Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)

WMATA Metrobus

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority recently purchased BRT buses that are painted in the new Local and Express paint schemes.
Parent	WMATA
Founded	1967
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Locale	Washington Metropolitan Area
Service area	Washington Metropolitan Area
Service type	Local and express bus service
Routes	319
Fleet	1,480
Daily ridership	439,424 (August 2009 weekday average)
Fuel type	Diesel, Diesel-electric Hybrid, CNG
Operator	WMATA
Chief executive	Richard Sarles
Website	www.wmata.com

Metrobus is a bus service operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Its fleet consists of 1,480 buses covering an area of 1,500 square miles (3,900 km²) in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. There are over 300 bus routes serving 12,216 stops, including 2,398 bus shelters. In fiscal year 2009, Metrobus provided more than 133 million trips. On a typical weekday, it provides more than 400,000 trips.

Metro stopped issuing and accepting paper bus transfers as of January 4, 2009; bus and rail riders must use a SmarTrip card to receive the transfer discount.

Fares

The current Metrobus fare structure is as follows:

• Local bus within the District of Columbia, Central Maryland, and Northern Virginia, (except as noted below): $1.80 (using cash) $1.60 (using SmarTrip)
• Express bus: $3.85 (using cash) $3.65 (using SmarTrip)
• Express Airport buses 5A and B30: $6.00

Discounts may be available for senior citizens, people with disabilities, and DC students.(*must have valid ID)

Up to two children, per paying adult, 4 years of age or under ride for free. Children 5 years of age or older pay adult fare.

Express routes: J7, J9, P17, P19, W13, W19, 11Y, 17A, 17B, 17G, 17H, 17K, 17L, 17M, 18E, 18G, 18H, 18P, 29E, 29G, 29H, and 29X.

Transfers and passes

The interior of a WMATA (Metrobus) New Flyer D40LFR Suburban

All Metrobuses have SmarTrip card readers which automatically deduct the correct fare from a rider's SmarTrip card (including transfer credit). Formerly, Metrobus issued paper transfers which gave the rider free transfers to any regular bus for two hours. Beginning January 4, 2009, when a rider uses a SmarTrip card they will automatically receive rail-to-bus transfer credit, and bus-to-bus free transfer time for regular buses is increased to three hours. Express routes have different requirements. This section discusses the transfer policy to and from Metrobus and other regional bus operators. The routes can be Metrobus routes or routes of other regional operators. Note that as of January 4, 2009, transfer credit is issued on a SmarTrip card, riders using cash payment cannot obtain a paper transfer, and thus must pay full fare upon boarding the bus. On June 27, 2010, the transfer window was reduced from 3 hours to 2 hours.

Cost of bus fare using SmarTrip

From	to Local Buses¹	to Express Buses² (Metrobus or Fairfax Connector)	to PRTC routes
Washington Metro	$1.00	$2.50	$4.75 to PRTC OmniRide (full SmarTrip fare) $2.40 to PRTC MetroDirect (full SmarTrip fare)
Metrobus: All other local routes	Free	$1.75	$3.50 to PRTC OmniRide $1.15 to PRTC MetroDirect
Arlington Transit (ART) Connect-A-Ride DASH Fairfax Connector (except Routes 380, 595, and 597) Ride-On	Free	$1.75	N/A
Fairfax Connector routes 380, 595, 597 Metrobus express routes PRTC OmniRide	Free	Free	N/A
The Bus CUE	Free	$1.75	N/A

NOTES:

1. Local Buses: Metrobus local routes, Ride-On, The Bus (Prince George's County), DC Circulator, Fairfax Connector (except Routes 380, 595, and 597), Connect-A-Ride, Fairfax CUE, DASH, and Arlington Transit.
2. Express Buses: Metrobus express routes, PRTC OmniRide, PRTC MetroDirect, Fairfax Connector routes 380, 595, and 597.

