Metro is rerouting its bus system—and Monday is the last day DC-area commuters can give WMATA their two cents about its proposed changes.
Released in May, WMATA’s proposed bus network would come into effect next summer, with brand new routes, more off-peak service, and a reconfigured naming system—DC-bound lines begin with “D,” Prince George’s County-based with “P,” and so forth.
Some of the proposed new routes include connections from Union Station to Buzzard Point, Tysons to Potomac Yard, and George Mason University to McLean. Metro’s report also notes improved service to National Harbor, with a new route added from there to L’Enfant Plaza.
Yet with Metro’s balanced-budget mandate and fiscal precarity, the new routes require trade-offs. All in all, 650 bus stops—or about 7 percent of the system’s total, according to WMATA—are set to be eliminated next summer, with a full list of stops on the chopping block available on WMATA’s website. Re-routed buses could mean that some riders will no longer see direct service between their homes and workplaces.
If you want to let Metro know how you feel about the bus route changes, you have until 5 PM Monday to submit your input online. There are quite a few ways to do so on WMATA’s website: you can take their survey, give written testimony, or even comment on their interactive map of new routes.
