Metro News Release
For immediate release: June 15, 2012
Reminder: New Metrobus schedules take effect Sunday, June 17
First phase of "better bus" service changes on several routes
New Metrobus schedules will take effect Sunday, June 17, on several routes in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia as Metro implements the first of several phases to improve bus service.
Among the service enhancements that take effect with the June 17 schedule change are:
- Two hours of additional MetroExtra limited-stop service along Pennsylvania Avenue SE (one additional hour during the morning commute and one additional hour in the evening commute)
- Two hours of additional MetroExtra limited-stop service along Wisconsin Avenue NW (one additional hour during the morning commute and one additional hour in the evening commute
- Additional capacity along the busy 16th Street NW corridor with more frequent MetroExtra buses and the introduction of 60-foot accordion-style articulated buses
- Implementation of new "headway-based" service along Georgia Avenue NW and 7th Street NW. With headway-based service, buses operate at a specified interval (e.g. "every 10 minutes"), rather than on a fixed timetable.
- A new route providing direct service between New Carrollton, Prince George’s Plaza and Fort Totten
- Introduction of express bus service between Crystal City/Pentagon and Rosslyn as a new option for current Blue Line customers
- Increased service on along Leesburg Pike with route 28X buses every 15 minutes during peak hours.
Customers are encouraged to check service information for their bus route by visiting the Route Changes page at wmata.com. Metro has notified customers of the schedule change using on-board announcements, signage, brochures and MetroAlerts emails.
Metro is investing $5 million over the next year to provide customers with better bus service. The effort represents the biggest improvement to bus service in five years and will include the introduction of new limited-stop MetroExtra routes on three new travel corridors, conversion of four existing routes to limited-stopMetroExtra service, and refinements to eleven existing priority corridors.
The first round of improvements are intended to improve on-time performance and reliability while reducing crowding for customers along several routes in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. More than 150,000 customers—roughly one third of all bus customers—will benefit from more frequent service, additional capacity, expanded hours of operation on selected MetroExtra routes.
News release issued at 1:15 pm, June 15, 2012.