Current fleet

Metro is currently in the process of having 52 new Orion Bus Industries VII 3G, Bus rapid transit style Hybrid and Diesel buses delivered. These new buses will be painted in a Red/Silver (Local) paint scheme. In addition, WMATA is also purchasing 95-100 additional New Flyer XDE40 buses to replace the 2000 Orion VIs and most of the 1997 Orion Vs. Red/Silver painted buses will be used on local routes and Blue/Silver buses will be used on Express routes. These buses will have either "Local" or "MetroExtra" on the top of each side of the bus for easy identification. The numbering represents its region of operation. To differ the regions numbering system, most Maryland letters is "prefix" to the route number and Virginia letters is "suffix" to the "number" of the route. For example: C22 (Maryland) and 15L (Virginia). WMATA is adding a total of 533 hybrid buses to replace its diesel bus fleet. Each new "New Flyer Xcelsior XDE40" bus costs $571,737 and is expected to break down less frequently as well as offer greater fuel economy. With the latest purchase of 152 hybrid buses for $89.3 million from New Flyer of America, WMATA's Metrobus fleet will consist of 600 diesel buses, 553 hybrid buses and 339 natural gas fueled buses.

Order Year	Maker	Model	Picture	Fuel Propulsion	Engine/Transmission & Notes	Fleet (Quantity)
1997–00	OBI	05.501 (V)		Diesel	Detroit Series 50EGR Allison World B-400R About 192 1997-2000 Orion Vs remain.	4200-4412 2100-2231 (345)
1999		05.505 (V)			Detroit Series 50EGR Allison WB-400R Buses are being replaced in 2012 by Orion VII 3G buses. About 4 units remain.	3900-3950 (51)
2001	NFI	C40LF		CNG	Cummins Westport C-Gas Plus Allison WB-400R Bus #2336 retired in the summer of 2011 due to a fire.	2300-2399 (100)
2002		C40LF			Cummins Westport C-Gas Plus (#2460-62 formerly had John Deere 6081H engines, but were repowered to Cummins during mid-life rehab.) Allison World B-400R	2401-2462 (62)
2002		C40LF			John Deere 6081H (#2464) Doosan DL08 (#2463) (formerly John Deere) Allison World B-400R	2463-2464 (2)
2002	Neoplan USA	AN-460A		Diesel	Detroit Series 60 Allison World B-500R	5301-5321 (21)
2005	NFI	DE40LF		Diesel-electric Hybrid	Cummins ISL GM/Allison EP-40 Hybrid System	6001-6039 (39)
2005	OBI	07.501 (VII)		CNG	Cummins Westport C-Gas Plus Voith DIWA 864.3	2501-2615 (115)
2006		07.501 (VII)			Cummins C-Gas Plus Voith DIWA 864.3	2616-2685 2701-2730 (100)
2006	NFI	DE40LFR		Diesel-electric Hybrid	Cummins ISL GM/Allison EP-40 Hybrid System	6040-6050 (11)
2006		D40LFR		Diesel	Cummins ISM Voith DIWA 864.3 Bus #6206 is out of service (possibly retired) due to an accident in late 2011.	6101-6217 (117)
2006	OBI	07.503 (VII)		CNG	Cummins Westport C-Gas Plus Voith DIWA 864.3	3001-3035 (35)
2007	NFI	C40LFR			Cummins Westport C-Gas Plus Voith DIWA 864.3	2801-2825 (25)
2008	NABI	60-BRT			Cummins Westport ISL-G Allison WB-500R	5401-5422 (22)
2008	NFI	DE42LFA		Diesel-electric Hybrid	Cummins ISL Allison EP-40 Hybrid System	6301-6461 (161)
2009		DE62LFA			Cummins ISL Allison EP-50 Hybrid System	5431-5452 (22)
2009		DE37LFA			Cummins ISL Allison EP-40 Hybrid System	3751-3770 (20)
2010		DE42LFA			Cummins ISL Allison EP-40 Hybrid System	6462-6509 (48)
2010-11		DE42LFA			Cummins ISL Allison EP-40 Hybrid System'	6510-6609 (100)
2011-13		XDE40			Cummins ISL9 Cummins ISB6.7 (parallel) Allison EP-40 Hybrid System BAE Systems HybriDrive (parallel) To replace all 2000 Orion VIs and most 1997 Orion Vs.	7001-7258 (unknown)
2012	OBI	07.503 (VII) "3G"			Cummins ISB6.7 BAE Systems HybriDrive To replace all 1999 Orion Vs.	3062-3087 (26)
2012		07.503 (VII) "3G"		Diesel	Cummins ISL9 Allison WB-400R	3036-3061 (25)

Divisions

Metrobus's old stop marker design, seen here at Glenmont station.

