New All-Door Boarding, Service Improvements and Facility Upgrades to Provide Metro Customers With a ‘Better Bus’ Experience, Starting Dec. 17

MCS Staff December 13, 2023 at 10:56pm

Beginning Sunday, Dec. 17, Metrobus will make changes to 43 bus routes in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, including all-door boarding and 24/7 bus service on select routes.

Per WMATA: Rail to bus transfers will be made easier at Greenbelt, with full implementation of bus transfer lights, followed by bus loop improvements starting at Friendship Heights on Monday, Dec. 18.

The changes coincide with the launch of Metro’s 24/7 DC Bus Service, first announced last month. Funded by the District of Columbia, the 24/7 service on 14 routes aims to improve transit access for customers traveling at all times of the day, advance equity efforts for those who have traditionally had limited transit options late at night and early morning.

In response to customer demand, Metro will adjust and expand service on dozens of routes in Virginia, Maryland, and DC, including:

DC: 32, 33, 52, 70, 79, 80, 90, 92, A2, A4, A6, A8, A31, A32, A33, B2, D2, H4, L2, P6, S2, S9, V2, W4, X2, X3

Maryland: 89M, C21, C22, D12, F1, F2, F4, F8, F12, F13, L12

Virginia: 3F, 3Y, 16Y, 29K, 29N, REX

All-door Boarding: Customers will find it quicker and easier to board the bus with the introduction of all-door boarding on eight routes; Route T18 serving Maryland and DC; routes 32 and 36 in DC; Route F4 in Maryland; and routes 16A, 16C, 16E, and 16M in Virginia. Customers will be able to enter from both the front and rear doors. Buses on these routes have been retrofitted, allowing customers to tap their SmarTrip card or mobile device on the fare payment screen when boarding from the rear. Customers with accessibility needs or paying cash fare should continue to board from the front.

24/7 DC Bus Service: In the District, 14 routes will also begin operating every 20 minutes or less every 20 minutes between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. as part of the 24/7 DC Bus Service. The following routes – 32, 33, 52, 70, 80, 92, A6, A8, B2, H4, S2, V2, W4, X2- will operate on high ridership routes and key corridors to support late-night and early-morning essential workers in hospitality, healthcare, and entertainment industries. Service will also be extended on routes 92, A6 and A8 to serve additional bus stops after Metrorail operations close.

Bus Transfer Lights: At the Greenbelt Station, Metro will begin full implementation of bus transfer lights to ensure customers can make a reliable connection to their bus on low-frequency routes. Metro first tested the system in July. When a train approaches the station during off-peak hours (9 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. – midnight), a strobe light will signal to bus operators to wait up to five minutes before departing so that Metrorail customers have time to make it from the station platform to the bus.

Friendship Heights Station Bus Loop: Then on Monday, Dec. 18, Metro will start construction to repave and repair the Friendship Heights station bus loop, aiming to maintain a state of good repair. This effort is expected to last approximately two months, during which time the bus loop will be temporarily closed, and bays C, D, E, F, G, and H will be relocated. Further information can be found in the service advisory.