Route A5 (WMATA)

This is a list of bus routes operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), branded as Metrobus in Washington, D.C. Many are the descendants of streetcar lines operated by the Capital Transit Company or its predecessors.

Numbering

Most Metrobus routes in DC begin with a letter followed by a number but some routes can have double digit numbers.

Odd-numbered routes are typically part-time variants of even-numbered routes. At one time, odd numbered routes were express routes, but that distinction has been abandoned. Most odd-numbered routes operates during rush hours and or limited stops with a few of them running into the off peak hours and weekends.

History

Many current routes operate under former streetcar routes. The streetcars provided the main transportation in the Washington, D.C. area from the 1800s to the 1960s. DC Transit would also operate on the former streetcar routes when the Streetcars ended service. In 1973, WMATA acquired DC Transit along with other bus companies to form its current Metrobus system.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, service was mostly reduced to Sunday service schedules during the weekdays with select routes suspended from March 18 until August 22, 2020. Routes 54, 70, 90, A6, A8, B2, H4, S4, V4, W4, and X2 were the only routes that ran during the weekends with the rest of the routes suspended. On August 23, 2020, more routes came back during the weekdays and weekends returning Metrobus service to 75%. Most service and routes resumed on September 5, 2021.

On November 21, 2024, WMATA approved its Better Bus Network Redesign, which began in 2022. Under the plan, all routes will be renamed with easier to understand route designations, and modify most of its existing routes with the goal of making the bus system easier to use, faster, and more reliable. Changes are expected to start on June 29, 2025. All Washington D.C. routes will be renamed with a C (for crosstown routes) or D (routes entering Downtown) route designation.

Routes

Most DC Metrobus routes operate inside the Washington DC borders. However, some routes would venture into small parts of Montgomery County and Prince George's County to connect to various stations in the Hub-and-spoke system via the old Streetcar routing.

School Routes

These routes connect schools to Washington Metro stations or other local points. They are primarily intended for students, but are open to anyone, and stop at all stops along their routes. These routes will only operate when District of Columbia Public Schools are open.

Additional trips are added to the following routes during school hours: 62, 90, A2, A7, B2, H4, K2, M4, P6, U6, W1, W4, X2.

Routes History

This table gives background knowledge of how routes were created and the overall changes it has gone through the years.

Upcoming DC Better Bus Routes

These bus routes will begin on June 29, 2025 when WMATA Better Bus Redesign is released.

Crosstown Routes

Routes History

Downtown Routes

Route History

Former Routes

Routes eliminated due to Bus Redesign

All routes listed below were eliminated or renamed into an C or D designation on June 29, 2025.

Routes eliminated prior to 2025 Bus Redesign

These routes have been served by Metrobus at one point but have since been discontinued due to either low ridership, duplication of another route, simplification to other routes, combined into another route, low funding, or transferred to another bus company as it would be cheaper to maintain cost and for another carrier to operate the line. However some routes would be reincarnated into new routes for Metrobus. Examples of reincarnations were the 34, V7, and V8.

See also

* List of Metrobus routes (Washington, D.C.)
* List of Metrobus routes in Maryland
* List of Metrobus routes in Virginia

References

External links

District of Columbia Timetables

{{Transit In DC

Washington, D.C.
Bus routes, Washington