Metrobus's new stop marker design, seen here at the BWI Business District Light Rail Station.

There are 9 divisions (a.k.a. Depots, garages, yards or lots) in the Metrobus system. Two of them are open on weekdays only and 1 is being planned to open soon.

• Full-time (Open 24/hour or seven-days-a-week):

1. Bladensburg (B) - Located at 2251 26th Street NE, in the District. Largest lot in the system.
2. Four Mile Run (F) - Located near the stream of the same name in southern Arlington at 3501 South Glebe Road, just south of Crystal City. This garage handles West Ox and Royal division routes on weekends and is a CNG depot.
3. Landover (L) - Located at 3433 Pennsy Drive in Landover.
4. Montgomery (M) - Located at 5400 Marinelli Road, just east of Rockville Pike in Rockville. It is situated a block east of the White Flint station.
5. Northern (N) - Located at 4615 14th Street, NW in the northwestern portion of the District. The facility is a former trolley barn for the Capital Traction Company.
6. Western (W) - Located on 5230 Wisconsin Avenue, NW in the Friendship Heights neighborhood of the District.
7. Shepherd Parkway (S) - Replacement for the Southeastern Garage , and located at 2 DC Village Lane SW.

• Part-time (Open weekdays only):

1. West Ox (A) - Located at Alliance Drive and West Ox Road in Fairfax, VA, right next to Lee Hwy (US 29). This division replaced the Arlington division.
2. Royal Street (R) - Located on 600 North Royal Street in Alexandria.
3. Southern Avenue (P) LOCATED IN THE MARYLAND / SE DC BORDER LINE.

• Future:

1. Cinder Bed Road, Planned for opening in 2013.

Limited-stop routes

Current

• Columbia Pike (16X, 16Y)
• Richmond Highway (REX)
• Georgia Avenue (in District of Columbia) (79)
• Pennsylvania Avenue (39)
• Wisconsin Avenue / Massachusetts Avenue (37)
• 16th Street (S9)
• University Boulevard / East-West Highway (Montgomery County) (J4)
• Leesburg Pike (28X)
• H Street / Benning Road (X9)
• New Hamphire Avenue (K9)
• Martin Luther King Jr Ave (A9)

NOTE: Routes bolded and in parentheses

Proposed

• Potomac Yard
• Southern Avenue / National Harbor
• Veirs Mill Road
• Eastover / Addison Road
• Little River Turnpike / Duke Street
• East-West Highway (Prince George's County)
• Greenbelt-Twinbrook
• Massachusetts Avenue / U Street / Florida Avenue / 8th Street / MLK Avenue
• 14th Street
• Colesville Road
• Anacostia - Congress Heights
• Georgia Avenue (in Montgomery County)
• North Capitol Street
• Rhode Island Avenue
• Rhode Island Avenue Station to LaurelSOUTHERN AVE DIVISION IS STILL OPEN

Richmond Highway Express

A Metrobus Orion VII #2684 in REX colors.

Richmond Highway Express a.k.a. "REX", is a Limited-Stop bus line that operates between King Street – Old Town station and Fort Belvoir along the Richmond Highway corridor in Fairfax County, Virginia. The current "REX" fleet consists of twelve 2006 Orion 07.501 (VII) CNG (2674–2685) buses painted in a blue-and-gold paint scheme, which operate out of the Four Mile Run division. REX began service on September 26, 2004, replacing parts of Route 9A (which now operates between Huntington station and The Pentagon). The original REX bus fleet consisted of twelve now-retired 2000 Orion 06.501 (VI) buses wrapped (but not painted) in blue-and-gold paint scheme before the aforementioned newest Orion 07.501 CNG buses arrived in 2006.

See also

• List of Metrobus routes (Washington, D.C.)
• Metro Transit Police Department