” for downtown routes in Washington, DC, “F” for Fairfax City, Fairfax County, and Falls Church, “M” for Montgomery County, and “P” for Prince George’s County. Limited-stop bus routes are indicated with an “X” at the end of the route names.

In addition to the route adjustments, WMATA is closing 527 bus stops throughout its service area, which represents approximately 5% of the original network. This decision is based on ridership levels and the proximity of other bus stops.

The WMATA website offers a comprehensive list of resources to help DC residents adjust to the new bus network. It features a search box where users can enter their old bus route number to find the corresponding new bus route number(s) serving the same area. 

Additionally, even before the launch of the new bus network, riders can utilize the WMATA trip planner to determine the best route between two locations using rail, bus, or a combination of both. Riders can currently use the trip planner to plan a trip under either the old or new networks, depending on the date of the journey. WMATA also provided suggestions for how to use the trip planner before the June 29 launch to plan your trips for after the launch using the new network.

In addition to the massive bus network overhaul, WMATA announced on June 20 that its Metrorail service would undergo several changes, effective June 22, one week before the launch of the bus network overhaul.

As part of the Metrorail service changes, service will begin on Saturdays and Sundays at 6 a.m. instead of the previous 7 a.m. start time. Metrorail service on Friday and Saturday nights will end at 2 a.m. instead of the previous 1 a.m. end time.

The June 20 WMATA press release indicated that three Metrorail lines will soon begin new service patterns. On June 22, weekday rush hour service on the Red Line improved from 5-minute headways to 4-minute headways between trains. Additionally, eastbound trains on the Silver Line will now alternate between terminating at Downtown Largo, a terminus shared with the Blue Line, and New Carrollton, a terminus shared with the Orange Line.

Finally, the WMATA press release from June 20 announced that beginning in December 2025, some Yellow Line trains will extend their service from the current terminus at Mount Vernon Square station to the former Yellow Line terminus at Greenbelt station, which is currently only served by the Green Line.